Studies on minimalism
versus anthropomorphism in
robot hand dexterity
Funded by:
University of Malta
Start Date: 2013
End
Date: 2016
Budget: € 11,000
(including € 5,500 from
Government of Malta
MasterIt! scheme)
Principal Investigator
at the University of
Malta:
Prof.
Ing. Michael A. Saliba
Co-Investigator/s at the
University of Malta:
Mr Donald Dalli
Mr Joseph Trapani
Mr Steven Grech
Research Objectives and
Methodology:
Worldwide, research projects
on the development of
dexterous robot hands have
typically evolved in one of
two directions. In the first
direction (anthropomorphism)
the focus is on trying to
reproduce the attributes of
the human hand as closely as
possible. In the second
direction (minimalism) the
focus is on trying to
achieve dexterous grasping
and manipulation abilities
using as simple a system as
possible. Here, we attempt
to fuse these two approaches
by searching for the optimal
compromise between
anthropomorphism and
minimalism in the design of
dexterous robot hands, with
the aim of demonstrating
that a relatively
non-complex artificial hand
can still achieve form and
functional objectives that
approach those of the human
counterpart.
This work involves the
detailed experimentation
involving dexterity testing
of human subjects, and
interpretation of the
results in the context of
artificial hand design; the
extraction of minimum
specifications for an
artificial hand that would
still result in satisfactory
performance; various studies
on optimizing the
performance of compact,
multi-degree-of-freedom
mechatronic devices,
focussing on the simplicity,
dexterity and usability of
such devices, and also on
the actuation approach to
the system; the development
of novel tactile sensors and
tactile feedback devices;
and the development of a new
robot hand based on the
above studies and of a new
glove input/output device to
teleoperate the hand.
Results:
A significant number of
key results have already
been obtained, including
the extraction of the
minimum specifications for
dexterous robot hands and
therefore the concept of a
minimal anthropomorphic
robot (MAR) hand; the
development of a dexterous
actuation assessment
protocol (DAAP) for
evaluating the overall
actuation approach of a
device; the notion of
compact
multi-degree-of-freedom
(CMDOF) mechatronic
devices and the
development of a new
design approach that
optimizes simplicity,
dexterity and usability of
the device (SDU approach).
Exploratory work has been
carried out on a new
tactile sensor based on
quantum tunnelling
composite (QTC) material.
Two versions of the new
UM-MAR hand have been
developed. Other work has
involved the study of
underactuated robot hands
and optimization of their
design.
Publications:
S. Grech and M. A.
Saliba, “Design and
Development of a
Triggered Type
Underactuated Grasping
Mechanism and its
Application to an
Experimental Test Bed”,
Proceedings of the 6th
IFToMM European
Conference on Mechanism
Science, Nantes, France,
September 2016, in
Mechanisms and Machine
Science 43, New Trends
in Mechanism and Machine
Science: Theory and
Industrial Applications,
ed. P. Wenger and P.
Flores, Springer
International
Publishing, 2017, pp.
383-390. download
D. Dalli and M. A.
Saliba, “The University
of Malta Minimal
Anthropomorphic Robot
(UM-MAR) Hand II”, IEEE
International Conference
on Advanced Intelligent
Mechatronics, Banff,
Alberta, Canada, July
2016, pp.
371-376.
download
D. Dalli and M. A.
Saliba, “Addressing
Simplicity, Dexterity
and Usability of
Compact,
Multi-Degree-of-Freedom
Mechatronic Devices”,
IEEE International
Conference on Advanced
Intelligent
Mechatronics, Banff,
Alberta, Canada, July
2016, pp.
1357-1362.
download
M. A. Saliba and C. W.
de Silva, “Quasi-dynamic
analysis, design
optimization, and
evaluation of a
two-finger underactuated
hand”, Mechatronics,
Vol. 33 (2016), 93-107.
access
download
preprint
J. M. Trapani and M. A.
Saliba, “Experimental
Extraction of Tactile
Sensor Specifications
for a Minimal
Anthropomorphic Robot
Hand”, IEEE-RAS
International Conference
on Humanoid Robots,
Madrid, Spain, 18-20
November 2014, pp.
419-424.
download
D. Dalli and M. A.
Saliba, “Towards the
Development of a Minimal
Anthropomorphic Robot
Hand”, IEEE-RAS
International Conference
on Humanoid Robots,
Madrid, Spain, 18-20
November 2014, pp.
413-418.
download
M. A. Saliba and C.
Ellul, “Dexterous
actuation”, Mechanism
and Machine Theory, Vol.
70 (2013),
45-61.
access
download
preprint
M. A. Saliba, A.
Chetcuti and M. J.
Farrugia, “Towards the
rationalization of robot
hand design: Extracting
knowledge from
constrained human manual
dexterity testing”,
International Journal of
Humanoid Robotics, Vol.
10, No. 2 (2013),
1350001.
access
download
preprint
M. A. Saliba, D. J.
Cassar and M. Axiak,
“Undergraduate
mechatronics research
case study: Contributing
towards a dexterous
robot hand”,
International Journal of
Mechanical Engineering
Education, Vol. 40, No.
3 (2012),
234-250.
access
download
preprint
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