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Addams Family Thing Comes to Life as Researchers Build Walking Robot Hand
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Firstpost•13-10-2026, 10:50
Addams Family Thing Comes to Life as Researchers Build Walking Robot Hand
- •Researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland have developed a robotic hand that can walk independently on its fingertips, closely resembling Thing from The Addams Family.
- •Powered by an onboard Raspberry Pi computer and battery, the 1.8-pound device operates completely untethered from external power sources or robotic arms.
- •Using reinforcement learning, the team successfully trained the hand to navigate across 14 different types of terrain, including grass, gravel, asphalt, and metal grating.
- •The walking hand can recover from falls, push objects, and press keys on a keyboard, showcasing potential for exploring confined spaces that larger robots cannot reach.
- •Future developments for the project include adding visual sensors for autonomous object identification and improving the robot's maneuverability and directional changes.
Key Questions Answered
The walking robotic hand was developed by researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland.
The robot is powered by a Raspberry Pi computer, a battery, and supporting electronics mounted on its back, utilizing a control system trained via reinforcement learning.
The researchers plan to add visual sensors so the machine can autonomously identify objects and improve its maneuverability and ability to change direction.
