Researchers have presented a new design for a robotic hand that can detach from its arm to move independently, grasp multiple objects, and then return and reattach. The work, published in the journal Nature Communications, was led by roboticist Aude Billard of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Xiao Gao, now at Wuhan University.

According to the researchers, the design was motivated by observing the limitations of the human hand in multitasking scenarios, such as when needing to hold many objects at once or grasp items behind the body. The resulting device has been compared by others to the independent, disembodied hand "Thing" from The Addams Family, though the researchers stated the design was not directly inspired by the character.

The robotic hand is constructed from silicone, motors, and 3D-printed components. Its software is trained in a simulation to learn how to grasp objects, and those instructions are then transferred to the physical device to execute the tasks. The design demonstrates a approach to robotics where a manipulator can operate both as part of a larger arm and as a freely moving tool.