A team of researchers has developed a robot hand which has a human touch, being very gentle and soft. The team of scientists pertains to Cornell University. Their new study was recently published in the Science Robotics magazine. The paper unveils the latest intelligent device consisting of a robot hand which was designed to touch, to sense the texture and shape of objects, being known as the “Gentle Bot.”
- The industry of soft robotics is flourishing.
- A team of experts have developed a soft robot hand.
- The human-like hand has the ability to touch and sense the texture of objects.
Huichan Zha is a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering at Cornell also being the lead author of the study under discussion. He argued that the human-like hand is not fueled by engines which trigger the movement of the joints. What is more, it is equipped with some sensors inside the structure of the hand, but also on the surface.
He stated that with the help of this field of science known as soft robotics, scientists have the opportunity to develop a robot hand which is close to a human one. The industry of soft robotics is currently developing, being used in warehouses to handle several types of products. Nevertheless, the new human-like hand is bound to handle even more delicate items than any other robot did before.
If the new technology continues to boost, then it will enhance the interaction between humans and robots. This could also be used as prosthetics, being a much more refined version of what already exists in this industry, helping a lot of people who need it.
Previously, when a robotic hand was designed, it was built out of a material able to conduct electricity to determine what kind of object the hand was touching. Alyssa Danigelis argued that nowadays technology only needs a material able to conduct light for the development of a soft robot hand.
Specialists claimed that flexible optical waveguides equipped with LEDs are developed into pneumatic fingers, being able to touch and sense the texture of the objects around. The moment the soft fingers undergo a palm flex, that establishes the amount of light which is bound to fuel the device. The changes are registered by a light detector known as a photodiode.
Scientists argued that the optical cords present on the inside are meant to act like nerves. Zhao asserted that today there are many robots which are outfitted with sensors placed on the outside of the body to detect objects from the surface.
Image courtesy of: wikipedia
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.