Sixteen year-old Jared Lepora from Bristol has been featured on media across the world recently for his innovative approach to robotics. He built an incredible new robotic hand—all with traditional Lego! Lepora spent the next two years painstakingly developing this groundbreaking device. He counted on the expert help of his father, Nathan Lepora, a professor of robotics at the University of Bristol. It was their shared advocacy that made all the difference. Their robotic hand prototype boasted four functional fingers, each with three joints activated by two motors through tendons.
Jared’s robotic hand may be a technical triumph, it is a deeply practical one. The device features the ability to recognize a vast array of other objects, from fruits to cups, demonstrating its range of capabilities. Join us in congratulating Jared on this incredible accomplishment! Notably, he showcased his research at the upcoming Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2025 conference in Hangzhou, China, becoming what would be the youngest invited speaker in the event’s history. His presentation has piqued the interest of numerous top professors in the field.
Reflecting on his inspiration, Jared stated, “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?” This feeling is a true testament to his love for robotics and innovation, even at such a young age.
At the conference, Nathan Lepora expressed his hopes for the future of the robotic hand, saying, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if it could be a proper Lego set for other children? That would be exciting.” His vision includes making this technology accessible to younger generations, potentially sparking their interest in robotics.
The Lepora duo also co-authored an academic paper detailing their work on the robotic hand, contributing valuable insights to the field. Their partnership is a stellar example of how creativity, curriculum and experiential learning come together to motivate more students to step into the exciting world of robotics.
Jared’s journey recently came to an exhilarating climax at a national robotics convention. Once there, he presented his robot hand, wowing the crowd and even impressing the experts from around the world. As he continues to pursue his interests in technology and engineering, observers are keen to see where his talents will lead him next.
