NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20020080991: Robotic Hand

1 Pages·0.14 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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Robotic Hand
S
hown below is the Omni- use on space missions. The unit humanlike "singularity-free"
Hand, a robotic hand for is also commercially available motion (singularity is a
which its developers claim for such applications as hazard- phenomenon of robotics that
"capabilities virtually identical ous materials handling and can cause a joint to jam as it
to those of the human hand." manufacturing automation. attempts to move in an area
The multiple digit hand features Ross-Hime Designs had where it has no axis of rotation
an opposable thumb and a flex- earlier developed for NASA, or range of motion). The
ible wrist. Electric muscles, under SBIR contracts with company has conducted devel-
1 called MinnacsTMp,o wer wrist Langley Research Center, opment programs under four
joints and the completely inter- systems known as 0mni-wristTM SBIR contracts. In addition to
changeable digits. and Omni-Wrist I1 that are also Omni-Hand and Omni-Wrist,
The Omni-Hand was devel- commercially available for such its robotic products include a
oped by Ross-Hime Designs, applications as spray painting, Dextrous Arm and the Minnac
Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota for sealing, ultrasonic testing and electric muscle. a
Marshall Space Flight Center a variety of nuclear industry,
Omni-Wrist and Minnac are trade-
under a NASA Small Business aerospace and military use.
marks of Ross-Hime Designs, Inc.
Innovation Research (SBIR) A relatively new company
SPACE-USE ROBOTIC contract. Two Omni-Hands formed in 1987, Ross-Hime
have been delivered to NASA has patented a number of
for evaluation and potential robotic mechanisms with
SYSTEMS BECOME
COMMERCIAL. PRODUCTS
Publ~cS afety