Thenar-Assisted Robotic Hand for Dynamic Cookware Grip Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic hand devices lack dynamic grip stability, particularly when handling moving cookware, leading to instability and potential dropping during cooking tasks like cookware tossing.
Innovation Solution
A robotic hand device equipped with thenar muscles, comprising finger units, a palm unit, a thenar unit, and drive units, which are controlled by a processor to enhance grip stability by allowing the thenar unit to lean against the object, improving the dynamic grip strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a robotic hand device is designed with only 5 fingers to generate grip force, then the structure is simple, but the dynamic grip stability is insufficient when handling moving cookware
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic hand is divided into multiple functional units: finger units for basic gripping, a palm unit for structural support, and a thenar unit for dynamic adjustment. Each unit can be independently controlled by dedicated drive units, allowing the hand to adapt its configuration for different gripping scenarios, particularly for handling moving cookware with enhanced stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a new dimension to the traditional 5-finger hand configuration by introducing the thenar unit, which extends the gripping capability in a different spatial dimension. This additional unit provides extra contact points and adjustment freedom, enabling the hand to maintain stable grip on moving objects like cookware handles during dynamic movements such as tossing.
2Strength
If the robotic hand device uses traditional 5-finger configuration, then the device complexity is low, but the grip strength is insufficient for dynamic cooking techniques
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functions of multiple gripping elements into a coordinated system. The finger units, palm unit, and thenar unit work together as an integrated gripping system, with each component contributing to the overall grip strength. The drive units coordinate the movement of these merged components to generate sufficient force for dynamic cooking techniques while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
3Reliability
If the robotic hand device lacks thenar muscles, then the structure is simple, but the hand cannot steadily hold moving cookware during tossing
Solution Approach 1:
The thenar unit is equipped with its own dedicated drive unit, enabling it to autonomously adjust and lean against the gripped object without requiring continuous control from the main control system. This self-service capability allows the thenar unit to dynamically compensate for movements in the cookware, providing steady holding during tossing actions while adding minimal complexity to the overall system.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a robotic hand device with thenar muscles, comprising a finger unit, a palm unit, a thenar unit, a first drive unit, a second drive unit, and a processor unit. When the processor unit issues a gripping instruction, the processor unit drives the finger units and the palm unit through the first drive unit to bend towards a central area of the palm until the finger units and the palm unit grip the object, and the processor unit drives the thenar unit through the second drive unit to move towards the central area of the palm until the thenar unit leans against the object. In this way, the robot hand device with thenar muscles using lead screw mechanism can firmly grip the object through the thenar unit in a more stable manner to improve a dynamic holding stability and to reduce risks of dropping the object.