'Human-Type Robot Hand' From Moving Eggs to Cutting with Scissors

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Domestic researchers have developed a 'humanoid robotic hand' that can replace the role of the human hand, such as picking up eggs or cutting with scissors. This robotic hand can be mounted on various robotic arms and is expected to be utilized in industrial sites and daily life due to its strong grip strength.

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials announced on the 22nd that Dr. Hyunmin Do’s research team from the Robotics Mechatronics Laboratory of the Advanced Production Equipment Research Division developed a humanoid robotic hand that mimics the movements and structure of human fingers to manipulate objects in the same way.

The humanoid robotic hand developed by the research team consists of four fingers and sixteen joints. Twelve motors are installed to allow the fingers to move in each direction. In particular, the driving unit that moves the fingers is installed inside the palm, designed to be attachable to any robotic arm. This 1kg robotic hand incorporates a mechanism that enables it to move multi-directionally like a human hand even in tight spaces. It weighs about 1kg and can lift objects weighing over 3kg.

Especially, the research team equipped the robotic hand with tactile functionality. They attached ultra-small force measurement sensors with a diameter of 15mm and weighing less than 5g to the fingertips, joints, and palm, allowing the robotic hand to measure the magnitude and direction of the force required when contacting objects.

Principal researcher Hyunmin Do said, "The humanoid robotic hand was developed to imitate the delicate movements of the human hand to handle various objects such as tools we use in daily life," and added, "It is also expected to be used as a platform for researching the robotic hand’s 'grasping' operation algorithms and the manipulation intelligence of robots."