Need to handle radioactive materials, or maybe defuse a bomb? This robot hand will operate where humans can't – controlled from a distance by moving your (real) hand in a special glove. It's as dexterous as a human hand with 24 distinct movements, operating using motors or via steampunk-style "air muscles" that can hold 5kg.

The hand is the result of years of work by London-based Shadow Robot, a company launched in 1997 that creates mobile limbs. Rich Walker, Shadow's MD, invited wired inside its Islington workshop to see the latest models. The £140,000 hands are ideal for handling explosives, hazmat work or doing remote experiments, Walker explains. Indeed, both Nasa and the MoD have placed orders. "Though the MoD won't tell us explicitly what it's for," he says.