IF YOU WANT to survive the robot apocalypse—the nerd joke goes—just close the door. For all that they’re great at (precision, speed, consistency), robots still suck at manipulating door handles, among other basic tasks. Part of the problem is that they have to navigate a world built for humans, designed for hands like ours. And those are among the most complex mechanical structures in nature.

Relief for the machines, though, is in sight. Researchers at the University of Pisa and the Italian Institute of Technology have developed a stunningly simple, yet stunningly capable robotic hand, known as the SoftHand 2, that operates with just two motors. Compare that to the Shadow Dexterous Hand, which is hypnotizingly skillful, but also has 20 motors. The SoftHand promises to help robots get a grip at a fraction of the price.