The kinematic structure of a mechanical hand typically resembles the skeleton of a human hand and it is usually designed to emulate a subset of the functions of a human hand. This paper analyzes the structural characteristics associated with the functional requirements of a mechanical hand. Using the mobility criterion and force closure concept, constraint equations for structural synthesis of multi-fingered mechanical hands are derived. A procedure for systematic enumeration of the kinematic structures of mechanical hands is established. An atlas of feasible kinematic structures of multi-fingered hands having a mobility number ranging from 3 to 6 and contact degrees of freedom ranging from 1 to 5 is developed. Further, two theorems concerning the structural characteristics of mechanical hands are presented.
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June 2002
Technical Papers
Structural Synthesis of Multi-Fingered Hands
Jyh-Jone Lee,
Jyh-Jone Lee
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 106
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Lung-Wen Tsai, Fellow ASME
Lung-Wen Tsai, Fellow ASME
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bourns College of Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
Search for other works by this author on:
Jyh-Jone Lee
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 106
Lung-Wen Tsai, Fellow ASME
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bourns College of Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
Contributed by the Mechanisms and Robotics Committee for publication in the JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL DESIGN. Manuscript received Apr. 2001. Associate Editor: M. Raghavan.
J. Mech. Des. Jun 2002, 124(2): 272-276 (5 pages)
Published Online: May 16, 2002
Article history
Received:
April 1, 2001
Online:
May 16, 2002
Citation
Lee, J., and Tsai, L. (May 16, 2002). "Structural Synthesis of Multi-Fingered Hands ." ASME. J. Mech. Des. June 2002; 124(2): 272–276. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1467080
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