Robot hand device and robot hand operation method

Abstract

To provide a humanoid robot hand device that can grip an object in an attitude which has never been seen, by setting operation in a region exceeding a motion range of a human hand, and a robot hand operating method.SOLUTION: The humanoid robot hand device comprises: a joint mechanism 50 which has a plurality of fingers (a-e) rotatably connected through finger rotating shafts (m1, m2 and m3), where the plurality of fingers (a-e) constitute finger parts (1-5) and the finger parts (1-5) are rotatably connected through rotary support shafts (n1, n2 and n3) to a hand main body part 6; bending / driving means 51 that volar-flexes the fingers (a-e) of the joint mechanism 50 to a flat side or dorsiflexes the fingers to an arc-side, from a reference position O; and rotation range adjusting means 52, provided in rotation places of the fingers (a-e), which adjusts respective rotation ranges of the fingers (a-e) by the bending / driving means 51.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a humanoid robot hand device and a robot hand operation method in which the five fingers mounted thereon can perform palmar flexion and dorsal flexion in both the surface (palm side) and the back surface (back of the hand) directions.

Background Art

[0002] In a general five-finger robot hand, in order to perform the same operations as a human, it is often operated in an integrated environment attached to a multi-joint robot arm, and there are several operation control ranges. At this time, since there is a limit to the rotation angle of the joint in the robot arm, it is necessary to ensure a safe operation range that does not load the robot arm.

[0003] As this type of robot, the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are disclosed. In the all-finger movable prosthetic hand shown in Patent Document 1, by simultaneously pulling the first rope pair by each motor, torque for rotating the wrist joint clockwise around the rotation axis is generated to perform a rotation operation. Similarly, in this all-finger movable prosthetic hand, by simultaneously pulling the second rope pair, a dorsal flexion operation that results in a reverse rotation operation can be performed.

[0004] In the robot shown in Patent Document 2, there are a first rotatable region when the first arm rotates clockwise and a second rotatable region when the first arm rotates counterclockwise, and in the non-overlapping region of these regions, a first value is set in the first flag information indicating the rotation amount of the first arm. At this time, in the above robot, since a second value is set in the first flag information in a part of the overlapping region between the first region and the second region, it is possible to know whether the first arm is arranged in the non-overlapping region or the overlapping region, and the first arm can be operated efficiently.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-23276 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-83706 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, in the fully articulated prosthetic hand shown in Patent Document 1, since it is modeled after a human hand, it can only flex and extend / rotate the five fingers and wrist within a range similar to that of a human hand, and therefore has limitations in its range of motion. Furthermore, while Patent Document 2 shows an example where the arm rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, the range of motion shown in this example is limited, making it difficult to grasp the desired object.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and provides a humanoid robot hand device and a robot hand operation method that can grasp an object in a posture never before seen by setting the operation to a range beyond the range of motion of a human hand. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, this invention proposes the following means. A robot hand device according to a first aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a joint mechanism having a plurality of phalanges rotatably connected via a phalangeal rotation axis, wherein a plurality of finger parts are formed by these phalanges, and these finger parts are rotatably connected to the hand body via a rotation support axis; a flexion drive means for palmar flexion of the phalanges of the joint mechanism toward the palm side in the positive direction from a reference position, and dorsiflexion toward the dorsal side in the negative direction from the reference position; and a rotation range adjustment means provided at the rotation point of the phalanges for adjusting the rotation range of each phalange by the flexion drive means.

[0009] A joint movement method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a robot hand device having a joint mechanism comprising a plurality of phalanges rotatably connected via a phalangeal rotation axis, wherein a plurality of finger parts are formed by these phalanges, and these finger parts are rotatably connected to the hand body via a rotation support axis, characterized in that the joint mechanism comprises a flexion step in which the phalanges of the joint mechanism are palmar flexed toward the palm side in the positive direction from a reference position and dorsiflexed toward the dorsal side in the negative direction from the reference position, and a rotation adjustment step in which the rotation range of each of the phalanges is adjusted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In this invention, since the five fingers can be driven to flex and extend both ways, either on the palm side or the back side, a single robotic hand can be used for both left and right hands. Furthermore, it not only reproduces the movements of a real hand, but also allows the five fingers to move freely beyond the range of motion of human fingers, enabling the grasping of objects from any direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure shows the minimum configuration of the robot hand device according to the present invention, where (A) is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration, and (B) and (C) are diagrams showing typical operation examples. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of a robot hand device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the operation of the robot hand device shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of operation 1 of the robot hand device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of operation 2 of the robot hand device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of operation 3 of the robot hand device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of operation 4 of the robot hand device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8]It is a diagram showing an operation example 5 of the robot hand device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an operation example 6 of the robot hand device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an operation example 7 of the robot hand device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the robot hand device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the robot hand device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing an operation example of the variable load mechanism in the range represented by reference sign XIII in FIG. 12, where (A) shows a state where no voltage is applied to the coil, and (B) shows a state where voltage is applied to the coil. [Figure 14] (A) to (D) are diagrams showing a continuous operation example 1 of the robot hand device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] (A) to (C) are diagrams showing a continuous operation example 2 of the robot hand device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] (A) to (D) are diagrams showing a continuous operation example 3 of the robot hand device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing a modification example 1 of the second embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing a modification example 2 of the second embodiment. [Figure 19] It is a diagram showing a modification example 3 of the second embodiment, where (A) is an overall view and (B) is a diagram extracted from a part of FIG. A.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] The minimum configuration of the robot hand device 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1(A) to (C). As shown in FIG. 1(A), this robot hand device 100 mainly includes a joint mechanism 50, a bending drive means 51, and a rotation range adjustment means 52. The joint mechanism 50 has multiple phalanges a to c and phalanges d and e that are rotatably connected via phalangeal rotation axes (m1, m2 and m3), and these multiple phalanges a to c and phalanges d and e constitute multiple finger parts 1 to 5 (five in the drawing, but can be changed as appropriate). Furthermore, in this joint mechanism 50, the five finger parts 1 to 5 are rotatably connected to the hand body 6 via rotational support shafts (n1 and n2, n3).

[0013] The bending drive means 51, as shown in Figure 1(B), is used to palmar flex the phalanges a-c and phalanges d and e of the joint mechanism 50 toward the palm side in the positive direction (arrow P direction) from the reference position O, and also to dorsiflex them toward the back of the hand in the negative direction (arrow R direction) from the reference position O, as shown in Figure 1(C), and is composed of, for example, a motor and wires.

[0014] The rotation range adjustment means 52 is provided at the rotation points of phalanges a to e of the joint mechanism 50 and adjusts the rotation range of each phalange a to e by the bending drive means 51, thereby varying the rotational resistance at each rotation point of phalanges a to e by adjusting the voltage, etc.

[0015] Furthermore, with the robot hand device 100 configured as described above, the bending drive means 51 can palmar flex the phalanges a to e of the joint mechanism 50 toward the palm side, which is in the positive direction from the reference position O (see Figure 1(B)), and dorsiflex them toward the dorso side, which is in the negative direction from the reference position O (see Figure 1(C)). In this case, the robot hand device 100 can determine the rotation range of each of the finger joints a to e by the bending drive means 51 by adjusting the rotation resistance at the rotation points of the finger joints a to e of the joint mechanism 50 using the rotation range adjustment means 52. In other words, the robot hand device 100 can use the bending drive means 51 and the rotation range adjustment means 52 to bend and stop the phalanges a to e of the joint mechanism 50 at a specific position / angle on the flat side that is in the positive direction (direction of arrow P) from the reference position O, and also to bend and stop at a specific position / angle on the back of the hand that is in the negative direction (direction of arrow R) from the reference position O. As a result, in the robot hand device 100 described above, the five finger parts 1 to 5 can be driven to flex and extend both palmarly and dorsally, so that one robot hand can be used for both left and right hands. Furthermore, it not only reproduces the movements of an actual hand, but also allows the five fingers to move beyond the range of motion of human finger parts 1 to 5, enabling the object S to be grasped effortlessly from any direction.

[0016] (First Embodiment) A robot hand device 101 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 10. As shown in Figure 2, the robot hand device 101 mainly consists of a joint mechanism 20, a bending drive means 21, and a rotation range adjustment means 22, and is installed at the tip of a multi-jointed robot arm 23.

[0017] The joint mechanism 20 has multiple phalanges A to C and phalanges D and E that are rotatably connected via phalangeal rotation axes (M1, M2 and M3), and these multiple phalanges A to C and phalanges D and E constitute the five finger parts 11 to 15. In this joint mechanism 20, finger part 11 corresponds to the "little finger," finger part 12 to the "ring finger," finger part 13 to the "middle finger," finger part 14 to the "index finger," and finger part 15 to the "thumb."

[0018] Furthermore, in this joint mechanism 20, these five finger parts 11 to 15 are rotatably connected to the hand body 16 via rotational support shafts (N1 and N2, N3). In addition, for finger parts 11-14 other than the thumb, the phalangeal rotation axis M1 corresponds to the "first joint," the phalangeal rotation axis M2 corresponds to the "second joint," and the rotational support axis N1 corresponds to the "third joint." Specifically, in the joint mechanism 20 of the finger parts 11-14 other than the thumb, the phalangeal rotation axes M1, M2 and rotational support axis N1 of the three phalanges A-C are arranged in a positional relationship that is parallel or nearly parallel to each other, and are rotatably provided on the flat side in the positive (+) direction (direction of arrow P1) or the back of the hand in the negative (-) direction (direction of arrow R1) from the initial reference position O shown in Figure 3. Here, for the purpose of explaining the movement, the direction in which finger parts 11-15 are palmar flexed toward the palm (direction of arrow P1) is referred to as "+flexion," and the direction in which finger parts 11-15 are dorsiflexed toward the back of the hand (direction of arrow R1) is referred to as "-flexion."

[0019] Furthermore, in the finger part 15 which forms the thumb, the phalangeal rotation axis M3 corresponds to the "first joint," and the rotation support axis N2 corresponds to the "second joint." Specifically, in the joint mechanism 20 of the finger part 15 which becomes the thumb, the phalangeal rotation axis M3 and the first rotational support axis N2 of the two phalanges D and E are arranged in a positional relationship that is parallel or nearly parallel to each other, and are rotatably provided on the flat side in the positive (+) direction (direction of arrow P1) or the back of the hand in the negative (-) direction (direction of arrow R1) from the reference position O of the initial state shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, the first rotational support axis N2 of the finger part 15 which becomes the thumb is positioned perpendicular to the second rotational support axis N3 at the tip block 17 of the second rotational support axis N3, which is rotatably supported on the hand body 16. Furthermore, the phalangeal segments E of the finger parts 15 are fixed to a support frame 18 which is pivotally supported by the tip block 17 via a first rotational support shaft N2. Furthermore, the hand body 16 is connected to the robot arm 23 located at the tip of the robot body 40 via the mounting flange 16A (see Figure 10).

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the flexion drive means 21 drives the phalanges A to E of the joint mechanism 20 to palmar flexion toward the palm side in the positive direction (arrow P1 direction) from the reference position O, and also drives them to dorsiflexion toward the back of the hand in the negative direction (arrow R1 direction) from the reference position O, and is composed of, for example, a motor and wires.

[0021] The rotation range adjustment means 22 is provided at the rotation points of phalanges A to E and adjusts the rotation range of each phalange A to E by the bending drive means 21, thereby varying the rotational movement resistance at each rotation point of phalanges A to E by adjusting the voltage, etc. (Specific examples will be described in the second and third embodiments).

[0022] Figures 4 to 10 show examples of the movements of the finger parts 11 to 15 that can be performed by the robot hand device 101 described above. For example, Figure 4 shows an example in which finger parts 11-13 palmar flexion from the reference position O in the positive (+) direction (arrow P1 direction) to grasp a rod-shaped object S1, while finger parts 14 and 15 dorsiflexion from the reference position O in the negative direction (arrow R1 direction) to grasp a spherical object S1. Furthermore, Figures 5 and 6 show examples in which all finger parts 11-15 are palmar flexed from the reference position O in the positive (+) direction (arrow P1 direction) to grasp an object (not shown).

[0023] Furthermore, Figures 7 and 8 show examples in which all finger parts 11-15 are dorsiflexed from the reference position O in the negative direction (arrow R1 direction) toward the back of the hand to grasp an object (not shown). Furthermore, Figure 9 shows an example in which finger parts 11-13 grasp an object (not shown) by dorsiflexing in the negative direction (arrow R1 direction) on the back of the hand (from the reference position O) and palmar flexing in the positive (+) direction (arrow P1 direction) on the palm side (from the reference position O). Furthermore, with the robotic hand device 101 described above, while the three fingertips of the "thumb, index finger, and middle finger," which are finger parts 13-15 on the palm side, are handling small objects, it is also possible to bend the "ring finger and little finger," which are finger parts 11 and 12 on the back of the hand, thus enabling different tasks to be performed on each side.

[0024] Furthermore, with the robot hand device 101 configured as described above, the bending drive means 21 can palmar flex the phalanges A to E of the joint mechanism 20 toward the palm side, which is in the positive direction from the reference position O, and dorsiflex them toward the dorsal side, which is in the negative direction from the reference position O. In this case, the robot hand device 101 can determine the rotation range of each of the finger joints A to E by the bending drive means 21 by adjusting the rotation resistance at the rotation points of the finger joints A to E of the joint mechanism 20 using the rotation range adjustment means 22. In other words, the robot hand device 101 described above can use the bending drive means 21 and the rotation range adjustment means 22 to bend and stop the phalanges A to E of the joint mechanism 20 at a specific position / angle on the palm side that is in the positive direction (direction of arrow P1) from the reference position O, and also to bend and stop at a specific position / angle on the back of the hand that is in the negative direction (direction of arrow R1) from the reference position O.

[0025] As a result, in the robot hand device 101 described above, the five finger parts 11-15 can be driven to flex and extend both palmarly and dorsally, on either the palmar side of the surface or the dorsal side of the back, making it possible to use a single robot hand for both left and right-handed operation. Furthermore, the robotic hand device 101 not only reproduces the movements of an actual hand, but as shown in Figure 10, it can move all five fingers without distinction between the palm side and the back of the hand, exceeding the range of motion of human finger parts 11-15, thereby enabling it to grasp the object S1 from any direction without strain.

[0026] As a result, the robot hand device 101 can be applied to tasks that require fine human finger movements, such as logistics picking robots, nursing care robots, and medical robot hands. While previous robot hands used in automation mimic the movements of a human hand with fingertip trajectories, this invention enables robot hands to work on objects in a range that exceeds the range of human fingertip movements. This allows for continuous catch-and-place operations in assembly line work, as well as lifting and supporting people in caregiving robots, to be performed appropriately in the right situations.

[0027] Furthermore, the robot hand device 101 is less affected by the operating range of the robot arm 23 connected to the hand body 16, and the finger parts 11-15 of the joint mechanism 20 can handle movements on either the left or right side. As a result, the range of motion in which it is not proficient is reduced, and grasping operations can be performed more smoothly. Furthermore, in the robot hand device 101 described above, since all five fingers can work regardless of whether they are facing the palm or the back of the hand, it becomes unnecessary to perform tasks such as reversing the finger parts 11-15 of the joint mechanism 20, thus reducing the number of tasks and shortening the trajectory. The reduction in tasks also reduces the load on the CPU (Central Processing Unit), leading to improved processing speed for external devices (such as cameras and sensors).

[0028] [Second Embodiment] In the second embodiment, the bending drive means 21 and rotation range adjustment means 22 of the joint mechanism 20 in the robot hand device 101 will be specifically described with reference to Figures 11 to 19.

[0029] As shown in Figure 11, the bending drive means 21 is configured to have wires 30 for bending the phalanges A to E of each finger part 11 to 15 toward the palm side and the back of the hand side. The wire 30 is provided on each finger part 11 to 15, and consists of a flat wire that bends the finger phalanges A to E in the positive direction (direction of arrow P1) from the reference position O, and a dorsal wire that bends the finger phalanges A to E in the negative direction (direction of arrow R1) from the reference position O.

[0030] Wires 30 are installed for each finger part 11-15, and two wires are connected to phalanges A and D located at the tip of each finger part 11-15. Furthermore, the wires 30 of each finger part 11-15 are positioned slightly offset towards the flat / back of the finger from the rotation centers of the phalangeal rotation axes (M1, M2, and M3) and rotation support axes (N1 and N2) in order to apply bending force to each finger part 11-15. Furthermore, the wires 30 of each finger part 11-15 are pulled or pulled out by actuators 41 (see Figure 11) installed at any part of the structure that makes up the hand, wrist, or arm.

[0031] The rotation range adjustment means 22 is a variable load mechanism 24 provided at the rotation points of phalanges A to E, as shown in Figure 11, which adjusts the rotation range of each phalange A to E by the bending drive means 21. This variable load mechanism 24 controls the sequence of movement of each joint by changing the sliding load by varying the rotational resistance at each rotation point of phalanges A to E through voltage adjustment, etc. The variable load mechanism 24 of the rotation range adjustment means 22 is provided on the phalangeal rotation axis M1 which becomes the "first joint", the phalangeal rotation axis M2 which becomes the "second joint", and the rotation support axis N1 which becomes the "third joint" in the finger parts 11 to 14 other than the thumb, and on the phalangeal rotation axis M3 which becomes the "first joint" and the rotation support axis N2 which becomes the "second joint" in the finger part 15 which becomes the thumb.

[0032] Furthermore, in the variable load mechanism 24 of the rotation range adjustment means 22, the sliding loads of axes M1 to M3 and N1, N2 provided in each joint are varied by electrical signals during operation. By reducing the sliding load of the phalanges A to E that are to be moved, it is possible to move them a larger distance than other joints.

[0033] The specific variable load mechanism 24 will be explained with reference to Figures 12 to 18. Figures 12 and 13 show an example of a variable load mechanism 24 located between phalanges A and B of the finger part 11. As shown in Figure 13(A), this variable load mechanism 24 is an electromagnetic brake comprising a shaft 25 which serves as a phalangeal rotation axis M1 that rotatably connects phalangeal A and phalangeal B, a coil 26 fixed to the shaft 25 via a coil holder 26A, a rod 27 made of a magnetic material to which the magnetic field generated by energizing the coil 26 acts, and an outer ring 28 to which the rod 27 is fixed. The energizing of the coil 26 is performed by turning the switch 29 ON / OFF.

[0034] In this configuration, the shaft 25 and coil 26 are fixed to the phalangeal A side, while the magnet 27 and outer ring 28 are installed to be movable axially relative to the shaft 25. A bearing (not shown) is also installed between the shaft 25 and the phalangeal B. In this variable load mechanism 24, as shown in Figure 13(B), by energizing the coil 26, the rod 27 moves along the shaft 25 in the left-right direction in the figure, and the outer ring 28, which is integrated with the rod 27, contacts and slides against the phalangeal B (the contact and sliding point is indicated by reference numeral 28A in Figure 13(B)). This allows the variable load mechanism 24 to apply a sliding load to the relative rotation of phalanges A and B.

[0035] As a result, the rotation range adjustment means 22 selectively energizes each coil 26 of the variable load mechanism 24 provided on the phalangeal rotation axes M1 to M3 and the phalangeal support axes N1 and N2 of phalangeal segments A to E, thereby allowing for free rotation / stopping of the rotating parts of phalangeal segments A to E. Furthermore, in this case, the variable load mechanism 24 can adjust the magnitude of the current / voltage supplied to each coil 26, thereby freely adjusting not only whether or not the phalanges A to E rotate, but also the amount of rotation, i.e., the rotation angle.

[0036] Furthermore, contact sensors 31 are provided on the surface of the finger parts 11-15, as shown in Figures 11 and 16. The contact sensors 31 detect whether or not the object S1 is being grasped, and are installed on both the palm side and the back side of the finger parts 11-15 (only one side is shown in the figures). These contact sensors 31 are positioned on an elastic sheet 42 (see Figure 11) that covers the finger parts 11-15.

[0037] Next, the operation of the variable load mechanism 24 of the rotation range adjustment means 22 will be explained with reference to Figures 13 and 14 to 16. As shown in Figure 13(A), when a voltage is first applied to the variable load mechanism 24 of the phalanges A to E where a sliding load is to be generated, the magnetic force generated in the coil 26 pulls the magnetic rod 27 into the coil 26, causing the outer ring 28 to come into contact with the phalanges A to E, and generating a rotational load between the shaft 25, which serves as the axis of rotation, and the phalanges A to E.

[0038] Subsequently, when the wire 30 is pulled, flexion of phalanges A to E begins. At this time, phalanges A to E, which are under light load, start moving quickly and rotate widely, while phalanges A to E, which are under heavy load, begin to rotate only after phalanges A to E, which are under light load, have finished bending. In other words, the rotation range adjustment means 22 reaches its maximum load when the load of the variable load mechanism 24 is increased to its maximum, locking the targeted phalanges A to E in place. This allows for control that prevents phalanges A to E from moving simultaneously, and instead enables individual bending of phalanges A to E.

[0039] Figures 14(A) to (D) show examples of movements for grasping a relatively small object S1 using phalanges A to E of finger parts 11 to 15. First, in the variable load mechanism 24 of the rotation range adjustment means 22, the sliding load is set to "first phalangeal A (phalangeal rotation axis M1) < second phalangeal B (phalangeal rotation axis M2) < third phalangeal C (phalangeal support axis N1)". Then, the actuator 41 (see Figure 11) of the bending drive means 21 pulls the wire 30 on the predetermined side.

[0040] As a result, once the first phalangeal segment A bends and finishes flexing, the second phalangeal segment B slowly begins to bend, followed by the third phalangeal segment C. At this point, when the flexed state of phalangeal segments A and B reaches an angle that allows them to grip the object S1, the sliding load on the third phalangeal segment C is reduced to control the degree of bending. As a result, the robot hand device 101 can grasp relatively small objects S1 by bending the five finger parts 11 to 15.

[0041] Figures 15(A) to (C) show examples of movements for grasping a thin object S1, such as paper or a card, using phalanges A to E of finger parts 11 to 15. First, in the variable load mechanism 24 of the rotation range adjustment means 22, the sliding load is set so that "first phalangeal A (phalangeal rotation axis M1) = second phalangeal B (phalangeal rotation axis M2) > third phalangeal C (phalangeal support axis N1)". Then, the actuator 41 (see Figure 11) of the bending drive means 21 pulls the wire 30 on the predetermined side. As a result, once the third phalangeal segment C bends and completes its flexion, the first phalangeal segment A and the second phalangeal segment B begin to bend slowly. This allows the robotic hand device 101 to grasp thin objects S1, such as paper or cards, through the flexion of the five finger parts 11-15.

[0042] Figure 16 shows an example of the operation of finger joints A to E of finger parts 11 to 15 using the detection signal from the contact sensor 31. In the variable load mechanism 24 of the rotation range adjustment means 22, when the contact sensor 31 detects that the object to be gripped S1 has been pinched or caught, the operation of the actuator 41 is stopped, thereby enabling gripping without crushing.

[0043] For example, in the variable load mechanism 24 of the rotation range adjustment means 22, when gripping a fragile object S1 such as an egg, the sliding resistance of only the third phalangeal C (phalangeal support axis N1) is first reduced to allow movement. Subsequently, when the variable load mechanism 24 detects that the contact sensor 31 of the third phalangeal segment C has come into contact with the object S1, it maximizes the sliding resistance of the third phalangeal segment C to stop its movement, as shown in Figures 16(A) and 16(B), and reduces the sliding resistance of the second phalangeal segment B (phalangeal rotation axis M2) to allow the second phalangeal segment B to move. Subsequently, when the variable load mechanism 24 detects that the contact sensor 31 of the second phalangeal B has come into contact with the object S1, it maximizes the sliding resistance of the second phalangeal B to stop its movement, as shown in Figures 16(B) to (C), and reduces the sliding resistance of the first phalangeal A (phalangeal rotation axis M1) to allow the first phalangeal A to move.

[0044] Subsequently, when the variable load mechanism 24 detects that the contact sensor 31 of the first phalangeal A has come into contact with the object S1, it stops pulling the wire 30 as shown in Figures 16(C) to (D). Furthermore, by equipping the robot hand device 101 with contact sensors 31 on both the palm side and the back side, the phalanges A to E of the finger parts 11 to 15 can be dorsiflexed to either the palm side or the back side, enabling the robot hand to freely grasp fragile objects S1.

[0045] (Variation 1) In the variable load mechanism 24 of the above embodiment, the relative rotation of phalanges A to E (phalanges B in the example of Figure 13) is restricted by sliding the outer ring 28 on phalanges A to E. However, the mechanism is not limited to this, and as shown in Figure 17, the relative rotation of phalanges A to E may be restricted by using a shape memory shaft 32 made of shape memory alloy instead of using the coil 26, rod 27, and outer ring 28.

[0046] This shape memory shaft 32 is installed in place of the shaft 25 shown in Figure 13, and by applying voltage to both sides of it and changing its shape, rotational sliding resistance is generated in adjacent phalanges A to E (phalanges A and B, and phalanges B and C in this example). In Figure 17, the phalangeal rotation axis M1, which is not deformed because no voltage is applied to it, is shown as a "solid line" in the shape memory shafts 32 of the phalangeal rotation axes M1 and M2, while the phalangeal rotation axis M2, which is deformed because voltage is applied to it, is shown as a "dashed line".

[0047] (Modification 2) Furthermore, in the variable load mechanism 24 of the above embodiment, the relative rotation of phalanges A to E (phalanges B in the example of Figure 13) is restricted by sliding the outer ring 28 on phalanges A to E. However, the mechanism is not limited to this, and as shown in Figure 18, the relative rotation of phalanges A to E may be restricted by using a shape memory spring 33 made of a shape memory alloy instead of the coil 26, rod 27, and outer ring 28.

[0048] The shape-memory spring 33 changes its shape when voltage is applied to both sides, thereby tightening the shaft 25 and generating rotational sliding resistance in adjacent phalanges A to E (phalanges A and B, and phalanges B and C in this example).

[0049] (Variation 3) Furthermore, in the robot hand device 101 described above, the movement of the wire 30 of the bending drive means 21 is restricted by the variable load mechanism 24 of the rotation range adjustment means 22. However, the invention is not limited to this, and in the third modified example, the bending drive means 21 and the rotation range adjustment means 22 may be configured as shown in Figure 19.

[0050] The structure shown in Figure 19 consists of a first wire 34 driven by an actuator (not shown), pulleys 34A and 34B wound around the wire 34 and rotationally driven by the wire 34, pulleys 35A and 35B arranged coaxially with the pulleys 34A and 34B, a second wire 35 wound around the pulleys 35A and 35B, and electromagnetic clutches 37 and 38 that transmit the rotation of the pulleys 34A and 34B to the pulleys 35A and 35B. The pulleys 34A and 34B are connected to their corresponding phalanges A to E. In this modified example 3, the power from the wire 34 rotates each phalangeal segment A to E, and this rotation is adjusted by opening and closing the electromagnetic clutches 36 and 37.

[0051] Furthermore, this invention can be applied to a wide range of objects that perform bending and stretching movements. Furthermore, although this invention focuses on the "hand," when considering bending and extending movements, it can be replaced with the elbow, knee, or foot, and can also be applied to machines that model themselves after the structure of the human body. Furthermore, prosthetic arms and legs, used as medical devices, are devices that reproduce the movements of various parts of the human body and serve as second limbs. The technology of the present invention can also be applied to this field.

[0052] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0053] The present invention relates to a humanoid robotic hand device and a method for operating a robotic hand, in which the five fingers mounted on the device can be palmar flexed and dorsiflexed in either direction towards the front (palm side) or back (back of the hand side). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1 Finger part 2 Finger parts 3 Finger parts 4 finger parts 5 Finger parts 6. Hand Body 11 finger parts 12 finger parts 13 finger parts 14 finger parts 15 finger parts 16. Hand Body 17. Tip block 18 Support frame 20 Joint Mechanisms 21 Bending drive means 22 Rotation range adjustment means 23 Robot Arm 24 Variable load mechanism 25 shaft 26 coils 27 Rods 28 Outer ring 29 switches 30 wires 31 Contact Sensor 32 Shape memory shaft 33 Shape memory spring 40 Robot body 41 Actuator 42 Elastic Sheets 50 Joint Mechanisms 51 Bending drive means 52 Rotation range adjustment means a phalanx b phalanx c phalanx d phalanx e phalanx A phalanx B phalanx C phalanx D phalanx E phalanx m1 phalangeal axis m2 phalangeal rotation axis m3 phalangeal axis n1 Rotation support shaft n2 (1st) Rotation support shaft n3 (2nd) Rotation support shaft M1 phalangeal rotation axis M2 Phalangeal rotation axis M3 phalangeal rotation axis N1 Rotating support shaft N2 (1st) Rotational support shaft N3 (2nd) Rotation Support Shaft P flat side P1 Flat side R Instep side R1 Top of hand S Object S1 Object 100 Robot Hand Devices 101 Robot Hand Device

Claims

1. A joint mechanism having multiple phalanges rotatably connected via a phalangeal rotation axis, wherein these multiple phalanges constitute multiple finger parts, and these finger parts are rotatably connected to the hand body via a rotational support axis, The aforementioned joint mechanism includes a flexion drive means that causes the phalanges to palmar flexion toward the palm side, which is in the positive direction from the reference position, and dorsiflexion toward the dorsal side, which is in the negative direction from the reference position, The device comprises a rotation range adjusting means provided at the rotation point of the phalangeal joint for adjusting the rotation range of each phalangeal joint by the bending drive means, The rotation range adjustment means has a variable load mechanism that individually adjusts the rotational sliding resistance of the rotating parts of the joint by applying a voltage. The variable load mechanism adjusts the rotational sliding resistance based on detection signals obtained when contact sensors provided on the multiple joints come into contact with an object. Robot hand device.

2. The robot hand device according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned finger parts are composed of a set of five.

3. The robot hand device according to either claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the joint mechanism is provided such that each finger part other than the thumb has three phalanges and is rotatably mounted on the palm side which is in a positive direction from the reference position or on the back of the hand which is in a negative direction from the reference position via a phalangeal rotation axis and a rotation support axis which are in a positional relationship parallel or substantially parallel to each other.

4. The aforementioned joint mechanism, with respect to the thumb finger part, has two phalanges and is provided so that the phalanges are rotatable on the palm side (positive direction from the reference position) or the back of the hand side (negative direction from the reference position) via a phalangeal rotation axis and a first rotation support axis, which are in a positional relationship parallel or nearly parallel to each other. The robot hand device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first rotational support shaft is positioned perpendicular to the second rotational support shaft at the tip block of the second rotational support shaft, which is rotatably supported on the hand body.

5. The robot hand device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bending drive means consists of a wire for pulling / releasing the phalanges of the joint mechanism.

6. The robot hand device according to claim 5, characterized in that the wire is connected to the first phalangeal segment of the finger part.

7. The robot hand device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the variable load mechanism comprises a shape memory shaft for the joint rotation axis and rotation support axis of the joint mechanism, and rotational sliding resistance is generated by deforming the shape memory shaft by applying a voltage.

8. The robot hand device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the variable load mechanism has a shape memory spring that restrains the phalangeal rotation axis and the rotation support axis of the joint mechanism, and rotational sliding resistance is generated by deforming the shape memory spring by applying a voltage.

9. A robot hand device having a joint mechanism comprising multiple phalanges rotatably connected via a phalangeal rotation axis, wherein multiple phalanges constitute multiple finger parts, and these finger parts are rotatably connected to the hand body via a rotational support axis, The flexion stage involves palmar flexion of the phalanges of the aforementioned joint mechanism toward the palm side, which is in the positive direction from the reference position, and dorsiflexion toward the dorsal side, which is in the negative direction from the reference position. It has a rotation adjustment step for adjusting the rotation range of each of the aforementioned phalanges, The rotation adjustment step is a step of individually adjusting the rotational sliding resistance of the rotating parts of the joint by applying a voltage, The rotational sliding resistance is adjusted by detection signals obtained when the contact sensors provided on the multiple joints come into contact with an object. A method for joint movement in a robot hand device, characterized by the above.

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