Robot, heal thyself: scientists develop self-repairing machines

EU project creates robotic hands that can sense and fix damage without human intervention

From picking fruit to carrying out minor surgery, soft robotic hands made from jelly-like plastic are thought by scientists to be the future solution to many human needs.

But being gentle and soft enough to avoid damaging fruit or flesh has made the robots prone to damage and left them largely impractical for use in the real world - until now.