How does a human hand work? How do tendons and joints work together to manipulate fingers? What are the design strengths of a human hand? What are the weaknesses?

Building cardboard grabbers challenges students to think critically about mechanical design. Using simple materials, students will design and build their own visions of what a hand should be, and test the functionality of their machines by lifting an assortment of objects.

This project is designed to give students ownership of their learning by offering minimal instruction. Students should learn through the iterative process of design, test, and redesign. This is a crucial element of this project, and should not be viewed as merely supplemental. We encourage you to customize this project to the needs of your class, but maintain the ideal of students’ learning through exploring.