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By University of Cambridge April 14, 2023
Energy Efficient Robot Hand Learns How Not To Drop the Ball
Researchers have developed a cost-effective and energy-saving robotic hand that can grasp a variety of objects, without dropping them, by utilizing only wrist movement and the feeling in its “skin.”
The ability to grasp objects of varying sizes, shapes, and textures is a task that is simple for humans but presents a challenge for robots. To address this issue, researchers from the University of Cambridge have created a flexible, 3D-printed robotic hand that, despite its inability to move its fingers independently, can still carry out a range of complex movements.
The robot hand was trained to grasp different objects and was able to predict whether it would drop them by using the information provided by sensors placed on its ‘skin’.
This type of passive movement makes the robot far easier to control and far more energy-efficient than robots with fully motorized fingers. The researchers say their adaptable design could be used in the development of low-cost robotics that are capable of more natural movement and can learn to grasp a wide range of objects. The results are reported in the journal Advanced Intelligent Systems.