A Versatile Underactuated Robotic Hand for Cloth Manipulation

Abstract

Traditional cloth manipulationg often employs low-DOF grippers to simplify hardware. However, this approach presents significant challenges for algorithms due to the complex and dynamic behavior of fabrics. To address these limitations, we propose a novel approach based on a human-hand-like design that integrates an underactuated grasping mechanism with a suction system. By incorporating multiple single-layer suction principles, the robotic hand achieves greater adaptability and flexibility, enabling it to perform tasks that would typically require high-DOF hands and complex control strategies. This letter outlines the design of the robot hand with a suction system and evaluates its performance in various tasks.