How a new soft robotic hand can change the future of robotics
A team of researchers from Portugal has developed a new soft robotic hand that mimics human movements and can grasp various objects.
The hand is made of soft actuators and an exoskeleton, designed with the help of 3D printing and finite element analysis.
The hand is more cost-effective and easier to fabricate than traditional soft robots, which often require trial-and-error processes.
The hand can be controlled by an ON-OFF controller that maintains the finger bending angles, even in the presence of leaks.
The hand has shown good performance in experimental tests, demonstrating its adaptability and safety.
The researchers plan to improve the fabrication of soft actuators and sensors, and to introduce artificial intelligence applications to the hand.
The researchers believe that their achievement will make soft robotic hands more accessible to people and increase their potential applications.
The research is published in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, where the details of the hand design and fabrication are presented4.
Soft robotics is a field of study that takes inspiration from nature and aims to create robots that are flexible, compliant, and resilient.
Soft robots have many advantages over rigid robots, such as being able to work in unstructured environments, interact with humans, and perform delicate tasks.