Teen Innovator Creates Robotic Hand Using LEGOs

In October, a remarkable achievement was presented at the 2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Hangzhou, China. A 16-year-old named Jared Lepora unveiled a robotic hand built entirely from LEGOs.

Jared, a teenager, co-authored research published on arXiv alongside his father, Nathan Lepora, a professor of robotics and artificial intelligence at the University of Bristol. Using the LEGO MINDSTORMS robotics kit, Jared constructed a LEGO version of the SoftHand-A, a 3D-printed anthropomorphic robot hand introduced in previous studies.

In his presentation, Jared emphasized his educational goal: to demonstrate complex robotic mechanisms in a way that is accessible and understandable for children. He designed the hand digitally, incorporating two motors and four fingers, each equipped with two tendons.

One of the main challenges he faced was the routing of the tendons around the rotating bearings in the fingers, which allows for the bending of joints and the flexing or extending of fingers when the tendons are pulled.

The robotic hand consists of over 100 bearings, which are crucial for its rotational capabilities. Jared cleverly addressed the limitation that LEGOs lack springs, allowing his design to still function effectively.

The result is an anthropomorphic hand that can adaptively grasp a wide variety of objects with a simple actuation and control mechanism. As reported, Jared claims that his LEGO version performs comparably to the original SoftHand-A, although tests indicated that it had slightly slower response times and lower bearing and pushing capacities.

Nevertheless, the differences were not significant. Jared believes that fostering interest in robotics among his generation is crucial for the future of technology. He stated, 'My generation, and younger, are the future of robotics, so it is essential we understand and take interest in this field.

Building a robot hand with your own hands is a great way to learn about robotics.' This innovation not only showcases the potential for young innovators in the field but also aims to inspire future generations to engage in STEM disciplines.

According to Popular Science, Jared's work exemplifies how educational tools can be used to introduce complex concepts in robotics to children, making advanced technology accessible and engaging.