shadow robot hand

The Shadow robot hand is considered as one of the most advance robot hand in the world. Currently it can handle up to 24 types of movement which makes it a perfect solution for the disabled. It can hold a light bulb or a tomato, it also can write using a pen. In general, it is very skillful in physical movement or so called dexterous for such an artificial hand. By using 40 integrated air muscles, the hand can grasp soft and fragile object. The air muscle is a small actuator which is powerful and easily controllable. It behaves in a very similar way to a biological muscle. When actuated with a supply of compressed air, they contracted by up to 40% of its’ original length. The force it provides decreases as it contracts and the first few percent of the contraction is very powerful. It also can be fitted with touch sensor at the fingertips which provide sufficient sensing ability to detect event a small coin.
These air muscles provide the hand with many compliant movements. Following the biologically-inspired design principle, tendons couple the air muscles to the joints. Integrated electronics at the base of the hand system drive the pneumatic valves for each muscle and also manage corresponding muscle pressure sensors.
Three modes of actuation are used in the Hand system. An opposing pair of muscles permits full control and variable compliance of the movement for most joints. Conditionally-coupled drive is used for the Middle and Distal phalanges of the fingers to produce human movement characteristics.
The form factor of the hand is that of a typical human male, and the weight is around 3.9 kg, which is quite heavy for normal user. This is because the hand is a combination of metal and plastic.
Currently it is being used mainly for researching purpose however, applying this type of hand into rehabilitation and assistive technology is a a very promising possibility in the future.