Scientists from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) are taking part in an integrated project that aims to understand the manner in which humans manipulate objects.
The handle project aspires to replicate the movement and grasping capabilities of humans in an anthropomorphic, artificial hand and enable it to produce efficient movements. The research team, led by Mohamed Abderrahim, has obtained high-quality results in the sectors of dynamic and cinematic systems and visual perception. This enables the device to identify an object in its vicinity and pass the information to the robotic hand.
The researchers are developing the robotic hand using numerous pieces of plastic and aluminum. Movement and sensor systems are also involved in developing the hand. The robotic hand features 20 actuators and has the ability to make 24 movements.
However, while replicating a human hand’s movement with a robotic solution, several issues arose that needed to be solved. The researchers were not able to find a compact sensor that could integrated into the robotic hand. By using a small sensor, the robotic hand would be able to deliver a sensitivity that is similar to a human hand. Another issue was that even though the scientists developed a high-quality robot from the sensorial and mechanical point of view, without using intelligence components the unit will not operate autonomously.
The research performed by partners of the handle project has delivered interesting results in the sectors of acquisition of motor skills, new sensors, motion planning, and visual perception.
Source: http://www.uc3m.es/