A Multi-DoF Anthropomorphic Hand with Integrated Tactile Feedback for Grasping and Manipulation in Human Environments

Objects of daily life are designed to suit the human hand. Without major modifications to these objects and our environments, robots will need end-effectors with human hand- like configuration and dexterity to efficiently operate on them. Tight integration of tactile and proprioceptive sensors are also critical to ensure robust execution of manipulation policies without sacrificing range-of-motion. Reliability is also key, and a mechanically robust, easy to repair end-effector is important to minimize downtime. To meet these challenges, we designed a 13 degree-of-freedom anthropomorphic hand with over 1000 tactile sensing elements, named TRX-Hand5. Also embedded within are positional encoders and cable tension sensors to provide proprioceptive perception. TRX-Hand5 has a novel biomimetic topology with six small posture motors in the palm to replicate the function of intrinsic hand muscles and five large power motors in the forearm to play the role of forearm flexor muscles. The whole hand weighs 2.6 kg with its dimensions comparable to those of an adult male’s hand and is capable of actuating its fingertips at over 200◦/s while exerting up to 22 N of force. The system can be disassembled in modules for easy maintenance.