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Robotic Hands Grip Without Fingers
sciencehabit writes "Physicists have designed a robotic hand that doesn't have fingers, yet can still serve drinks and draw pictures. The hand is a thin, rubber sack filled with coffee grains or small glass spheres. When it comes into contact with an object, a small pipe sucks air from the sack, causing it to contract and mold to the object's shape. As long as the gripper can fold about one-fourth of the object's surface, it can pick up just about any shape thrown in its path. The article includes a video of the hand in action."
Would - you - like - some - more?
...can still serve drinks...filled with coffee grains or small glass spheres.
I think I'll pass...I'd rather have a barista who doesn't confuse coffee with marbles.
Oh shit, it drew a square!
Having a moldable hand that could hold a fork or swipe a credit card could drastically improve the quality of life for the tens of thousands of patients in the United States who have lost an arm.
Why can't they use their other arm?
The Daleks built an empire armed with a zap gun and a plunger...
Big Bang Theory - Howard's Robot Arm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Us9jIPwMI
I'D LIKE TO GIVE THIS THING A GO AS "THE STRANGER" IF YOU GET MY DRIFT
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"Physicists have designed a robotic hand that ... can ... serve drinks"
The future of robotics is bright indeed.
No more fantasies about robotic hand-jobs in the future now.
. .
That's pretty freaking awesome.
The real advances toward powered flight were when we stopped trying to imitate nature and go in a different direction.
What doesn't kill you only delays the inevitable
The working model looks a lot like the hands they draw for Cartman
Wherever You Go, There You Are
hgytjuedsweskloip;kloip;~!@! Translation: "hello!"
So, this is how the Dalek's "toilet plunger hand" works.
I, for one, welcome the grip of our new robotic overlords and ask for their gentle mercy when handling my fate.
Vac man! Is that you?
http://www.geoffreylandis.com
You've got to wonder what the porn industry will do with this invention...
One step closer to holding that gun.
An excerpt from an Investors Presentation...
Presenter: So, as you can see, this technology is leaps and bounds more sophisticated then the current technology. The advantages for amputees cannot be overstated, the device allows for the easy grasp of such items as food utensils, telephones in time of emergenc...
Investor: Excuse me. A question. Would an amputee be able to open a wallet?
Presenter: Well...I, ummm. I think that might be, well, a bit difficult as the tech stands, in it's current form...but..
Investor: What about a credit card? Could they swipe a credit card? Could they do that?
Presenter: *sigh* Yes...I suppose they could swipe a credit card. I think that would be possible...yes.
Investor: How about mortgage documents? Can they hold a pen?
Suddenly, the Daleks' plungers now make sense.
Colin Angle (iRobot CEO) showed the "jamming gripper" in his 2009 TEDMED talk as an extension of "jamming skin locomotion" (blob robot). In his talk, he showed a video of it grasping medication, keys, a water bottle, and even a dummy-patient's arm; he also demonstrated a hand-held version. It's nice to see a more formal evaluation. For those interested, there is a photo showing how it works over on Hizook.com
But can you masturbate with it? (In proper context, if it's being used as an artificial limb.)
Now all we have to do is create a robot heart.
For example, how well would it deal cards?
Still, quite impressive technology.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
Now we know what the center of that Katamari is.
This is very clever. Vacuum pickers have been around for most of a century; they first appeared for paper handling in printing presses But they're usually flat, or at best, they have a foam or sponge front, so they can deal with some irregularities in the object being lifted. This is the first one I've seen that can grip around something. The clever part is that the flexible vacuum bag is filled with small objects that keep the bag size almost constant even when vacuum is applied. In operation, I presume it is used by pushing the gripper into wrapping around the object.
The usual vacuum picker problems apply. If only part of the bag (which has a pattern of small holes) is in contact with the object, the rest of the bag leaks. So the vacuum system has to extract a lot of wasted air to keep the pressure inside the system low. This limits the strength of the grip. It's also going to be noisy, probably about as noisy as the business end of a vacuum cleaner.
This definitely has applications in industrial automation where soft objects are being handled. It may be useful for fruit picking and clothing assembly, which are still too labor-intensive.
That looks like it would pinch and hurt if a male tried to use it for ... oh never mind.
Frank knew he couldn't use a gun to murder his wife. Ever since they could memory scan a dead brain, no one ever got away framing flesh and blood. He had to frame a robot, which meant he had to use a knife or something blunt. Why couldn't it be easy. Why couldn't those cold calculating beasts just have fingers. He'd have to stare his wife down as he murdered her. It'd be a lot easier just to gun her down. He wasn't looking forward to being able to read her eyes as the life drained from her, but he wasn't looking forward to his life being drained from him either. At least it would make what he had to do to her brain afterward seem easier.
Are you sure there are holes in it? I thought it just sucked air out of a bag without holes that was filled with stuff to make it rigid.
While this is fine for many types of many types of solid objects, it wouldn't work so well for picking up porous things like cloth, or almost anything organic such as plants or animals.
Can it even pick up a potato chip without breaking it?
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
It does short of make you think about the Dalek suction cup.
can it jerk you off? If so this will be a huge success. If not, meh.
Howard's Mom, 'Howard, I'm going to the store. Which peas should I get to go with the brisket!"
Howard, "Not NOW Mom! I'm BUSY!"
Howard's, Mom, "Just what's so IMPORTANT Mr. Smarty Pants that you have to spend all day playing video games in your room. Should you be in school?"
Howard, "I'm NOT in School Ma!, I work at the University, and for your information I'm not playing games, I conducting very delicate research on the latest robotic technology. Now will you PLEASE leave me alone!"
G*d damn it! First they serve drinks, then they pick up around the house, then they murder everyone in their sleep! Why do people keep trying to not only put people outta jobs but also bring about the robot apocalypse. When the internet gains sentients it is gonna take over the robots and kill us all!
This sounds like Doraemon's hands. Doraemon is a robotic cat from the future in a 1970s manga.
So, these guys have created a gripper that is a sucker-like object at the end of a stick.
I think the BBC may be claiming prior art.
But it does explain how they conquered the galaxy, with only a sucker.
www.eFax.com are spammers
I wonder if it would be possible to co-opt the tech into what are the fleshy pads of the fingers and palms in a human hand, kind of a mini version of the one described. Then you would be able to use it to increase grip but maintain the familiar hand structure; also might be able to use the measurement of the degree of vacuum to detect when to stop exerting the closing force of the 'fingers'. Would be able to help with the 'can crush as steel girder but can't pick up an egg' issue.
Good! When robots take over the world, I can flip them off and they can't flip back.
Table-ized A.I.
Can we get one of those in a artificial VaJayJay model?
Congratulations gentlemen, we are now in the first steps of building the giant cat robot.
This, rather than the classic suction cup, is what should be on a Dalek's non-weapon appendage. FAR more versatile!
Let's be honest. That's the only reason any of us gives a shit about robots.
On the one hand, it's impressive, and a good/fresh idea: flexible gripping without opposable thumbs.
On the other hand, its use is limited in a world where opposable thumbs and fingers is the norm, and I bet that doorknobs won't be that easy to turn.
On the gripping hand, it's something that's needed and could/would be cheap technology put in good use; I'm talking about prosthetics, not robots, obviously.
I speak England very best
sdfb fweg WEFi dsailubasdib aisdubab;bui sadui;bdbiub;adbba;sd
sad;oib
Need I say more?
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as it has no finger command.
The really good news is how less likely this new configuration is to produce a "Big Bang Theory" embarrassing situation. At least, one hopes that is the case.
Can it draw a Liger?
Actually it is very interesting.
Solving the problem of cleaning plates and putting them into a dish-washing machine would have an effect measured in billions, if not in trillions. There are some experimental robots, but they are not robust so far.
The same about assembling orders in a warehouse. Say, taking a bottle from the shelf and putting it into a paper bag.
It would free armies of workers from monotonous hard labor, millions of people.
Science can make wonder for sure!
What about actions that require pressing a specific area on a surface; human hands aren't meant only to grip things. This particular robotic hand shouldn't be able to type on a keyboard or perhaps operate a touchscreen type interface.
Or more generally, it resembles how chibi cartoon characters such as the Powerpuff Girls hold on to things.
This is great for those who are sick of the terms barrista, latte, or frappa-fucking-cino.
-- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
How dare the submitter imply that any of us would ever go as far as to RTFA... Despicable abomination!
PS: The video is really nice. Though they cheat by using a slanted glass.