A Novel Underactuated Hand Suitable for Human-Oriented Domestic Environments

Abstract

A novel robotic hand was developed to achieve high dexterity and robustness while using underactuation. For that purpose, the kinematics design method was based on the abstraction of functionalities provided from the human hand and the joints consist of rubber beams which provide lateral mobility and passive adaptability to the grasped objects. The hand is self-contained and human-sized with a reduced mass of m = 540g. Regarding performance, the hand accomplished 41 of the 49 grasps in the Feix and Cutkosky taxonomies, has a maximum in-hand payload of 2kg and is able to sustain high impacts, protecting itself, the surroundings and its workpiece.