Torque control of underactuated tendon-driven robotic fingers

US8565918B2 · 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

• Muhammad E. Abdallah · Houston, US
• Chris A. Ihrke · Hartland, US
• Matthew J. Reiland · Oxford, US
• Charles W. Wampler, II · Birmingham, US
• Myron A. Diftler · Houston, US
• Robert Platt · Houston, US
• Lyndon Bridgwater · Houston, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 10, 2010
• Grant date: Oct 22, 2013
• Expiry date: Feb 24, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/49117
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A robotic system includes a robot having a total number of degrees of freedom (DOF) equal to at least n, an underactuated tendon-driven finger driven by n tendons and n DOF, the finger having at least two joints, being characterized by an asymmetrical joint radius in one embodiment. A controller is in communication with the robot, and controls actuation of the tendon-driven finger using force control. Operating the finger with force control on the tendons, rather than position control, eliminates the unconstrained slack-space that would have otherwise existed. The controller may utilize the asymmetrical joint radii to independently command joint torques. A method of controlling the finger includes commanding either independent or parameterized joint torques to the controller to actuate the fingers via force control on the tendons.