Robot Hand With Palm Sensing and Multimode Suction Grasping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional humanoid robots struggle with low productivity in picking tasks due to slow finger and arm motion when grasping objects with varying shapes, weights, and hardnesses, relying on human intervention for tasks like picking up items from shelves and packing them into boxes.
Innovation Solution
A control system for a robot featuring a gripping portion with a palm portion and radially extending fingers, equipped with a suctioning pad and palm sensor, allowing for functions like suction, grasping, or combined suction and grasping based on object detection, along with a control unit that manages these operations to quickly and reliably grasp objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a robot uses finger-type gripping portion to grasp objects, then the robot can handle various shapes of objects, but the motion of finger and arm becomes slow resulting in low productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The palm portion is designed to perform multiple gripping functions (suction, grasping, and combined suction-grasping) depending on the object characteristics. The control unit automatically selects the appropriate function based on object detection, allowing the same gripping portion to efficiently handle various object types without mechanical reconfiguration, thus maintaining versatility while improving speed
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping portion dynamically switches between different gripping modes (suction-only, grasping-only, or combined suction-grasping) based on real-time object characteristics detected by the palm sensor unit. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize gripping speed for each object type while maintaining the ability to handle diverse shapes
2Adaptability or versatility
If a robot relies on human intervention for picking tasks, then the robot can handle complex objects, but the automation level remains low
Solution Approach 1:
The robot autonomously determines the appropriate gripping method by having the palm sensor unit detect object characteristics (shape, position) and the control unit automatically select from multiple gripping functions. This self-service capability eliminates the need for human intervention in determining gripping strategies, significantly increasing automation level while maintaining the ability to handle complex objects
Solution Approach 2:
The palm sensor unit provides real-time feedback about object characteristics to the control unit, which then automatically selects the appropriate gripping function. This closed-loop feedback system enables the robot to autonomously adapt to different objects and select optimal gripping methods, achieving high automation while maintaining versatility
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid and reliable execution of tasks such as object position checking, grasping, and gripping, while avoiding robot collisions and selecting appropriate gripping methods based on object characteristics, enhancing productivity in warehouse environments.
Implementation Method 1
a suctioning pad that is provided at the palm portion and the finger portion and suctions the target object
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Three finger portions are provided at a gripping portion, and plural suctioning pads are attached to a palm side of the gripping portion and the three finger portions. The suctioning pad suctions a load with an air suction structure, for example. By bending the three finger portions, the load can be grasped. By attaching a palm sensor including a high-resolution camera and a MoPU to the palm side and attaching the gripping portion having the above structure to an arm portion of a humanoid robot, it is possible to reliably pick an object by a suction surface, and even in a case in which a motion of the humanoid robot is early, it is possible to carry the load without dropping from the gripping portion.