A Bioinspired Underactuated Dual Tendon-based Adaptive Gripper for Space Applications

Hands are one of the most intricate elements of a humanoid due to their role as end-effectors interacting with their non-linear surrounding environment. This paper aims to present the design of a bioinspired underactuated robotic hand with an improved dexterity that is capable of adaptive grasping and manipulation of a wide-range of objects using a dual-tendon mechanism. The proposed design is focused on the key elements of scalability, modularity, ease of fabrication and cost efficiency to meet several imperative constraints of space applications. These features are achieved by introducing a novel actuation mechanism, manufacturing methods, and component design. In particular, monolithic finger modules are fabricated by fusing and integrating both hard and soft materials analogous to bones wrapped in muscles using economical and readily-available materials and machines (intermediate 3D printer). Weight-to-power ratio, actuation optimisation, design trade-offs, and various potential applications of the proposed adaptive hand is discussed in this paper. Furthermore, the prototype is subjected to evaluation of its performance in different scenarios that ultimately confirms its improved dexterity and gripping power compared to the literature.