MIT's Gel based Robotic hands may be used to perform complex surgical operations in the future

Most robots as they are made of metal are not suitable for the natural world but the new robotic hands designed by Massachusetts institute of technology (MIT)  serves the purpose. The robot looks like claw machine that is present in front of an arcade but unlike other robots, it is made of clear membranous substance.

The robot's limbs are made of hydrogel composed primarily of water and they are made in to hand like structures using 3D printing and laser cutting. When the water is pumped into the limbs they stretch or curl and open and close like that of hand. So this facilitates the robotic limbs to be smooth enough but also have the strength, durability and speed of normal robots.

To test the potential the researchers employed to catch and release fishing. The robot was able to grab the goldfish and release it smoothly without causing any injury to the fish. The conventional robots, on the other hand, would have crushed the fish because of the metallic material.

However, the technology is not limited just to fishing. MIT researchers are planning to extend this technology to the medical field. As the hydrogel hands of the robot handled the fish without hurting it, the researchers believe the same to happen with the human tissue as well.

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According to lead Researcher Xuanhe Zhao, they are collaborating with medical groups to translate the system into soft manipulators like hydrogel hands which may be used in surgical operations in the future. These robotic hands can be used to perform soft manipulations with the tissues and organs without causing any damage. Researchers still have to customize and refine the robotics, so that one day they may even be used to perform complex surgical operations.