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Hands that grip anything without electricity or sensors

Mythra V. S. Balakuntala, Safvan Palathingal, G. K. Ananthasuresh

May 30, 2026

Researchers built a one-piece rubber gripper with no motors, sensors, or electronics. It works like an everting shell—imagine a sea anemone closing around prey—with flexible arms that conform to whatever object touches it. When the shell flips back, it releases. The arms' stiffness determines payload; their size determines maximum object diameter. No power needed, works on any shape.
Published as A passive universal grasping mechanism based on an everting shell arXiv:2606.00470
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