Development of a tactile sensing flexible actuator

Abstract

The disadvantages of flexible artificial fingers have been improved. The finger is provided with the tactile sense by two types of sensors to detect when the finger tip touches an object and to estimate both the finger force and object size. The rigidity is enhanced by equipping the finger with a reinforcing material similar to that of human bone. A prototype robot hand with four fingers has been manufactured for experiments and mounted on an industrial articulated robot. The effectiveness of the improved robot hand finger was confirmed throughout experimental tests of grasping action.