British scientists have developed a robot hand that can hold objects without dropping them using only wrist movement and "skin" sensation.

News.yahoo.com writes about it.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge said their technology is inexpensive and energy efficient.

The robot arm can also predict whether it will be able to hold grasped objects using information provided by sensors placed on it.

Photo: University Of Cambridge

The experts said their findings, published in the journal Advanced Intelligent Systems, could be used to develop low-cost robotics in which mechanical arms can learn to grasp a wide range of objects while retaining the ability to make natural movements.

The human hand is reportedly very complex, which means that recreating all of its capabilities in action can be a major research challenge.

For example, according to experts, humans instinctively know how much force is needed to lift an egg, but this is a problem for a robot.

If the robot applies too much force, the egg may break, and if not enough pressure, it may drop it.


Scientists have created a 3D-printed robotic arm with implanted sensors that allow the arm to "feel" what it's touching.

Photo: University Of Cambridge

This hand is only capable of passive movements at the base of the wrist, and the individual fingers were fully motorized.

More than 1,200 tests were performed using the robotic arm.

First, the hand was trained using small plastic balls printed on a 3D printer, after which it tried to grasp various objects, including a peach, a computer mouse and a roll of film.

According to the researchers, the robotic arm was able to successfully grasp 11 of the 14 objects.

Dr Thomas George-Turutel, who previously worked at the University of Cambridge and now teaches robotics and artificial intelligence at University College London's Department of Computer Science, said: "The sensors, similar to the robot's skin, measure the pressure applied to the object. We can't say exactly what information the robot receives, but in theory it can estimate where the object was picked up and with what force. The hand is very simple, but with one strategy it can pick up many objects."

Photo: University Of Cambridge

Fumiya Iida, Professor of Robotics in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, added: "The biggest advantage of this design is the range of motion we can get without using any actuators. We can get a lot of useful information and a high degree of control without any actuators, so when we add, we get more complex behavior in a more efficient package."

The study was funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and software development company Arm Ltd.

It will be recalled that the European Space Agency is launching a mission to Jupiter.

The historic

flight will last for 8 years

.

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