Don't want to depend on opposable thumbs to operate machinery? Empire Robotics has a solution for that with their robot grippers - or otherwise known as the Versaball system.

It can change lightbulbs, handle sharp objects and build small LEGO towers. How does it do all that?



There's actually a one-piece-grips-all technique that allows the robotic hand to avoid traditional mechanical difficulties. It is as simple as using pressurized air and an undisclosed granular substance inside the balloon.



There's an interesting potential to this: human prosthetics. The company is currently working on a "limb-compatible version of the Versaball". Of course, it won't be used for everything, and it definitely can provide a tactile quality to it. Who wants to have a ball hand when you can have a human looking one instead.

Still, there are other potential applications that can be put to use here. Check out more over at: [Popular Science]