The university of Malta minimal anthropomorphic robot (UM-MAR) Hand II

Abstract

A minimal anthropomorphic robot hand is under development in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Malta. The basic design is based on previous work in the faculty that has shown quantitatively that acceptable dexterity can potentially be achieved using a ten joint, eight degree-of-freedom hand that incorporates a thumb, two fingers, and effective touch sensing and hand control systems. The second test version of this hand, UM-MAR Hand II, has been built and is presented in this work. The approach taken in the development of this second prototype focusses on enhancing three fundamental and often conflicting attributes of compact multi-degree-of-freedom systems, identified as the simplicity, dexterity and usability of the device. In particular, extensive simulation work is carried out to optimize the fixed Denavit-Hartenberg parameters of the hand, as well as the joint ranges, in order to achieve human-like grasping dexterity with the reduced kinematic configuration. The design, development, construction and early evaluation of the UM-MAR Hand II are described in detail.