The need for dextrous manipulation arises when the physical dimensions and mechanical properties of the materials to be handled may not be known precisely.For such applications the gripper should be able to control the position of its finger or the force which it exerts on the object, and also be able to detect slip and take corrective action. This paper describes certain aspects of design involved and experiments carried out using a deztrous gripper which is being developed for nuclear applications. 0-7803-361 2-7-4/97 $5.00 @ 1997 IEEE