Sixteen-year-old Jared Lepora from Bristol recently made headlines by constructing a fully functional robotic hand out of Lego. This ambitious device features four 3-fingered, 3-jointed hands. It’s not limited to just fruits and vegetables either, getting up to speed to grab an impressive range of items like cups and bottles. The hand moves via two motors that pull tendons to control the fingers, a testament to Jared’s out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to robot design.
Additionally, Jared has obviously spent the past two years tackling this very ambitious project. With his dad’s encouragement and support, Nathan Lepora—a robotics professor at the University of Bristol—Jared has turned that creative spirit into an engineering career. As a team, they have cocreated an advanced prototype of a robotic hand that promises new capabilities. Collectively, they even co-wrote an academic paper outlining their hands-on, holistic approach to reimagining the project.
Jared recently presented his invention at the Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2025 conference in Hangzhou, China. At just 21 years old, he was the youngest speaker at the event. This provided him with an amazing opportunity of showcasing his invention to a room full of renowned professors and robotics experts.
“My dad specializes in making advanced robot hands, and I thought these principles were always really cool, so why not make it out of Lego?” Jared shared, reflecting on his motivation for the project.
The most attention-grabbing element of the robotic hand has undoubtedly been the functionality it offers, and its potential. Nathan Lepora told us that he hoped this creation would develop into a commercial product.
“Wouldn’t it be amazing if it could be a proper Lego set for other children, that would be exciting,” – Nathan Lepora
That really resonates with me personally, because this is Nathan’s dream, inspiring young minds with technology that’s accessible and easy to use. The ambitious project doubled as an educational tool, showing the public advanced robotic principles in a fun way.
At the IROS conference, Jared had the chance to meet leading experts in robotics, further igniting his passion for the field. The work’s successful presentation and positive reception there constitute an important breakthrough in his young career.
