Development of Artificial Hand Enable to Grasp Objects with Unknown Shape

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This research deals with an artificial finger for anthropomorphic robot, spacecraft manipulator or forearm prosthesis. The finger having a shape-fitting mechanism proposed in this research has the special mechanism; a planetary gear system combined with compound closed-bar linkage, which comprises an under-actuation system in which three joints of the finger are driven by one or two motors. This mechanism enables us to design the neat assembly of the finger because motors can be arranged in the palm of the finger. The biggest feature of this mechanism is that angle of each joint of one finger automatically fits the shape of the object that is gripped by the finger with no sensory feedback. Only one motor controls this shape-fitting motion.Two fingers were assembled and the experiments of gripping and pinching objects were achieved.Now we are planning to evolve the mechanism for adding one more DOF into one finger; pronation/spination by introducing a novel transmission mechanism using the modified planetary gear system.