Development of a multifingered robotic hand

Abstract

A multi-fingered robotic hand is developed using hydraulic actuation with fluidic actuators. A miniaturised hydraulic system is designed with all components intrinsically placed inside the palm. All finger parts of the prototype are integrated into a single unit and constructed from two part urethane mould, which is a very flexible material. Fourteen finger joints with 14 DOF are powered by fluidic actuators, which bend when hydraulic pressure is applied by the miniature water pump. The hand is designed to be under-actuated with only five degrees of controlled motion. Controlled by a programmed microcontroller, the hand can be operated under either automatic or manual mode. In the automatic mode, objects are gripped automatically when force sensors on the hand detect contact with objects. The gripping force is controlled by varying the PWM duty cycle outputted by the microcontroller. The hand is able to apply a power grip to grasp a 700 g mass.