Design, Manufacturing, and Characterization of a Pneumatically-Actuated Soft Hand

Abstract

Soft robotic hands can be used to manipulate delicate parts. The use of under-actuated fingers can significantly reduce the number of actuators and the complexity of the hand structure. This in turn can lower the cost of realizing robotic hands. This paper presents a new design for a multi-fingered soft hand for robotic applications. We adapt the fusible core molding process to realize complex inner cavities needed in pneumatically-actuated fingers. We also introduce a method for predicting the finger motion using pseudo-rigid-body model. We demonstrate that the soft hand can achieve the desired shapes and apply the required forces in tasks such as handling, grasping, pinching, clipping, and fastening.