Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin developed a robotic hand called FORTE that can pick up very fragile items, such as a potato chip or a raspberry, without crushing them. The system combines tactile sensing with soft robotics, and a new paper describes the work in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.
The fingers take their shape from a fin-ray design and are made with advanced 3D printing. They have internal air channels that act as sensors. Small off-the-shelf pressure sensors detect changes in the air and tell the robot if an object is slipping. The team tested the grippers on many objects and publicly released the hardware designs and software for others to use.
Difficult words
- robotic — related to machines that act like people
- tactile sensing — ability to feel touch and small pressure
- soft robotics — field of robots made with soft materials
- 3D printing — making objects by adding layers of material
- pressure sensor — device that measures force of air or touchpressure sensors
- gripper — robot part used to hold and move objectsgrippers
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Would you let a robot pick up fragile food in your home? Why or why not?
- Which fragile object at home would you test with this robotic hand?
- How could soft, flexible robot fingers help other jobs or tasks?
