Robotic thumb assembly

US8424941B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC · US
• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Chris A. Ihrke · Hartland, US
• Lyndon Bridgwater · Houston, US
• Robert Platt · Houston, US
• Charles W. Wampler, II · Birmingham, US
• S. Michael Goza · League City, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 22, 2009
• Grant date: Apr 23, 2013
• Expiry date: Mar 7, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T74/20329
• WIPO field: Handling
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

An improved robotic thumb for a robotic hand assembly is provided. According to one aspect of the disclosure, improved tendon routing in the robotic thumb provides control of four degrees of freedom with only five tendons. According to another aspect of the disclosure, one of the five degrees of freedom of a human thumb is replaced in the robotic thumb with a permanent twist in the shape of a phalange. According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, a position sensor includes a magnet having two portions shaped as circle segments with different center points. The magnet provides a linearized output from a Hall effect sensor.