Sixteen-year-old Jared Lepora, who is from Bristol, has built a fully working, life sized, mechanical hand out of pure Lego. After two years and through the help of toy industry experts, Jared created a truly innovative invention. It has four fingers, each finger with three knuckles and actuated by two motors through tendon-like systems. That makes for a flexible design with TO, letting the robotic hand hold everything from bananas to glasses, as seen in the video above, which demonstrates its incredible dexterity.
Jared’s dad, Nathan Lepora, is a robotics professor at University of Bristol. He was an important factor in helping his son navigate the ins-and-outs of the building process. As a team, they co-authored an academic paper describing how the robotic hand was built and how it works. Their collaborative work demonstrates the power of creativity in engineering education alongside arts collaboration.
Jared’s outstanding accomplishment has drawn quite a bit of publicity. In turn, that earned him an invitation to present at the Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2025 conference in Hangzhou, China. The youngest speaker at the event, he hopes to inspire fellow young innovators with his unique story.
When asked about his motivation for using Lego in his project, 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?” Careful engagement ensured that this innovative approach was fun and approachable, bringing the project to life. Plus, it let Jared mix playfulness with deep engineering ideas.
Nathan Lepora expressed excitement about the potential of Jared’s creation, saying, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if it could be a proper Lego set for other children? That would be exciting.” It is a reflection of their hope realized in this wider vision. They wish for other young aspiring engineers to get inspired using the playful tool of Lego.
Whether or not this dream goes fully realized for Jared, the robotic hand is an incredible success story. It demonstrates the power of mentorship and the synergy of a loving parent to an aspiring child. The father-son duo’s dedication to nurturing creativity and technical skills underscores the need for supportive spaces where young innovators can thrive.