Project Information
Project Requirements
The success metrics for the final design, and toward which our prototypes are aiming are as follows. The fingers will need to be capable of exerting 1 N of force at the tip of the finger and will need to have the full or near-full range of motion of the biological hand in order to be able to play the piano. Moreover, the motors will need to be capable of between 100-300 RPM in order to meet the catching requirement.
Design Description
Fingers will be primarily tendon driven with servos at the base of the fingers to facilitate splaying the fingers. The thumb will likely be similar, using tendons to flex and extend the thumb and one servo enabling the thumb’s more complex motion. The fingers will have four tendon attachment points. Two on each of the pulleys associated with the movement of the two base segments of the finger, wrapped in opposite direcitons for actuation in both flexion and extension for those joints . The third segment of the finger will be mechanically linked to the motion of the second joint to cut down on how many motors are needed, as well as fitted with a torsion spring for extension of the final segment. There will be fifteen motors. Ten of them will reside in the forearm, driving the tendons. The other five will be in the palm, controlling the splaying of the fingers and the motion of the base joint of the thumb.