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COVVI Unveils Cutting-Edge Robotic Hand Technology
The device offers human-like dexterity, offering hope for amputees and vast potential as a remote control limb for hazardous tasks.
COVVI, a UK-based leader in robotic prosthetics, has introduced a groundbreaking robotic hand capable of executing intricate tasks with remarkable precision. Known as the COVVI Hand, the multi-articulated device mirrors the movements of human digits and is already helping individuals with limb loss — including Ukrainian soldiers injured in combat.
Versions of COVVI’s robotic hand have been in development since 2017. While initially designed to assist prosthetic users, the company envisions broader applications for the latest model. Industries including manufacturing, science, and academia could benefit from the hand’s versatility and efficiency in performing complex activities.
Simon Pollard, CEO of COVVI, highlighted the potential: “Bringing COVVI’s advanced technology to the world of robotics as well as prosthetics has the chance to bring major advancements to the industry. Using a multi-articulated hand not only improves and upgrades existing robotic setups, but also means fewer people will be exposed to hazardous situations. With the launch of COVVI Robotics, we know that we can transform industrial and learning settings around the world”.
The robotic hand offers operators an impressive range of control options and precision. It features pre-programmed grips for specific tasks while also allowing users to position all five fingers independently. Meanwhile, teleoperation enables remote control capabilities, making it ideal for high-risk environments.
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COVVI also says the hand can seamlessly integrate with existing robotic arm systems. The upgrade will allow organizations to replace basic grippers with a more advanced tool, expanding the capabilities of existing robotic setups and enabling them to tackle more sophisticated challenges.
Certified to meet ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 standards, the robotic hand also adheres to strict requirements for safety, reliability, and effectiveness. With COVVI continuing to develop its already sophisticated technology, the company has the potential to transform not just the lives of amputees, but also shake up scientific and manufacturing processes worldwide.
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Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon
Foreign visitors will be the first users to benefit, but whether Syria’s own banks and cardholders follow is still an open question.
Visa is returning to Syria. Its first live international card transaction in the country was a test rather than a launch, and the milestone event ran through a Lebanese bank.
The acquirer (the bank on the merchant’s side of a card payment) was Fransabank Lebanon, with Paymera as the other named partner. Nadim Moujaes, who heads a Fransabank Group subsidiary, describes the test as both the culmination of “longstanding efforts to link Syria back to international payment networks” and “the first step in a larger path”.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa makes the first electronic payment in Syria using a @Visa card at a store in Damascus, following the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. pic.twitter.com/lpAN7nQ6Fc
— Tech Magazine (@TechMGZN) August 27, 2026
“We are excited to have successfully tested live transactions today as we plan to enable international visitors to use their Visa cards while in Syria,” says Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan region. Although a significant first step, that plan doesn’t come with a hard date for when a visitor’s card will work normally.
Mohammed Safwat Raslan, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, says the test paves the way for international card acceptance in Syria and that maintaining strong compliance, risk management and operational controls will remain essential. Serhan likewise stresses that Visa has worked within applicable legal, regulatory and compliance requirements. For a test transaction, it seems there was a great deal of attention paid to the rules, with the entire operation being carefully managed.
Also Read: Lebanon’s 5G Era Begins With 150 Stations And A $1M Budget
The test is the latest step in a sequence that began in December 2025, when Visa announced a strategic roadmap to support Syria’s integration into the global digital economy. In February 2026 it hosted its first industry gathering of banks, ecosystem partners and policymakers in Damascus and, the same month, signed an agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in San Francisco.
Michel Kattouah, Paymera’s CEO, called the test “the return of international card acceptance,” but while that’s positive news, there’s no word yet on when a Syrian bank will issue a Visa card to a Syrian customer.
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