Development of Robotic Hand Using Dual-Directional Bending Soft Fingers and Bellows Suction Mechanism

Robotic hands using soft actuators have been developed as end-effectors for high-mix low-volume production, featuring shape adaptability and safety due to their flexibility. In this study, we have fabricated soft fingers that can be bent in two directions by arranging McKibben artificial muscles oppositely, and a bellows suction mechanism that can be extended and retracted by pneumatic pressure. By composing them, we have developed a robotic hand. The robotic hand has features that it can grasp objects larger than a palm and handle thin flat objects. Basic experiments were conducted on objects of different shapes to evaluate the usefulness of this hand in situations where a wide variety of products are handled.