# ETH Zurich researchers make robotic hand crawl and manipulate objects

_Published Friday, October 16, 2026 at 5:16 AM EDT · Robotics · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![ETH Zurich researchers make robotic hand crawl and manipulate objects — Primary](https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/wuji-hand-1.png)

ETH Zurich researchers demonstrated a robotic hand that crawls, steers and recovers after falls using its fingers, without a separate mobility system. The prototype uses an off-the-shelf WUJI hand with onboard power and computation, allowing untethered operation.

The researchers trained its movements through reinforcement learning in a simulation calibrated against physical hardware. The hand also pressed successive keyboard keys while supporting itself and pushed an object toward targets. Keyboard commands did not rely on vision; object pushing used overhead visual feedback.

## Sources

- [Robotics & Automation News](https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2026/10/16/eth-zurich-scientists-turn-wuji-robotic-hand-into-self-propelled-mobile-manipulator/105991/)

---
Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/X6s4CtDtW2JKvwpaEUGpbn
Published: 2026-10-16T09:16:03.891Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-16T07:43:07.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-16T13:02:54.819Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)