We're all for Iron Man-style homebrew robotics here at The Verge, and this robotic gripper is a perfect example. Built by recently-graduated high school students Sam Baumgarten and Graham Hughes, the gripper is made up of three large servos which control 3D-printed fingers. A glove kitted out with flex sensors is used to operate the fingers, with vibrating motors linked to pressure sensors in the hand providing haptic feedback.
You're only ever one arc reactor away from an entire iron man suit
Hughes told The Verge he built the original gripper below, before working Baumgarten on the final version you can see above. Both follow the same basic design, with the hand connected by a short pole to a box containing most of the electronics. Really, it's amazing what you can do if you have a couple of Arduinos lying around. Well, a couple of Adruinos and a 3D printer and some CAD software and some sensors and LEDS and some other stuff. But still — you get the idea.