Chinese scientists have worked out a 4-finger robot hand that is as big as that of an adult human, and just as nimble.

Designed and built by scientists from the Harbin Polytechnics University, the robot hand is believed to have reached international standards and taken the lead in China's robotics, Monday's Guangming Daily reported.

Equipped with 96 sensors and hundreds of mechanical and electric components, the "hand", with four knuckles on each finger, can play simple music pieces under computer control.

It can even do more difficult jobs such as pouring water out of a thermos under remote control.

"The nimble robot hand, with its high perception and remote control functions, has filled the gap in China's robotics research, " the paper quoted Feng Xisheng, an academician from China's Academy of Engineering.

（Xinhua News Agency December 24, 2001）