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ETH Zurich Builds Autonomous Fingertip-Walking Mobile Hand

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 2:12 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

ETH Zurich Soft Robotics Lab built an autonomous hand that walks on its fingertips.
The hand walks across tiles, grass and stone while supporting its own weight.
Researchers equipped the hand with a battery, computer and sensors.
They trained the hand using reinforcement learning in simulation.
Researchers say mobile hands could operate in tight spaces and be added to humanoid robots for greater versatility.

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Story summary

ETH Zurich Soft Robotics Lab built an autonomous hand that walks on its fingertips.
The hand walks across tiles, grass and stone while supporting its own weight.
Researchers equipped the hand with a battery, computer and sensors.
They trained the hand using reinforcement learning in simulation.
Researchers say mobile hands could operate in tight spaces and be added to humanoid robots for greater versatility.