The field of robotics has been rapidly
growing during the last decade, opening a new window to
bring robotics into everyday applications. The range of
applications goes from simple toys, to medical equipment
and space missions conducted by NASA. Thus, the team has
decided to jump in the wagon with the Luke’s Robotic Hand.
The idea behind the hand
is to provide the user
with an economic while efficient alternative to similar
products currently available on the market. Its most
valuable use is in the prosthetics industry, but it can
also be used on industrial processes that cannot be done
directly by humans (extreme temperatures).
The hand itself is a mechanical limb with twelve (12)
degrees of freedom, 3 per finger. It will be designed using
lightweight materials, such as aluminum, for better
usability, and it will feature an array of sensors to
provide feedback to the users and system (MCU) to perform
task such as: sense objects slipping, detect object within
reach, identify object, determine temperature of the
object, and measure force being applied. It will also
feature a wide array of user interfaces, having the Glove
and Pod interfaces as the more relevant ones. The
hand
will mimic to a certain
accuracy the actions performed by the human hand wearing
the Glove, while the Pod interface will allow the user to
give a limited set of instructions to the
hand
by applying forces to a
specially design insole.
This project will consist of hardware and software design,
as well as efficient and effective planning. Software will
be used to effectively manipulate the date received from
the sensors and motors, and to design an easy to use
graphical user interface (GUI). Components such as sensors,
motors, and RF modules will be acquired separately and
integrated into the system, while all other circuitry will
be designed in-house. Apart from functionality and
efficiency, cost will be another important factor to be
taken into consideration, and all components will be
selected by not only looking at the specifications, but
also the cost per unit.
