Browse Topic: Hand

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Soft Robotic Gripper Based on Twining PlantsTBMG-395928/1/2021
Scientists often look to nature for cues when designing robots — some robots mimic human hands while others simulate the actions of octopus arms or inchworms. Now, researchers have designed a soft robotic gripper that draws inspiration from an unusual source: pole beans. While pole beans and other twining plants use their touch-sensitive shoots to wrap themselves around supports like ropes and rods to grow upward, the new robot is designed to firmly but gently grasp objects as small as 1 millimeter in diameter.
New Capabilities for Grasp-Assisting GlovesTBMG-385222/1/2021
NASA is developing the next generation of spacesuits for future missions including the optimization of spacesuit gloves that, when coupled to a pressurized suit, tend to limit the range of motion of an astronaut’s hand to as little as 20%. Many of NASA’s future missions will be in challenging environments where hand dexterity of the astronaut will be critical for the success of the missions.
Ultra-Thin, Highly Sensitive Strain Sensors Improve Robotic ArmsTBMG-385502/1/2021
A research team from NUS, led by Assistant Professor Chen Po-Yen, has taken the first step toward improving the safety and precision of industrial robotic arms by developing a new range of nanomaterial strain sensors that are 10 times more sensitive when measuring minute movements, compared to existing technology.
Technology Aids Surgeon-Guided Robotic HandsTBMG-3819512/1/2020
Steady hands and uninterrupted, sharp vision are extremely critical when performing surgery on delicate structures like the brain or hair-thin blood vessels. While surgical cameras have tremendously improved what surgeons see during operative procedures, the steady hand remains to be enhanced. New surgical technologies, including surgeon-guided robotic hands, cannot prevent accidental injuries when operating close to fragile tissue.
Human-Like Hands with Flexible, Hybrid Pneumatic ActuatorsTBMG-3813812/1/2020
In industrial settings, robots often are used for tasks that require repetitive grasping and manipulation of objects. The end of a robot where a human hand would be found is known as an end effector or gripper. Researchers have developed a humanoid hand design that is a soft-hard hybrid flexible gripper. It can generate larger grasping force than a traditional pure, soft hand and simultaneously be more stable for accurate manipulation of heavier objects.
3D-Printed Sweating Robot MuscleTBMG-3800711/1/2020
One of the hurdles for making enduring, adaptable, and agile robots is managing the robots’ internal temperature. If the high-torque-density motors and exothermic engines that power a robot overheat, the robot will cease to operate. This is a particular issue for soft robots made of synthetic materials. While more flexible, they hold their heat unlike metals, which dissipate heat quickly. An internal cooling technology, such as a fan, may not be much help because it would take up space inside the robot and add weight.
Ring Detects Finger Location to Track Hand MovementsTBMG-3800211/1/2020
Researchers have created AuraRing, a ring and wristband combination that can detect the precise location of someone’s index finger and continuously track hand movements. The ring emits a signal that can be picked up on the wristband, which can then identify the position and orientation of the ring and the finger it’s attached to. It captures the fine-grain manipulation performed by the fingers — not just a gesture or where the finger is pointed but something that can track the finger completely.
Robotic Arm Helps Perform Delicate SurgeriesTBMG-375809/1/2020
Steady hands and uninterrupted, sharp vision are critical when performing surgery on delicate structures like the brain or hair-thin blood vessels. While surgical cameras have improved what surgeons see during operative procedures, the “steady hand” remains to be enhanced — new surgical technologies, including sophisticated surgeon-guided robotic hands, cannot prevent accidental injuries when operating close to fragile tissue.
Wristband Tracks Human Hand in 3DTBMG-375869/1/2020
A wrist-mounted device continuously tracks the entire human hand in 3D. The bracelet, called FingerTrak, can sense and translate into 3D the many positions of the human hand, including 20 finger joint positions, using three or four miniature, low-resolution thermal cameras that read contours on the wrist.
5 Ws of the Sign-to-Speech Translation GloveTBMG-376279/1/2020
People who use sign language could communicate directly with non-signers without needing someone else to translate for them.
Electronic “Skin” Brings Sense of Touch and Pain to Prosthetic HandsTBMG-376249/1/2020
Amputees often experience the sensation of a “phantom limb” — a feeling that a missing body part is still there. Pain, while unpleasant, is an essential, protective sense of touch that is lacking in the prostheses that are currently available to amputees. Advances in prosthesis designs and control mechanisms can aid an amputee’s ability to regain lost function, but they often lack meaningful, tactile feedback or perception.
Soft Prosthetic Hand Feels Surroundings via Stretchable Optical WaveguidesTBMG-372007/1/2020
Fluid-powered soft actuators have shown potential in applications such as prosthetics and orthotics due to their natural motion. Robots using these actuators require stretchable sensors that can be embedded in their bodies for sophisticated functions; however, these sensors usually rely on the electrical properties of materials and composites to measure a signal and many suffer from hysteresis, complex fabrication, environmental instability, and material incompatibility with soft actuators.
Measurement of the Biodynamic Response of the Hand-Arm System and Study of its Influence on the Vibrational Response of the Steering Wheel2020-01-15486/3/2020
Driver’s hands modify the vibrational response of the steering wheel, so that car manufacturers are used to measure vibrations of the free steering wheel to ensure reproducibility. However, levels measured in this condition do not represent those perceived by the driver. The aim of this study is to predict the vibrational response of the hand-wheel coupled system from measurements of the non-held steering wheel, and of the mechanical impedance of the arm. The mechanical impedance of the hand-arm system is measured at three levels of vibration (0.5 2.5 and 5 m/s²) in two directions of excitation (along the arm and in the normal direction of the palm). The position of the arm and the hand grip are controlled to be as close as possible to a driving situation. For each condition, the mechanical impedance is calculated and compared to models of ISO 10068. The differences introduced between the response of the left and right hand are also investigated according to the preferred hand and
laroche, luc, Parizet, Etienne
Q&A: Tactile Robot Finger with No Blind SpotsTBMG-370346/1/2020
Matei Ciocarlie, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University, has developed, with his team, a robotic finger that has a sense of touch that can be localized with high precision over a large, multi-curved surface.
Polymer Twists and Bends in the Presence of LightTBMG-368525/1/2020
The twisting and bending capabilities of the human muscle system enable a dynamic range of motion, from walking and running to reaching and grasping. Replicating in a robot something as seemingly simple as waving a hand, however, requires a complex series of motors, pumps, actuators, and algorithms. Researchers have designed a polymer, known as a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE), that can be “programmed” to twist and bend in the presence of light.
Mechanical Controller for Robot-Assisted SurgeryTBMG-363634/1/2020
Robot-assisted surgery has advanced dramatically over the past decade in almost every surgical sub-specialty. Robot-assisted surgery is usually performed using surgical robot systems that involve a master-slave configuration in which the “master” is a controller device that the surgeon manipulates to control a robotic arm. Such systems improve the dexterity and precision of surgeons by filtering out hand tremors and scaling their hand motions into smaller movements. They also reduce the risk of common surgical complications such as surgical site infection.
Getting a Grip: An Innovative Mechanical Controller Design for Robot-Assisted SurgeryTBMG-364084/1/2020
Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology designed a new type of controller for the robotic arm used in robotic surgery. Their controller combines the two distinct types of gripping used in commercially available robotic systems to leverage the advantages of both, reducing the efforts of the surgeon and providing good precision.
Trunk Support Assists Those with Spinal Cord InjuryTBMG-361823/1/2020
Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) can cause devastating damage including loss of mobility and sensation. Researchers have invented the Trunk-Support Trainer (TruST), a robotic device that assists and trains people with SCIs to sit more stably by improving their trunk control and thus gain an expanded active sitting workspace without falling over or using their hands to balance.
Dynamic Gripper Mimics Adjustable Grip of the Human HandTBMG-359952/1/2020
Human hands can alter the firmness of their grip. A new two-fingered robotic hand shares that trait. The design enables it to absorb energy from impacts during collisions, preventing whatever the robot is holding from breaking and making it safer for people to work with and near the machines.
A Smart Artificial Hand for Amputees Merges User and Robotic ControlTBMG-3551611/1/2019
EPFL scientists are developing new approaches for improved control of robotic hands — in particular for amputees — that combines individual finger control and automation for improved grasping and manipulation. This interdisciplinary proof-of-concept between neuroengineering and robotics was successfully tested on three amputees and seven healthy subjects. The results are published in a recent issue of Nature Machine Intelligence.
Numbering System for Single Diameter and Taper ReamersJ2124_201910 (Current)10/9/2019
This SAE Recommended Practice provides a systematic method for the identification of single diameter and taper reamers. It is intended to assist in the cataloging and supplying of these tools. NOTE 1— Caution must be taken when assigning codes for designators to prevent specifying reamers that cannot be physically or economically manufactured. NOTE 2— The Code Number coming from the manufacturer MUST reflect the actual tool construction. NOTE 3— In particular without limitation, SAE disclaims all responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of information contained within this report if the standards of this report are retrieved, combined, or used in connection with any software.
Motor Vehicle Council
Numbering Systems for End MillsJ2342_201910 (Current)10/9/2019
This SAE Recommended Practice provides a systematic method for the identification of End Mills. It is intended to assist in the cataloging and supplying of these tools. NOTE 1— Caution must be taken when assigning codes for designation to prevent specifying cutting tools that cannot be physically or economically manufactured. NOTE 2— In particular without limitation, SAE disclaims all responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of information contained within this report if the standards of this report are retrieved, combined, or used in connection with any software.
Motor Vehicle Council
Numbering System for TapsJ2123_201910 (Current)10/9/2019
This SAE Recommended Practice provides a systematic method for the identification of ground thread taps for inch sizes up to 9.999 in with a Maximum Thread-per-Inch of 99.9, and Metric sizes up to 99.9 mm with a Maximum pitch of 9.99 mm. It is intended to assist in the cataloging and supplying of these tools. It is not intended for ACME, Buttress, or similar type thread forms. NOTE 1— Caution must be taken when assigning codes to prevent specifying taps that cannot be physically or economically manufactured. NOTE 2— The Code Number coming from the manufacturer MUST reflect the actual tool construction. NOTE 3— In particular without limitation, SAE disclaims all responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of information contained within this report if the standards of this report are retrieved, combined, or used in connection with any software.
Motor Vehicle Council
Surgeons Use Augmented Reality to Reconnect Blood VesselsTBMG-349258/1/2019
Following severe trauma, patients may have tissue damage or open wounds that require reconstructive surgery using fasciocutaneous flaps. These flaps of tissue, which are taken from elsewhere on the body and include the skin and blood vessels, are used to cover the wound and enable it to close and heal properly. A vital step in the process is connecting the blood vessels of the new tissue with those at the site of the wound, so oxygenated blood can reach the new tissue and keep it alive.
Preliminary Study of Perceived Vibration Quality for Human Hands2019-01-15226/5/2019
A large body of knowledge exists regarding the effects of vibration on human beings; however, the emphasis is generally on the damaging effects of vibration. Very little information has been published regarding the effect of vibration on perceived consumer product quality. The perceived loudness of a product is quantified using the Fletcher-Munson equal loudness curves, but the equivalent curves for perceived vibration amplitude as a function of amplitude and frequency are not readily available. This “vibration quality” information would be valuable in the design and evaluation of many consumer products, including automobiles. Vibration information is used in the automobile design process where targets for steering wheel, seat track, and pedal vibration are common. For this purpose, the vibration information is considered proprietary and is generally applicable to a narrow frequency range. In this investigation, work paralleling the original Fletcher-Munson study is presented. “Equal
Bastiaan, Jennifer M., Green, Edward, Kaye, Sophie
A Sensor that Fits Like a GloveTBMG-345896/1/2019
We recently had a discussion with Sri Peruvemba, VP of Strategy at BeBop Sensors (Berkeley, CA), about the technology and applications for their two-dimensional fabric sensor material. I started by asking Sri about the unusual name for the company.
Model Gives Robots a Better Feel for Object ManipulationTBMG-345766/1/2019
A new learning system improves a robot’s ability to mold materials into target shapes and make predictions about interacting with solid objects and liquids. The system, known as a learning-based particle simulator, could give industrial robots a more refined touch and may have applications in personal robotics.
Restricted Access ‘C’ Clamping Smart Drilling Unit2019-01-13343/19/2019
One way assembly of aero structures has the potential to significantly reduce build times. One of the solutions, which goes towards achieving this philosophy, is the use of a ‘C’ clamping automated drilling system. The Manufacturing Technology Centre has developed and manufactured a ‘C’ clamping automated drilling unit to overcome many of the limitations of current designs, which prevent their use on a broader range of structures. The drilling unit addresses issues with access, size and weight restrictions as well as economic factors. This technical paper will present the outcomes from the design and manufacture of the drilling unit that is to be used within restricted access areas, as either a hand held device or as a robotic end effector free from any cables or hoses, allowing full and unhindered articulation of any robot motion. The device’s services: power, tool lubrication, swarf extraction and control systems have been designed to be embedded, rendering it a standalone unit. With
Suwala, Agata, Land, Patrick, Janik, Karol, Kasler, Richard
Finger Support Could Help Regain Motor FunctionTBMG-339903/1/2019
A Kennesaw State University engineering professor and her team of students have developed a new finger support that could ultimately help those suffering from finger deformities regain motor function.
Q&A: Siyi Xu, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MATBMG-339303/1/2019
Working with teams from Harvard, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Boston Children's Hospital, Siyi Xu developed a soft, non-toxic, wearable sensor that attaches to the hand and measures grasp force and the motion of the hand and fingers. The sensor is designed to identify neuromotor disabilities in prematurely born children.
Electronic Glove Gives Robotic Hand Sense of TouchTBMG-337232/1/2019
Stanford engineers have developed an electronic glove containing sensors that could one day give robotic hands the sort of dexterity that humans take for granted.
Artificial Joint Restores Wrist-Like MovementsTBMG-337172/1/2019
For patients missing a hand, one of the biggest challenges to regaining a high level of function is the inability to rotate one's wrist (pronate and supinate). These are essential movements involved in everyday tasks such as using a door handle, a screwdriver, a knob, or simply turning over a piece of paper. For those missing their hand, these are much more awkward and uncomfortable tasks, and current prosthetic technologies offer only limited relief to this problem.
Method Increases Adhesive Properties of SiliconeTBMG-336872/1/2019
Geckos, spiders, and beetles have special adhesive elements on their feet, enabling them to easily run along ceilings or walls. The science of bionics tries to imitate and control such biological functions for technological applications and the creation of artificial materials.
Safety and Comfort for All: An affordable Hill-Hold and Automated Parking Brake System2019-26-00051/9/2019
With an ever-increasing number of vehicles on Indian roads, the safety and ease of driving has become a very important criterion for the customers. In passenger and commercial vehicles, while launching a vehicle on gradient or stop and go traffic in hilly region, the vehicle tends to roll back/forward in the opposite direction of the intended movement. This undesirable movement is also a safety issue, as this may cause collision with the vehicle on the rear or in front. It requires a skilled driver to coordinate between the clutch pedal, brake (also handbrake in some situations) and accelerator pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling back while handling such situations. It also leads to clutch disc wear and heating as the driver may tend to slip the clutch to prevent the vehicle from rolling back. Hill hold is a driver assist feature which prevents the vehicle roll back/roll forward during launch operation on uphill/downhill conditions. Hill-hold is offered as an add-on feature on
Iyer, Ramkumar, Awade, Yogesh, Doshi, Pritesh, Dabhade, Abhishek, Jadhav, Vinod
Computer Detects and Understands Body LanguageTBMG-336091/1/2019
Detecting the nuances of nonverbal communication between individuals will allow robots to serve in social spaces, enabling them to perceive what people around them are doing, what moods they are in, and whether they can be interrupted. A self-driving car could get an early warning that a pedestrian is about to step into the street by monitoring body language. Enabling machines to understand human behavior also could enable new approaches to behavioral diagnosis and rehabilitation for conditions such as autism, dyslexia, and depression.
Method Trains Robots to Collaborate Through DemonstrationTBMG-3322711/1/2018
Robots that are adapted to respond to physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) traditionally treat such interactions as disturbances, and resume their original behaviors when the interactions end. This pHRI has been enhanced with a method that allows humans to physically adjust a robot's trajectory in real time.
Hybrid Silicone-Fabric Sensor for Wearable RobotsTBMG-3312410/1/2018
Wearable technologies are exploding in popularity in both the consumer and research spaces, but most of the electronic sensors that detect and transmit data from wearables are made of hard, inflexible materials that can restrict both the wearer's natural movements and the accuracy of the data collected.
Bringing a Human Touch to Modern ProstheticsTBMG-324588/1/2018
Amputees often experience the sensation of a “phantom limb”—a feeling that a missing body part is still there. That sensory illusion is closer to becoming a reality thanks to a team of engineers at Johns Hopkins University that have created an electronic skin. When layered on top of prosthetic hands, this e-dermis brings back a real sense of touch through the fingertips.
Ergonomics and Handheld Medical Devices: Five Vital Elements for Design SuccessTBMG-291086/1/2018
Dexterity, precision, control and comfort — without them, no handheld or hand intensive medical device is a success, for either the medical professional using it or for the patient relying on the outcomes. Ergonomically driven design guides a successful device development process from concept through prototype to market. There are always five fundamentals required for world-class handheld instruments or hand-intensive devices.
Self-Learning Robot Hands Adapt to Grasp ObjectsTBMG-287174/1/2018
Anew grasp system with robotic hands works without previously knowing the characteristics of objects, learning by trial and error. The robot features two hands based on human hands in terms of both shape and mobility. The robot brain for the hands has to learn how everyday objects like pieces of fruit or tools can be distinguished on the basis of their color or shape, as well as what matters when attempting to grasp the object; for example, a banana can be held, and a button can be pressed. The system learns to recognize such possibilities as characteristics, and constructs a model for interacting with and re-identifying the object.
Robotic Gripper for Satellite Capture and ServicingTBMG-287264/1/2018
The robotic gripper was developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as part of a robotic satellite servicing mission. The gripping device can be used to autonomously or remotely grasp and control an out-of-fuel or otherwise disabled satellite. Specifically, the gripper interfaces to the separation ring (marman ring) of the client spacecraft and when closed, is sufficient to constrain all six degrees of freedom of motion between the servicing spacecraft and the client. The jaws are designed with a conformable geometry that allows the same gripper to interface to all spacecraft separation rings commonly used with Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles.
Low-Cost Mechanical Device for Minimally Invasive SurgeryTBMG-285513/1/2018
A new type of mechanical instrument was developed to perform complex, minimally invasive procedures, also known as laparoscopic surgery. The technology could lead to less trauma for patients and shorter recovery times after surgery. The technology is based on National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded engineering research, and is being commercialized by FlexDex Surgical, a spinoff founded by University of Michigan engineers (Figure 1).
Brainwave-Controlled Exoskeleton Restores Functional GraspTBMG-285243/1/2018
École Polytechnique Fédéral de LausanneLausanne, Switzerland
Automotive Engineering: February 201818AUTP022/1/2018
Leaf turns to the 2020s Nissan's pioneering battery-EV finally gets styling, propulsion and feature upgrades that put it back in the thick of the expanding electric-car race. A rebel's guide to chassis engineering Before the advent of FEA, engineers used their hands to study chassis strength and stiffness. The approach still offers benefits today, notes the man who wrote chassis engineering's "bible." Auto tech comes on strong at CES 2018 The automotive sector showed up at CES with autonomy announcements by the score and a spectrum of new-technology unveilings. New SAE President focused on Big Data Mircea Gradu, senior VP and quality chief at lidar specialist Velodyne, targets data analytics, electrification and connectivity, and STEM initiatives during his 2018 term. Editorial: Tapping the brakes on autonomy Supplier Eye Meeting the less-is-more challenge of global scale The Navigator Autonomous business models vs. current cash generators Plug-in hybrid brings Honda into sharper
Flexible “Skin” Senses Shear ForceTBMG-281421/1/2018
To date, it has been difficult or impossible for most robotic and prosthetic hands to accurately sense the vibrations and shear forces that occur, for example, when a finger is sliding along a tabletop, or when an object begins to fall. Some robots today use fully instrumented fingers, but that sense of touch is limited to that appendage, and its shape or size cannot be changed to accommodate different tasks. The other approach is to wrap a robot appendage in a sensor skin, which provides better design flexibility; however, such skins have not yet provided a full range of tactile information.
Ultrasonic Sensor Allows Amputees to Control Prosthetic FingersTBMG-2820212/27/2017
Researchers have created an ultrasonic sensor that allows amputees to control each of their prosthetic fingers individually. It provides fine motor hand gestures that aren’t possible with current commercially available devices.
Low-Density Polymer Lightens the Load of Prosthetic HandTBMG-2784111/1/2017
Researchers at the University of Southampton, UK, have chosen low-density thermopolymer to create various parts of the next generation of its innovative Southampton-Remedi prosthetic hand, which has been developed over several decades. Continued development and improvements on the hand have been the subject of several PhD programs over the years. The newest version is a low-mass, sensor-rich artificial hand designed to be a highly functional, adaptive prosthesis.
Computational Tool Simplifies Creating Machines That BendTBMG-2773210/1/2017
Replacing rigid joints and linkages with mechanisms that bend offers a number of potential advantages, even as it makes designing devices more difficult. A computational design tool developed by Disney Research promises to make this transition from rigid to compliant mechanisms easier. The tool can take a design for a conventional, rigidly articulated device and automatically substitute parts that achieve the same function through flexibility, drawing from existing catalogs of compliant mechanisms.
Optimal Design of EPB Caliper Using DOE2017-01-25199/17/2017
An Electrical Parking Brake (EPB) system is a device that operates to park the vehicle automatically with the push of a button instead of using conventional hand or foot levers which in some ways makes it the first by wire type of brake system. As such, it is being considered in some vehicle architectures as an automatic redundant backup for vacuum-less brake systems or autonomous cars. The EPB system is generally divided into cable puller and motor on caliper (MOC) types. Recently, the MOC type EPB is being more widely applied in the global market due to product competitiveness and cost effectiveness. The MOC type EPB is composed of the caliper body, torque member, pad assembly, nut assembly and actuator. Among them, the caliper body and torque member play a main role in the robustness of the EPB system and occupy more than 80% of the total weight. Therefore, optimal design of the caliper body and torque member to maximize stiffness while minimizing weight is systematically important
Kim, Sangbum, Cheon, Jae Seung, Park, Inuk, kwon, Yongsik
Gesture-Based Controls for Robots: Overview and Implications for Use by Soldiers17AERP05_065/1/2017
Developing a more effective means to communicate with robotic devices. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland A future vision of the use of autonomous and intelligent robots in dismounted military operations is for soldiers to interact with robots as teammates, much like soldiers interact with other soldiers. Soldiers will no longer be operators in full control of every movement, as the autonomous intelligent systems will have the capability to act without continual human input. However, soldiers will need to use the information available from, or provided by, the robot. One of the critical needs to achieve this vision is the ability of soldiers and robots to communicate with each other. One way to do that is to use human gestures to instruct and command robots. The use of gestures as a natural means of interacting with devices is a very broad concept that encompasses a range of body movements, including movements of the hands, arms, and legs, facial expressions
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