Sixteen-year-old Jared Lepora from Bristol has captured the attention of the robotics community by creating a working robotic hand made entirely from Lego. He invested nearly two years to fully realize this deep and extensive project. It is both an artistic work and a marvel of technical craftsmanship, having four fingers with three joints per finger, all actuated by two motors through tendons.
For Jared, the spark came from seeing his dad’s work. For Nathan Lepora, a robotics professor at the University of Bristol, it was important to actively shepherd his son’s experience. It was his support that proved most critical. As a team, they went on to co-author a peer-reviewed academic article about the design and operation of the robotic hand.
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 explained. His innovation enables the hand of this robot to consistently pick up a wide variety of objects, from oranges to coffee cups, showcasing the invention’s real world utility.
Jared’s remarkable achievement did not go unnoticed. He was recently invited to give a talk at the Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2025 conference—obviously not yet in Hangzhou, China. There, he made history as the youngest speaking participant to ever attend. He accessorized his black top with a convention white lanyard. As he talked, he helped educate his vision for robotics to a global audience.
Here’s a short video of Nathan Lepora passionately expressing his hopes for Jared’s invention. He was like, “Wouldn’t it be cool if this could go on to be like a real physical Lego set for other kids? That’d be awesome. Now all of these young innovators are being connected through this vision to the rest of the world. Finally, it aims to make advanced robotics more accessible to a broader audience.
The robotic hand is a shining example of how engineering can be at the intersection of education and creativity. Jared has definitely set himself up for success within the world of robotics. His dad can’t wait to work with him on projects of all kinds. “And he had the idea of making one out of Lego…maybe he’ll become my boss someday,” Nathan added humorously, highlighting the potential for innovation that runs in the family.
