Experimental Evaluation of Friction Characteristics with an Articulated Robotic Hand

In this paper some applications of dexterous robotic hands to fine manipulation operations are discussed. Common to this kind of operations is the important role played by the frictional characteristics of the fingers and of manipulated objects. The paper discusses a procedure for measuring apparent coefficients of friction between the fingertips and manipulated objects. To take into account real contact phoenomena, the distinction is introduced between translational and rotational friction limits. Reported experiments rely on force-based (intrinsic) contact sensing devices, implemented in the phalanges of an articulated robot hand (Salisbury Hand). Data collected during these procedures can be subsequently used for tasks such as recognizing the superficial features of objects, controlling the internal grasp forces exerted by the hand on delicate objects, and following the contours of the surface of unknown objects.

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