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Dexterity and Manipulation in 2026: Assessing Fine Motor Skills and Tool Use

Robots are getting better at delicate tasks – from screwing bolts to plugging connectors, opening doors, or handling soft objects like cables and cloth. By 2026, machines in factories and homes face real challenges: tiny screws need careful alignment, electrical plugs must mate exactly, door handles come in many shapes, and flexible parts (wires, fabrics) can flop unpredictably. Researchers and companies design benchmark tests to measure these skills. For example, the U.S. NIST group created assembly test boards that mimic real factory scenarios with threaded screws, snap-fits, electrical connectors, wiring harnesses and belts【nist.gov】【Frontiers】. These task boards let engineers score a robot on how well it can pick up a bolt, align it, and fully insert it without breaking the thread【nist.gov】. Other tests include plugging in heavy connectors or routing wires through channels【Frontiers】【Fraunhofer】. Even robotics competitions (like ARIAC) use similar tasks to challenge new systems.

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