One of the most memorable scenes from Terminator 2, the movie that recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, robot hand Cyborg played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The fascination this image creates is undeniable in the complexity of the movements that recreate the suppleness of human joints. Until recently, such technology was his science fiction universe. After all, achieving a robotic device with such human limb accuracy, maneuverability, and varying levels of precision is a true engineering feat. But the latest scientific breakthroughs have brought us very close to that illusion.
This article will clear some doubts about robotic hands by addressing:
A new generation of robotic hands
A team of Korean researchers recently published a paper in Nature Communications. One of the most advanced robotic hand models everThe key is not in its strength, but in its kindness. Of course, robots have been used in industrial plants since his mid-twentieth century.
The first of these, called Unimate, automotive industryThis model was equipped with a gripper and was able to lift heavy objects. But neither it nor its successors could hold the chicken eggs without harming them.
of eat (linkage-driven dexterous personification) Hands are set to change that.Device features Four fingers and anthropomorphic thumbThese fingers have sensors built into their “fingertips” in addition to each joint (20 in total).
overall size is twenty two centimeters It weighs just over 1 kilo. But what exactly can it do? Here are some of the capabilities of the Korean robotic hand.
- use precision tweezers
- cut paper with scissors
- Hold an egg or a can of soda without damaging it (and pour it into a glass).
- Delivers up to 34 Newtons of force
IDLA also has the advantage that all circuits and systems are integrated into the hand itself. easily integrated into existing robot arm.
robot hand technology
This isn’t the first time we’ve covered robotic hands on this page. Several initiatives are introducing different approaches to this technology.each address various challenges, from touch to the ability to grasp fragile objects. Here are some examples:
- A robot hand that uses static electricity. Instead of using a pressure mechanism, Ecole Polytechnic Federal de Lausanne (EPFL) investigated the possibility of using static electricity to pick up fragile objects.
- HASEL, a technology that mimics human muscles. Human muscles contract or expand in response to electrical stimulation. And that’s the approach taken by the University of Colorado, where researchers used a cavity filled with a static-sensitive liquid.
- robot touch. Besides the system that manages grip strength, the key is tactile sensation. At the University of Washington, he developed one of the most advanced prototypes in this regard. Their system detects minute vibrations in materials 800 times per second. If you want to learn more about robot touch, watch the video below.
Applications of robot hands
Advances in this area Not limited to laboratory featsWith a little luck, we’ll see these technologies in the real world. Paradoxically, one of the most promising applications is not robots, but human prosthesis.
Thus, both new tactile systems and pressure control techniques enable the development of prosthetic hands.
One model that caught our attention is the solar-powered bionic hand. The present invention also uses artificial intelligence to interpret signals from the muscles to which it is attached and translate them into movement.
Such robotic hands are expected to be used in high-precision applications such as surgery, and also for controlling machines in hazardous environments such as nuclear power plants.
sauce: TechXplore, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unimate
