Design of anthropomorphic dexterous hand with passive joints and sensitive soft skins

Installation of passive elements on the skin (whole-part covered soft skin) and inside joints of the robotic hand becomes a key-technology to remarkably enhance the stability of object handling and manipulation and adaptability to external forces. Based on this idea, in this paper a sophisticated mechanism design of TWENDY-ONE hands with mechanical springs in DIP and MP joints and whole-part covered soft skins is presented. In addition, we present a design method of tactile sensors for highly dexterous robotic hand, whish are necessary for recognition of volume and softness of objects grasped as well as improvement of handling and manipulation more stably. Evaluation experiments focusing on kitchen supports using TWENDY-ONE hands indicate that this new robot has high dexterity due to the hand and will be extremely useful to enhance the quality of life for the elderly in the near future where human and robot co-exist.