Development of 1-DOF robotic hand with variable friction mechanism

-Analysis and validation of flow-channel-switching mechanism-

Abstract

This study proposes the analysis and validation of the novel mechanism that can switch the airflow path by a single airflow control for the pneumatic soft robotic hand with the variable friction mechanism. The variable friction mechanism functions by the pneumatic driven, using the Venturi effect. By the flow-channel-switching (FCS) mechanism, the proposed robotic hand achieves the grasping motion and friction-reduction function through the 1 DOF airflow control. In this paper, the condition of the design parameters to realize the desired behavior of the FCS mechanism is presented through the mechanical analysis. The analysis is validated through the actual experiments.