Design and Optimization of an Anthropomorphic Robot Finger.

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Biomechanics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Biomimetic Design

Background:

• Underactuated fingers are key for prosthetic hands, mimicking human dexterity.
• Existing designs often lack seamless transition between free space movement and object grasping.
• Human-like grasping requires sophisticated control over finger configuration and motion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a configuration topology and parameter optimization design method for a three-joint coupled-adaptive underactuated finger.
• To enable anthropomorphic pre-grasp motions and self-adaptive grasping.
• To enhance the human-like design of prosthetic hands through optimized finger mechanics.

Main Methods:

• A novel finger mechanism utilizing prismatic pairs and a compression spring for motion transition.
• A linkage parameter optimization method with joint motion angles and dimensions as constraints.
• Linearizing joint coupling motion ratios as the primary optimization objective.

Main Results:

• The proposed mechanism successfully transitions between coupled and adaptive motion modes.
• Optimization yielded an accurate maximum motion value for the finger.
• Isomorphic types of the novel linkage mechanism were outlined and compared.

Conclusions:

• The developed design method offers a novel linkage mechanism for coupled-adaptive underactuated fingers.
• The optimization strategy effectively enhances the human-like performance of prosthetic finger designs.
• This work contributes to more sophisticated and functional prosthetic hand technology.