Dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense and working method thereof

Abstract

The application provides a dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense and a working method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of robots. In order to solve the problem that objects are prone to falling when the existing dexterous hand is used to grasp the objects, the dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense comprises a palm base (1) and fingers (2) connected in sequence. The palm base (1) and / or the fingers (2) are provided with flexible suction cups (3). The flexible suction cups (3) are connected with negative pressure suction components (4), and the negative pressure suction components (4) can suck air in the flexible suction cups (3). The dexterous hand has the flexible suction cups with surface self-adapting capability, and is supplemented with the negative pressure suction components. The dexterous hand can realize multi-modal deep cooperation of mechanical multi-finger envelope holding and pneumatic flexible negative pressure adsorption, so that the grasping robustness and transient anti-falling protection capability of an end effector under complex and high dynamic working conditions are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, specifically to a dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense and its working method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of embodied AI and advanced manufacturing technologies, robotic end-effectors are increasingly being used in precision industrial assembly, unstructured warehousing and logistics, and specialized complex operations. While traditional two- or three-finger rigid grippers are easy to control, they are prone to damage or gripping failure when dealing with objects of unknown shape, complex geometry, fragility, or low rigidity due to stress concentration. To simulate the high dexterity, adaptive wrapping ability, and fine manipulation capabilities of human hands, robotic dexterous hands have become a core research direction in robotics and intelligent control.

[0003] However, in practical engineering applications and complex working environments, existing robotic dexterous hands still have the following significant technical defects and limitations in areas such as assisted grasping, dynamic anti-slip, and adaptive working conditions: 1. Mechanical friction limits and risk of high-dynamic slippage.

[0004] Existing dexterous hands primarily rely on motor-driven finger joints to achieve enveloping grip through rigid or flexible positive pressure and accompanying physical friction generated between the fingertips or knuckles and the object's surface. When the object's surface is too smooth, coated with oil, or in a humid or wet environment, the coefficient of physical friction drops sharply. In such cases, if the robot moves at high speed, makes sharp turns, or experiences external transient dynamic disturbances, the inertial torque generated by the object can easily exceed the limit of physical friction, causing the object to slide and fall from the dexterous hand, resulting in work interruption or damage to high-value targets.

[0005] 2. The lag and destructive nature of proactive anti-fall intervention mechanisms.

[0006] To prevent objects from slipping, existing dexterous hands typically incorporate tactile or torque sensors at the fingertips. However, this anti-slip control is a typical "detection-response" passive feedback mechanism, meaning the system must first detect a micro-slip of the object before driving the motor to increase the gripping force of the fingers. This control chain inevitably has a time delay, often insufficient to intervene at high speeds. More seriously, for thin-walled, hollow, or fragile items, blindly increasing the mechanical clamping force of the motor can easily lead to irreversible physical deformation or even crushing of the object, lacking a non-destructive safety locking mechanism.

[0007] 3. Traditional pneumatic suction grippers have limited space and poor anti-tipping ability.

[0008] While some automated end-effectors utilize vacuum suction cups to improve gripping success rates, traditional vacuum grippers are typically arranged in a rigid matrix, limiting their ability to handle large, flat sheet-like objects. When encountering irregularly shaped, curved, or small, complex objects, traditional rigid suction cups are prone to air leakage and negative pressure failure because they cannot adaptively conform to the object's surface. Furthermore, single or partial suction cups exhibit extremely poor resistance to tipping and rotation when facing lateral shear forces, torsional moments, or large moments of inertia. Summary of the Invention

[0009] To address the issue of objects easily slipping during grasping in existing dexterous hands, this invention provides a dexterous hand with active negative pressure protection and its operating method. The dexterous hand features a flexible suction cup with surface adaptability, supplemented by a negative pressure suction component, enabling multimodal deep synergy between mechanical multi-finger enveloping grip and pneumatic flexible negative pressure adsorption. Without significantly increasing the rigid mechanical gripping force of the fingers, a non-destructive vertical holding force is introduced into the system, thereby greatly improving the grasping robustness and transient anti-drop protection capability of the end effector under complex, highly dynamic conditions.

[0010] The technical solution adopted by the embodiments of the present invention to solve its technical problem is as follows: A dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense includes a palm base and fingers connected in sequence. The palm base and / or fingers are provided with flexible suction cups. The flexible suction cups are connected to a negative pressure suction component, which can suck air into the flexible suction cups.

[0011] A method for operating the above-mentioned dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense, the method comprising the following steps: Before the flexible suction cup comes into contact with the object to be grasped, the positive pressure blowing component blows air into the flexible suction cup. When the flexible suction cup comes into contact with the object to be grasped, the negative pressure suction component draws air into the flexible suction cup.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention are: 1. Breaking through the limits of friction, achieving strong robust anti-slip performance under highly dynamic working conditions.

[0013] This invention introduces active vacuum negative pressure, generating a strong holding force perpendicular to the contact surface through a suction cup—that is, negative pressure adsorption force. This adsorption force not only directly increases the normal contact force, but the active negative pressure also creates a "pneumatic locking" effect in space, independent of physical friction. Experiments and simulations show that in low-friction environments, such as oily, damp, or icy surfaces, or under high-acceleration dynamic disturbance conditions, such as accelerations greater than 2g, the anti-slip threshold and anti-overturning moment of this device are improved by more than 60% compared to single mechanical gripping, significantly reducing the probability of falling due to power outages or mechanical failures.

[0014] 2. Construct a "non-destructive" safety lock to eliminate stress damage to fragile / thin-walled workpieces.

[0015] This invention utilizes a vacuum pump to create negative pressure by drawing gas from inside a flexible suction cup. The suction force applied to the workpiece surface is a uniformly distributed elastic surface load, rather than a concentrated point load. This allows the system to achieve equivalent gripping stability without increasing the clamping force of the mechanical fingers, i.e., while maintaining flexible low contact stress. It enables safe, high-load gripping of fragile and easily deformable workpieces with "zero damage."

[0016] 3. Achieve millisecond-level active response and pressure compensation, eliminating the lag in anti-fall control.

[0017] This invention achieves millisecond-level (≤20ms) active negative pressure intervention and transient pressure compensation through the linkage of the intake unit, high-speed solenoid valve, and vacuum pressure sensor. At the initial acceleration phase of the robot's trajectory planning, or at the instant the air path detects a slight drop in vacuum, the vacuum pump can actively increase power or adjust the stored vacuum level, completing stabilization intervention before the slippage behavior generates power output, fundamentally eliminating dynamic grasping failures caused by control lag.

[0018] 4. Spatial multi-topology adaptive design significantly expands the operational boundaries for unstructured irregular objects.

[0019] This invention achieves complementary functional advantages through a multi-point spatial topology layout of the palm and fingertips. The large-diameter flexible suction cup in the palm adaptively conforms to the center of large workpieces, providing strong central backbone-level holding force, significantly improving the robot's tolerance for heavy-duty object handling. The small-diameter flexible suction cup in the fingertips utilizes its high flexibility to apply pre-negative pressure "stickiness" and fine-tune the posture of small devices or multi-curved objects in unstructured environments, providing extremely high geometric tolerance for subsequent complete envelopment of multiple finger joints. The introduction of flexible materials further ensures airtightness, avoiding overall failure due to localized air leakage. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of the dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense described in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense described in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the flexible suction cup and the negative pressure suction assembly in Example 1.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the status monitoring module and the control unit in Example 1.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the micro suction unit and the flexible suction cup in Example 3.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the excitation unit being sleeved outside the flexible suction cup in Example 5.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the flexible suction cup and the negative pressure suction component and the positive pressure blowing component in Example 6.

[0028] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows: 1. Palm base; 2. Fingers; 3. Flexible suction cup; 4. Negative pressure suction assembly; 6. Activation unit; 7. Positive pressure blowing assembly; 8. Status monitoring module; 9. Control unit; 21. Finger tip joint; 22. Intermediate joint; 31. Skirt; 32. Exhaust port; 33. Intake port; 34. Internal cavity; 41. Main intake unit; 42. Main intake line; 43. Branch intake line; 44. Pressure sensor; 45. Solenoid valve; 46. Miniature intake unit; 71. Main air blowing unit; 72. Main air blowing pipeline; 73. Branch air blowing pipeline. Detailed Implementation

[0029] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Regarding the material, weight, size, angle, and parameters of the components, those skilled in the art can determine or replace them according to actual needs or a limited number of experiments.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense includes a palm base 1 and multiple fingers 2 connected in sequence. The multiple fingers 2 are evenly or asymmetrically hinged to the edge of the palm base 1, and the joints can be flexed, extended and enveloped by an internal micro drive motor. Flexible suction cups 3 are provided on the palm base 1 and / or the fingers 2. The flexible suction cups 3 are connected to a negative pressure suction component 4, which can suck air into the flexible suction cups 3.

[0032] For example, a flexible suction cup 3 is provided on the palm base 1; or a flexible suction cup 3 is provided on the finger 2; or both the palm base 1 and the finger 2 are provided with flexible suction cups 3. The flexible suction cup 3 is made of an elastic deformable material with adaptive deformation capability, which can be silicone or polyurethane. The flexible suction cup 3 includes a skirt 31, an exhaust port 32, and an inner cavity 34, with the skirt 31 forming an air intake 33. The finger 2 includes a fingertip joint 21 and a middle joint 22.

[0033] When a flexible suction cup 3 is provided on the palm base 1, for large or heavy objects, the flexible suction cup 3 is located in the geometric center region of the gripping contact surface of the palm base 1. The suction port 33 of the flexible suction cup 3 faces the same direction as the gripping contact surface of the palm base 1. The plane containing the suction port 33 of the flexible suction cup 3 can be slightly protruding or flush with the gripping contact surface of the palm base 1.

[0034] When finger 2 envelops and grasps a large target object, the object surface is pulled close and strongly adheres to the palm base; at this time, the flexible suction cup 3 of the palm base 1 forms a closed negative pressure cavity with the object surface under the active suction of the negative pressure suction component 4, providing a large rated holding force perpendicular to the palm plane to counteract the shearing force generated by the object due to gravity or high acceleration.

[0035] When a flexible suction cup 3 is provided on the finger 2, for small or irregularly shaped curved objects, the flexible suction cup 3 is located on the fingertip joint 21 of the finger 2. The direction of the air inlet 33 of the flexible suction cup 3 on the fingertip joint 21 is the same as the direction of the grasping contact surface on the fingertip joint 21. The plane where the air inlet 33 of the flexible suction cup 3 is located can be slightly protruding or flush with the grasping contact surface of the fingertip joint 21.

[0036] In the initial grasping stage or when facing complex irregular curved surfaces, finger 2 first contacts the object through the fingertip. The flexible suction cup 3 of the fingertip then undergoes a slight elastic deformation and adheres to the microscopic surface of the object. The negative pressure suction component 4 immediately draws out negative pressure, constructing a pre-adhesive force between the fingertip and the object, assisting the subsequent finger joints in completing a stable wrapping.

[0037] Alternatively, the flexible suction cup 3 is located on the fingertip joint 21 and the intermediate joint 22 of the finger 2. The suction port 33 of the flexible suction cup 3 on the intermediate joint 22 is oriented in the same direction as the gripping contact surface on the intermediate joint 22, and the plane on which the suction port 33 of the flexible suction cup 3 is located can be slightly protruding or flush with the gripping contact surface of the intermediate joint 22.

[0038] As an alternative to or supplement to the palm and fingertip layout, several miniature flexible suction cups can be arranged in an array of three on the inner contact surface of the proximal / intermediate phalanges of the robotic finger. When the dexterous hand performs a "fist-like" envelopment on a cylindrical or large curved object, the suction cup array on the inner side of each phalange can simultaneously adhere to the workpiece surface at multiple points and draw air out, dispersing the single-point adsorption stress and further enhancing the resistance to torsional torque.

[0039] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the negative pressure suction assembly 4 includes a main suction unit 41, a main suction line 42, and a branch suction line 43 connected in sequence. The main suction unit 41 can be a vacuum pump or a vacuum storage tank. There can be multiple branch suction lines 43 and flexible suction cups 3. The inlet end of the branch suction line 43 is connected to the exhaust port 32 of the flexible suction cup 3 in a one-to-one correspondence. Each branch suction line 43 is equipped with a pressure sensor 44 and a solenoid valve 45. The solenoid valve 45 is a high-speed solenoid valve.

[0040] When both the palm base 1 and the finger 2 are provided with flexible suction cups 3, the diameter of the flexible suction cup 3 on the palm base 1 is larger than the diameter of the flexible suction cup 3 on the finger 2, that is, the diameter of the air intake 33 of the flexible suction cup 3 on the palm base 1 is larger than the diameter of the air intake 33 of the flexible suction cup 3 on the finger 2.

[0041] like Figure 4 As shown, the dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense also includes a status monitoring module 8 and a control unit 9 connected in sequence. The status monitoring module 8 can monitor whether the dexterous hand is about to or has already come into contact with the object to be grasped. The status monitoring module 8 can also send the monitored information or signals to the control unit 9, and the control unit 9 can control the operation of the dexterous hand.

[0042] The status monitoring module 8 may include a tactile sensor or a vision sensor. The tactile sensor or vision sensor can detect the distance between the flexible suction cup 3 and the object to be grasped. For example, if the tactile sensor or vision sensor detects that the distance between the flexible suction cup 3 and the object to be grasped is gradually decreasing, it can be determined that the dexterous hand is about to contact the object. Alternatively, if the tactile sensor or vision sensor detects that the distance between the flexible suction cup 3 and the object to be grasped is 0, it can be determined that the dexterous hand has already contacted the object.

[0043] The status monitoring module 8 may also include a current sensor. The fingertip joint 21 and the intermediate joint 22 can be connected by a micro motor, and the intermediate joints 22 can also be connected by a micro motor. The current sensor can monitor the current of the micro motor. For example, if the current sensor detects a change in the current of the micro motor, it can determine that the dexterous hand has made contact with the object to be grasped.

[0044] The following describes the working method of the above-mentioned dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense, which includes the following steps: When the flexible suction cup 3 comes into contact with the object to be grasped, the negative pressure suction component 4 draws air into the inner cavity 34 of the flexible suction cup 3.

[0045] For example, the working method may include the following three stages of active fall prevention operation steps: Phase 1: Adaptive Fitting and Initial Grabbing.

[0046] The robot drives its mechanical fingers to close and wrap around the target object, i.e., the object to be grasped. When the status monitoring module 8 or the current feedback from the finger motor indicates that the fingertip or palm has contacted the object's surface, the status monitoring module 8 can be a tactile sensor or a visual sensor, and the control unit 9 sends an activation command to the negative pressure suction assembly 4.

[0047] Second stage: Millisecond-level active negative pressure locking.

[0048] The high-speed solenoid valve 45 is instantly activated, and the main suction unit 41 starts high-speed pumping or the previously maintained vacuum storage tank intervenes, instantly creating a stable negative pressure environment in the cavity between the flexible suction cup 3 and the object surface, i.e., the vacuum level reaches a preset threshold. The pressure sensor 44 monitors the air pressure inside the cavity in real time and performs dynamic air pressure compensation by adjusting the power of the vacuum pump or the opening of the solenoid valve. The main suction unit 41 can be a vacuum pump.

[0049] Phase 3: Dynamic disturbance rejection and failure protection.

[0050] During the dynamic process of the robot carrying an object, moving at high speed, turning, or encountering external impact, if the object has a slight displacement tendency, the flexible suction cup 3 uses the elastic shear stiffness of its material to buffer it, while the continuously maintained high internal negative pressure provides a strong normal holding force to firmly bind the object and prevent it from slipping.

[0051] This invention scientifically integrates a flexible suction cup assembly with surface adaptability into the palm base and / or fingertips of a robotic dexterous hand, supplemented by active negative pressure regulation via a vacuum pump. The aim is to achieve multimodal deep synergy between mechanical multi-finger enveloping grip and pneumatic flexible negative pressure adsorption. Without significantly increasing the rigid mechanical gripping force of the fingers, it introduces a non-destructive vertical holding force into the system, thereby greatly improving the end effector's gripping robustness and transient anti-drop protection capabilities under complex, highly dynamic conditions.

[0052] Technical Highlights and Beneficial Effects of the Invention The core technical highlights and beneficial effects of this invention are mainly reflected in the following four aspects: 1. Rigid-Flexible Dual-Mode Synergistic Integration for "Non-Destructive" Drop Protection: This invention breaks away from the traditional model of dexterous hands relying solely on physical friction and positive pressure for grasping. It organically combines the rigid or flexible wrapping of mechanical fingers with the active vacuum negative pressure adsorption of a flexible suction cup. Beneficial Effects: When an object is about to slip due to external impact, large rotational inertia, or high acceleration interference, the system can provide a powerful negative pressure adsorption force through a vacuum pump as compensation. This adsorption force is perpendicular to the object's surface, locking the object securely without increasing the contact stress of the mechanical fingers. This effectively avoids the problem of physical deformation or damage to thin-walled parts or irregularly shaped fragile items caused by blindly increasing the motor's gripping force in traditional technologies.

[0053] 2. Flexible Adaptive Topology of Palm and Finger Space Significantly Improves Fault Tolerance: The device offers a modular and highly flexible spatial layout. Flexible suction cups can be embedded in the palm, integrated into the fingertips, or even achieve multi-point linkage between the palm and fingers. Furthermore, the suction cups themselves possess flexible characteristics, allowing them to adaptively conform to unstructured curved surfaces. Beneficial Effects: Palm Suction Cup Application: When grasping large, heavy objects, multiple fingers close together to press the object firmly against the palm. The palm suction cup provides active holding force at the central backbone level, greatly enhancing the system's anti-overturning force and anti-shear torque. Fingertip Suction Cup Application: When dealing with small objects or exploratory grasping, the fingertip suction cup utilizes its spatial flexibility to first implement negative pressure "adhesion" and positioning, creating a highly pre-emptive fault tolerance space for the subsequent complete envelopment of the finger joints.

[0054] 3. Active negative pressure millisecond-level response, breaking through the traditional "detection-response" delay bottleneck. Detailed description: Compared to the traditional method of relying on tactile or force sensors to detect "micro-slippage" and then applying force via a motor, which is a delayed intervention, this invention uses an external vacuum pump for active airflow pressure control. Beneficial effects: The control system can directly drive the vacuum pump to actively pump air at the moment a slippage risk is anticipated or at the initial stage of the grasping action. The active compensation and response of the airflow pressure reaches the millisecond level, completing stabilization intervention before slippage occurs, fundamentally eliminating the anti-fall failure caused by mechanical transmission delays.

[0055] 4. Robust Grasping of Extremely Low-Friction Environments and Irregularly Shaped Objects: Detailed Description: When a dexterous hand operates in harsh environments with low friction coefficients, such as wet, oily, or icy conditions, or when grasping unknown objects with uneven surfaces, simple mechanical contact is prone to slippage. Beneficial Effects: This device utilizes the adaptive envelope of multiple finger joints to first adjust the object's posture, ensuring its local surface adheres to the flexible suction cup. Then, active vacuum negative pressure directly isolates the influence of the surface medium, such as oil or water, forcibly constructing an airtight lock. This greatly expands the operational boundaries of the robotic dexterous hand in extreme conditions and unstructured environments.

[0056] Example 2

[0057] This embodiment is an improvement on Embodiment 1. The main difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the flexible suction cup 3 is also connected to a moving drive mechanism. The flexible suction cup 3 and the moving drive mechanism correspond one-to-one, and the moving drive mechanism can drive the flexible suction cup 3 to move along the axial direction of the flexible suction cup 3. The moving drive mechanism can be a miniature electromagnet, shape memory alloy (SMA), or miniature cylinder, and the moving drive mechanism is connected to the flexible suction cup 3 through a push-pull rod.

[0058] For example, the moving drive mechanism is a miniature electromagnet. When the miniature electromagnet is de-energized, it drives the flexible suction cup 3 to retract via a push-pull rod, maintaining a gap between the flexible suction cup 3 and the object to be grasped. When the miniature electromagnet is energized, it drives the flexible suction cup 3 to extend via a push-pull rod, making contact and adhere to the object to be grasped.

[0059] Alternatively, the moving drive mechanism is a shape memory alloy. When the shape memory alloy is heated by electricity, it undergoes a phase change and elongates. The shape memory alloy drives the flexible suction cup 3 to extend through the push-pull rod, and the flexible suction cup 3 contacts and adheres to the object to be grasped. When the shape memory alloy is de-energized and cooled, it retracts to its initial state. The shape memory alloy drives the flexible suction cup 3 to retract through the push-pull rod, and a gap is maintained between the flexible suction cup 3 and the object to be grasped.

[0060] The flexible suction cup 3 can normally be concealed within the grooves of the palm base 1 or finger joint 21, flush with or recessed into the surface of the dexterous hand. When the tactile sensor detects a need for grasping a heavy load or a risk of slippage, the moving drive mechanism actively pushes the flexible suction cup 3 outward and presses it firmly against the object's surface. This design effectively avoids unnecessary physical wear and tear on the suction cup during daily idle or delicate operations.

[0061] The remaining technical features of this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1. To save space, this embodiment will not be described in detail.

[0062] Example 3

[0063] This embodiment is an improvement upon embodiment 1. The main difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the negative pressure suction assembly 4 contains multiple micro suction units 46, which replace the main suction unit 41, main suction line 42, and branch suction line 43 connected in sequence. Each micro suction unit 46 is connected to a flexible suction cup 3 in a one-to-one correspondence. The micro suction units 46 can be micro piezoelectric vacuum pumps or micro pneumatic venturi generators.

[0064] For example, the micro-inhalation unit 46 can be directly embedded inside the palm base 1 or finger 2 of the dexterous hand, realizing the localized deployment of the air source. The micro-inhalation unit 46 is directly connected to the flexible suction cup 3, which can significantly shorten the length of the air path, further shorten the air pressure response time to the microsecond level, and eliminate the hindrance of the robot's joint movement to the external long pipeline.

[0065] The miniature suction unit 46 can also employ an active volumetric pumping mechanism with a built-in miniature piston plunger, thus completely eliminating the need for a traditional vacuum pump. A piston-volume chamber driven by a miniature servo motor and a lead screw is integrated into the rear base of each flexible suction cup 3. When the flexible suction cup adheres to an object, the motor reverses the direction of the lead screw, causing the piston to retract, increasing the internal volume of the suction cup and generating active negative pressure within the chamber. This solution eliminates the need for complex solenoid valve assemblies and external air pipes, achieving a highly integrated electromechanical-pneumatic design.

[0066] The remaining technical features of this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1. To save space, this embodiment will not be described in detail.

[0067] Example 4

[0068] This embodiment is an improvement on Embodiment 1. The main difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the contact surface material of the suction cup is not limited to ordinary smooth silicone. The contact surface of the skirt 31 is an elastomer material with micro-nano-scale arrayed burrs. For example, the contact surface of the skirt 31 is an elastomer material with a biomimetic gecko foot structure or an octopus suction cup microstructure. When the vacuum pump is not started, a certain initial viscous force can be generated by van der Waals forces. When the main suction unit 41 is started, the microstructure can better fill the microscopic rough pits on the surface of the object, greatly improving the airtightness and anti-shear slippage ability on porous, rough, and dusty surfaces. The main suction unit 41 mentioned above can be a vacuum pump.

[0069] The remaining technical features of this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1. To save space, this embodiment will not be described in detail.

[0070] Example 5

[0071] This embodiment is an improvement upon embodiment 1. The main difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the material of the skirt 31 or the overall material of the flexible suction cup 3 is an adjustable hardness material. The flexible suction cup 3 is covered with an excitation unit 6, which can increase the hardness of the adjustable hardness material.

[0072] The adjustable hardness material can be made of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) or phase change soft material. In the initial stage of adhesion to the object, the flexible suction cup 3 exhibits extremely low stiffness, i.e., it is extremely soft, thus perfectly conforming to the surface undulations of irregularly shaped workpieces. After adsorption is completed, a local magnetic field or temperature excitation electrical signal is applied through the excitation unit 6 to cause the adjustable hardness material to harden instantaneously, thereby locking the current deformation posture and greatly enhancing the resistance of the flexible suction cup 3 to physical deformation and peeling during high dynamic acceleration.

[0073] The remaining technical features of this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1. To save space, this embodiment will not be described in detail.

[0074] Example 6

[0075] This embodiment is an improvement upon embodiment 1. The main difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense also includes a positive pressure blowing component 7, which is connected to the flexible suction cup 3 and can blow air into the flexible suction cup 3.

[0076] For example, the positive pressure blowing assembly 7 includes a main blowing unit 71, a main blowing pipeline 72 and a branch blowing pipeline 73 connected in sequence. The solenoid valve 45 is a three-way solenoid valve with three interfaces. The first interface of the solenoid valve 45 is connected to the exhaust port 32 of the flexible suction cup 3, the second interface of the solenoid valve 45 is connected to the main suction pipeline 42, and the third interface of the solenoid valve 45 is connected to the branch blowing pipeline 73.

[0077] By controlling the switching of the second and third ports of the solenoid valve 45, the negative pressure suction assembly 4 can be controlled to suction air into the flexible suction cup 3, or the positive pressure blowing assembly 7 can be controlled to blow air into the flexible suction cup 3. For example, when suction air is needed into the inner cavity 34 of the flexible suction cup 3, only the first and second ports are open, and the solenoid valve 45 allows the gas in the inner cavity 34 of the flexible suction cup 3 to enter the main suction unit 41. When blowing air into the inner cavity 34 of the flexible suction cup 3, only the first and third ports are open, and the solenoid valve 45 allows the main blowing unit 71 to blow air into the inner cavity 34 of the flexible suction cup 3.

[0078] The following describes the working method of the dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense, which includes the following steps: Before the flexible suction cup 3 comes into contact with the object to be grasped, the positive pressure blowing component 7 blows air into the inner cavity 34 of the flexible suction cup 3. When the flexible suction cup 3 comes into contact with the object to be grasped, the negative pressure suction component 4 draws air into the inner cavity 34 of the flexible suction cup 3. Before the flexible suction cup 3 comes into contact with the object to be grasped, the positive pressure blowing component 7 blows air into the inner cavity 34 of the flexible suction cup 3 to generate an air cushion effect, which is used to blow away dust, oil or liquid media on the surface of the target object, or to use airflow to lift and perform non-contact attitude fine adjustment; once contact is made, the air path instantly switches to negative pressure suction to prevent falling and lock, thereby greatly improving the reliability of operation under extreme and harsh working conditions.

[0079] The working method includes the following steps: when the object to be grasped needs to be separated from the flexible suction cup 3, but the object to be grasped is not separated from the flexible suction cup 3, the positive pressure blowing component 7 blows air into the inner cavity 34 of the flexible suction cup 3.

[0080] Due to long-term use, the surface of the flexible suction cup 3 may have sticky substances, which may affect the separation of the grasped object from the flexible suction cup 3. When it is necessary to separate the object to be grasped from the flexible suction cup 3, but the object to be grasped is not separated from the flexible suction cup 3, the positive pressure blowing component 7 blows air into the flexible suction cup 3, which can ensure that the object to be grasped is effectively and reliably separated from the flexible suction cup 3.

[0081] The remaining technical features of this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1. To save space, this embodiment will not be described in detail.

[0082] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Therefore, substitutions of equivalent components, or equivalent changes and modifications made within the scope of protection of the present invention, should still fall within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the technical features, technical solutions, and embodiments of the present invention can be freely combined and used.

Claims

1. A dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense, characterized in that, The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense includes a palm base (1) and fingers (2) connected in sequence. A flexible suction cup (3) is provided on the palm base (1) and / or fingers (2). A negative pressure suction component (4) is connected to the flexible suction cup (3). The negative pressure suction component (4) can suck air into the flexible suction cup (3).

2. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 1, characterized in that, When a flexible suction cup (3) is provided on the palm base (1), the flexible suction cup (3) is located in the geometric center area of ​​the gripping contact surface of the palm base (1).

3. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 1, characterized in that, The finger (2) contains a fingertip joint (21) and a middle joint (22). When a flexible suction cup (3) is provided on the finger (2), the flexible suction cup (3) is located on the fingertip joint (21) of the finger (2), or the flexible suction cup (3) is located on the fingertip joint (21) and the middle joint (22) of the finger (2).

4. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 1, characterized in that, The negative pressure suction assembly (4) includes a main suction unit (41), a main suction line (42) and a branch suction line (43) connected in sequence. The inlet end of the branch suction line (43) is connected to the exhaust port (32) of the flexible suction cup (3) one by one. A pressure sensor (44) and a solenoid valve (45) are installed on the branch suction line (43).

5. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 1, characterized in that, When both the palm base (1) and the fingers (2) are provided with flexible suction cups (3), the diameter of the flexible suction cup (3) on the palm base (1) is greater than the diameter of the flexible suction cup (3) on the fingers (2).

6. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense also includes a status monitoring module (8) and a control unit (9) connected in sequence. The status monitoring module (8) can monitor whether the dexterous hand is about to or has already come into contact with the object to be grasped. The status monitoring module (8) can also send the monitored information or signals to the control unit (9). The control unit (9) can control the operation of the dexterous hand.

7. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible suction cup (3) is also connected to a moving drive mechanism, which can drive the flexible suction cup (3) to move along the axis of the flexible suction cup (3).

8. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 7, characterized in that, The moving drive mechanism is a miniature electromagnet, shape memory alloy, or miniature cylinder.

9. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 1, characterized in that, The negative pressure suction assembly (4) contains multiple micro suction units (46), and the micro suction units (46) are connected one-to-one with the flexible suction cups (3).

10. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible suction cup (3) contains a skirt (31), and the contact surface of the skirt (31) has a micro-nano array of burrs.

11. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible suction cup (3) has a skirt (31), and the material of the skirt (31) or the entire flexible suction cup (3) is a material with adjustable hardness. The flexible suction cup (3) is covered with an excitation unit (6), which can increase the hardness of the material with adjustable hardness.

12. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 4, characterized in that, The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense also includes a positive pressure blowing component (7), which is connected to the flexible suction cup (3) and can blow air into the flexible suction cup (3).

13. The dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 12, characterized in that, The positive pressure blowing assembly (7) includes a main blowing unit (71), a main blowing line (72) and a branch blowing line (73) connected in sequence. The solenoid valve (45) is a three-way solenoid valve with three interfaces. The first interface of the solenoid valve (45) is connected to the exhaust port (32) of the flexible suction cup (3), the second interface of the solenoid valve (45) is connected to the main suction line (42), and the third interface of the solenoid valve (45) is connected to the branch blowing line (73).

14. A method of operating a dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The working method includes the following steps: Before the flexible suction cup (3) comes into contact with the object to be grasped, the positive pressure blowing component (7) blows air into the flexible suction cup (3); When the flexible suction cup (3) comes into contact with the object to be grasped, the negative pressure suction component (4) sucks air into the flexible suction cup (3).

15. The working method of the dexterous hand with active negative pressure defense according to claim 14, characterized in that, The working method includes the following steps: When the object to be grasped needs to be separated from the flexible suction cup (3), but the object to be grasped is not separated from the flexible suction cup (3), the positive pressure blowing component (7) blows air into the flexible suction cup (3).

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