In a move that feels ripped from the pages of a sci-fi script, researchers at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have unveiled a robotic hand with a shapeshifting palm that can melt, mold around an object, and solidify for a perfect grip. The inspiration? None other than the iconic T-1000 from Terminator 2.
Developed at EPFL’s Reconfigurable Robotics Lab, headed by Professor Jamie Paik, the four-fingered hand tackles a long-standing challenge in robotics: grasping unfamiliar or complex objects. The solution is both elegant and extreme. The hand’s palm is made from a low-melting-point alloy (LMPA)—a mix of bismuth, indium, and tin—that becomes liquid at just 60°C (140°F). When it needs to grab something, an embedded heating element turns the palm to mush. The fingers then position the hand around the target, allowing the liquid metal to conform perfectly to its shape before cooling back into a solid, ultra-secure grip.
The design’s cleverest feature is its thermal management system. To accelerate the cooling and solidification process, the entire hand can detach from the robotic arm and be dunked in a water bath. Once rigid, the arm retrieves the hand, which can now handle delicate items or lift objects up to 40 times its own weight. This research, published in the prestigious journal Science Robotics, showcases a novel blend of soft robotics and traditional rigid designs.
Why is this important?
This Terminator-esque hand represents a significant step toward creating a truly universal gripper. Most robotic hands are a compromise between dexterity and strength. Soft grippers are adaptable but weak, while rigid pincers are strong but clumsy with irregular shapes. By using a phase-changing material, the EPFL team has created a system that is both infinitely adaptable and incredibly strong. This technology could revolutionize everything from warehouse logistics, where robots must handle a vast array of products, to advanced prosthetics and even missions in space to capture orbital debris.
