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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?

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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.

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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]