A novel approach to mechanical design of articulated fingers for robotic hands

The paper first discusses the reasons why simplified solutions for the mechanical structure of fingers in robotic hands should be considered a worthy design goal. After a brief discussion about the mechanical solutions proposed so far for robotic fingers, a different design approach is proposed. It considers finger structures made of rigid links connected by flexural hinges, with joint actuation obtained by means of flexures that can be guided inside each finger according to different patterns. A simplified model of one of these structures is then presented, together with preliminary results of simulation, in order to evaluate the feasibility of the concept. Examples of technological implementation are finally presented and the perspective and problems of application are briefly discussed.