Artificial Intelligence. Cheetah Robot runs 28.3 mph; a bit faster than Usain Bolt. Ault Park Pavilion Cincinnati, OH Birds eye view. Chronicle: Universal robotic gripper. Robert Barker/University Photography The human hand is an amazing machine that can pick up, move and place objects easily, but for a robot, this "gripping" mechanism is a vexing challenge.
Opting for simple elegance, researchers from Cornell, the University of Chicago and iRobot Corp. have created a versatile gripper using everyday ground coffee and a latex party balloon, bypassing traditional designs based on the human hand and fingers. They call it a universal gripper, as it conforms to the object it's grabbing, rather than being designed for particular objects, said Hod Lipson, Cornell associate professor of mechanical engineering and computer science. The research is a collaboration between the groups of Lipson, Heinrich Jaeger at the University of Chicago, and Chris Jones at iRobot. Harrier Jet Demostration. Lab Report: Orchestra.