Japan trials giant robot hand to scoop buried items at quake sites

Researchers from Japan and Switzerland have developed a giant robotic hand integrated with AI-driven excavation technology to enhance disaster recovery efforts, particularly in earthquake-affected areas. The project, named CAFE (Collaborative AI Field Robot Everywhere), is a five-year collaboration involving Kumagai Gumi, Tsukuba University, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, and ETH Zurich, funded by Japan’s Cabinet Office and the Japan Science and Technology Agency. The robotic hand uses pneumatic actuators and fingertip sensors to adapt its grip dynamically, handling both fragile and heavy objects up to 3 tons. Demonstrated in Tsukuba City, it successfully manipulated diverse debris types, showcasing its potential to operate in hazardous, unstable environments inaccessible to traditional heavy machinery. A key challenge addressed by the project is the formation of natural dams caused by landslides, which pose flooding risks to communities. The CAFE system combines the robotic hand with AI excavation software developed through Sim-to-Real reinforcement learning, enabling the machine to learn and adapt