SELF-CONTAINED MINIATURE DEXTEROUS HAND

THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A MINIATUREROBOTIC DEXTEROUS HAND THAT WOULD AID IN THE EFFICIENT AUTOMATION OF SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS ON BOARD SPACE STATION. THE INNOVATIVE FEATURE OF THE DEXTEROUS HAND IS A SMALL BUT POWERFUL PIEZOELECTRIC MOTOR BUILT INTO THE FINGERJOINT TO PROVIDE FINGER ACTUATION. THE DEXTEROUS HAND TO BECONSTRUCTED IN PHASE II WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING FEATURES: SMALL SIZE--TO FIT INTO CONFINED SPACES; LOW MASS--TO CONSERVE ROBOT PAYLOAD; ENERGY EFFICIENCY--TO ENSURE LOW POWER USAGE AND LESS HEAT REJECTION PROBLEMS; VERY SIMPLE MOTOR CONSTRUCTION--RELIABLE AND INEXPENSIVE; SELF-CONTAINEDACTUATORS--SIMPLE MECHANICAL INTERFACE FACILITATES CHANGE-OUT OF FINGERS; AMPLE SPACE IN THE FINGERS--TO ACCOMMODATE SENSORS LEADS, AND ELECTRONICS; LOSS OF POWER WHEN THE FINGERS GO LIMP--TO FACILITATE EXTRICATION FROM CAVITIES WITHOUT DAMAGING SURROUNDING OBJECTS; EXTENSIVE TACTILE SENSING CAPABILITY--TO ALLOW ADAPTIVE GRASPING AND DEXTEROUS MANIPULATION. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A MINIATUREROBOTIC DEXTEROUS HAND THAT WOULD AID IN THE EFFICIENT AUTOMATION OF SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS ON BOARD SPACE STATION. THE INNOVATIVE FEATURE OF THE DEXTEROUS HAND IS A SMALL BUT POWERFUL PIEZOELECTRIC MOTOR BUILT INTO THE FINGERJOINT TO PROVIDE FINGER ACTUATION. THE DEXTEROUS HAND TO BECONSTRUCTED IN PHASE II WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING FEATURES: SMALL SIZE--TO FIT INTO CONFINED SPACES; LOW MASS--TO CONSERVE ROBOT PAYLOAD; ENERGY EFFICIENCY--TO ENSURE LOW POWER USAGE AND LESS HEAT REJECTION PROBLEMS; VERY SIMPLE MOTOR CONSTRUCTION--RELIABLE AND INEXPENSIVE; SELF-CONTAINEDACTUATORS--SIMPLE MECHANICAL INTERFACE FACILITATES CHANGE-OUT OF FINGERS; AMPLE SPACE IN THE FINGERS--TO ACCOMMODATE SENSORS LEADS, AND ELECTRONICS; LOSS OF POWER WHEN THE FINGERS GO LIMP--TO FACILITATE EXTRICATION FROM CAVITIES WITHOUT DAMAGING SURROUNDING OBJECTS; EXTENSIVE TACTILE SENSING CAPABILITY--TO ALLOW ADAPTIVE GRASPING AND DEXTEROUS MANIPULATION.