Publication

Abstract: This paper presents the design and stiffness modeling of a soft multi-fingered hand. First, the structure and the kinematics of one soft finger are introduced. The finger has a soft feature by using a spring as its backbone. Using five soft fingers, a multi-fingered hand is designed. Secondly, the stiffness modeling of the soft finger is conducted to measure the softness of the finger mechanism as well as estimate the actuator size. Finally, usefulness of the multi-fingered hand is demonstrated through experimental work grasping rigid and flexible objects.