Watch: This coffee-filled robot gripper can pick up fragile objects without complex sensors

Researchers demonstrated a low-cost robotic gripper made from a latex balloon filled with coffee grounds.

The gripper uses vacuum-induced jamming to securely pick up fragile and irregularly shaped objects.

Originally developed by Cornell University, the University of Chicago, and iRobot, the design needs no cameras or complex sensing.

The approach could expand industrial automation by enabling simple sensorless manipulation of delicate items.