Sixteen-year-old Jared Lepora of Bristol has recently been in the news for his outstanding accomplishment in robotics. In these last two years he’s actually gone on to develop a fully functional robotic hand made entirely of Lego bricks. This innovative creation showcases his engineering skills and passion for robotics, influenced by his father, Nathan Lepora, a professor of robotics at the University of Bristol.
The uniquely designed hand Jared controls is driven by two motors, which use tendons to actuate its four fingers. With three joints in each finger, it can pick up things from fruit to coffee cups. The young inventor’s project was a demonstration of his excellent technical capabilities. It really can empower anyone to create exciting robotics with relatively low cost materials – including Lego.
Beyond constructing the robotic hand, Jared—and his father, Glenn—wrote a scholarly paper documenting their processes. By documenting these intentions, processes and results, we hope our baby steps can be of use to the creative robotics community—encouraging further exploration in potential parallel projects. Last month, Jared defended his thesis and presented his findings at the Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2025 conference in Hangzhou, China. Completely unexpectedly, at this prestigious event, he became the star as the youngest speaker there. He wowed attendees with his deep knowledge and burning passion.
Nathan Lepora expressed pride in his son’s accomplishments, stating, “And he had the idea of making one out of Lego…maybe he’ll become my boss someday.” He envisions a future where their creation could inspire other children, hoping that “Wouldn’t it be amazing if it could be a proper Lego set for other children, that would be exciting.”
Jared reflected on his inspiration for the project, saying, “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?” His passion for robotics really comes through as he beams next to his invention in a blue school blazer.
The combination of Jared’s radical creativity and Nathan’s theological and philosophical expertise has produced a transformative project that leaps between learning and invention. As Jared follows this adventure in robotics, he opens the doors to imaginative new inventions for the world’s young inventors.