Robotic finger joint actuated by elastic thin plate and slider-crank mechanism

Abstract

In this paper, we present a robot finger module that utilizes a slider-crank mechanism to exert pulling force on an elastic thin plate, actuating the joint. The plate, made of phosphor bronze, connects each link and the slider-crank mechanism. The generated pulling force serves as the torque for each joint, exhibiting significant variation with the crank angle of the slider-crank mechanism. This characteristic translates to greater torque production as the finger joint flexes deeper. We conducted several experiments to evaluate the fundamental characteristics of the module, including its movable range and force output.