Northwestern University has just secured a major win in the race to advance robotics, leading a multi-institutional collaboration with a hefty $26 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This funding will launch a new Engineering Research Center (ERC) focused on transforming the capabilities of robots to enhance human labor—a groundbreaking step which aims to reshape industries from manufacturing to healthcare.
Dubbed the Human AugmentatioN via Dexterity (HAND) ERC, this project aims to create robotic hands with human-like dexterity, capable of performing complex tasks that have traditionally been beyond the reach of automation. Whether it’s assisting in manufacturing, caregiving, or handling delicate and dangerous materials, the HAND center is set to push the boundaries of what robots can do.
“This new NSF award is a historic milestone that builds on Northwestern’s well-recognized expertise in robotics and human-machine systems,” said Eric Perreault, Northwestern’s vice president for research. “The HAND proposal is bold and visionary. It will have a long-lasting, positive effect on manufacturing, food processing, healthcare, and many other areas that rely on dexterous manipulation.”
The NSF grant will support the HAND center over the next five years, with the potential for renewal to bring the total investment to $52 million over a decade. This marks the first time Northwestern has led an ERC, and the university is partnering with Carnegie Mellon University, Florida A&M, and Texas A&M, along with faculty from Syracuse University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and MIT.
Leading the charge at HAND is J. Edward Colgate, a professor of mechanical engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering. Colgate, an expert in robots and haptics, will guide the center in its mission to develop robots with advanced manual skills and intuitive interfaces. The center’s research director, Kevin Lynch, also from Northwestern, will spearhead efforts to integrate these robotic advancements into real-world applications.
“Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have created an incredible opportunity to make robot manipulators accessible to small American manufacturers, people with motor impairments and many others who might benefit,” Colgate said. “A huge challenge, however, is what we put at the end of the robot’s arm. Today’s two-jaw grippers are far too limited. HAND’s fundamental research will lead to robots with dexterous and versatile hands, manual skills and intuitive interfaces that anyone can learn to use.”
But the HAND center isn't just about pushing technical boundaries. It’s also focused on making these advancements accessible and beneficial across society. The researchers plan to develop robotic hands that are not only highly functional but also affordable, easy to use, and mass-manufacturable.
Chris Schuh, dean of the McCormick School of Engineering, emphasized the center’s broader impact: “The HAND ERC does just that, delivering a broad innovation ecosystem, united in purpose and mission, to realize robot dexterity. I am grateful for Ed’s tremendous leadership of this initiative and am excited to see the advancement in robotics that will come from this work.”
The HAND ERC is positioned to deliver substantial benefits: boosting worker productivity, improving job opportunities, reshoring manufacturing, and reducing supply chain vulnerabilities. The center’s work could democratize robotics, making sophisticated robotic tools available to smaller manufacturers and even individuals with motor impairments.
Since 1985, NSF’s ERC program has been at the forefront of convergent research, bringing together academia, industry, and government to tackle some of the nation’s toughest challenges. The HAND center at Northwestern is poised to become a critical part of this legacy, driving innovation and economic growth in the rapidly evolving field of robotics.
“NSF Engineering Research Centers are powerhouses of discovery and innovation, bringing America's great engineering minds to bear on our toughest challenges,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “By collaborating with industry and training the workforce of the future, ERCs create an innovation ecosystem that can accelerate engineering innovations, producing tremendous economic and societal benefits for the nation.”
With the launch of the HAND center, Northwestern and its partners are stepping up to lead the next wave of robotic innovation—one that could very well redefine the future of human-robot collaboration.
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