A 3D-printed robot hand that can play simple tunes on the piano has been built by scientists. The robotic hand plays simple musical phrases on the piano by moving its wrist. Scientists have said the robot is limited in what it can play but reveals how complex the mechanics of the human hand are and how difficult it is to replicate*. The robot hand was made by 3D-printing soft and rigid materials together to replicate all the bones and ligaments* but not the muscles or tendons* in a human hand. Cambridge University researchers working on the project say the robot has a limited movement compared to a human hand but were surprised by the wide range it was still capable of. Using the passive movement, in which the fingers cannot move independently, the robot was able to mimic different styles of piano playing. The researchers programmed the robot to play a number of short musical phrases with clipped or smooth notes, achieved through the movement of the wrist. Researcher Josie Hughes said, “It’s just the basics at this point, but even with this single movement, we can still get quite complex and nuanced* behavior.” Recreating all the dexterity* and adaptability* of the human hand in a robot is a massive research challenge.(SD-Agencies) |