Yale’s GRAB LAB focuses on the design of grasping & manipulation robotic systems for a wide range of practical applications. It’s most recent design, designed alongside Harvard and iRobot, was accepted into DARPA’s ARM program. (via DARPA)
DARPA’s Autonomous Robotic Manipulation (ARM) program sets out to promote the creation of human-like robotic hands with a high degree of manipulation control for various applications. Being as though DARPA is a military focused organization, such robotic hand manipulation systems are used to reduce casualties by taking people out of harsh environments where human operators are usually required. ARM-H, the program’s hardware side, recently selected an impressive design that was submitted in a joint effort by iRobot, Harvard, and Yale’s GRAB Lab.
The dexterous manipulator system is capable of grasping items as large as a basketball, as small and thin as a transit card, and as heavy as a 50 lb weight. All of these actions are controlled by a human operator that orients the robotic hand to perform an assigned task - for instance, grabbing a key that lay flat on a table and using it to unlock a door.
The major challenge in designing robotic hand manipulation systems comes about when creating systems intended to mimic the human hand - bringing production costs upwards of $50,000 USD. However, under the DARPA program, mimetic-based design takes a backseat to functionality. This design is in fact under actuated - less joint sensors and actuators means it is cheaper to make and easier to ruggedize. Yet, it still achieves incredible dexterity and complex manipulation moves for practical usage at a low cost of $3000 USD per unit (in production batches of 1000 or more).
Besides DARPA’s usual military application story, there is no word on how this technology may be used for public use quite yet - though industrial usage where humans operate in unsavory conditions, like nuclear facilities, may be a key player. Such tech also entices wonderment about possible applications for fully dexterous robot builds - something the DIY autonomous bot community may find some interest in. Check out the video of DARPA’s new hand in action below!
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