MRI: Development of a Tactile Sensing Hand+Arm for Robotic Haptics

University Of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

0922784 Loeb This proposed MRI instrument will provide a highly flexible testbed for diverse research activities in the general field of robotic and prosthetic haptic. Robots have had a huge economic impact on certain types of industrial productivity in repetitive and/or hazardous environments but they are currently unable to handle common objects or tools. Providing robotic manipulation with haptic capabilities similar to humans would greatly extend the range of applications and environments in which they could be used. There are three major aspects of the development project: i) Design and production of TAC modules; ii) Procurement of and interface with commercial mechatronic hand plus arm; iii) Development of software modules for compliant exploratory behaviors, processing of sensory data and extraction of information about external objects. The proposed instrument represents a fusion of recent advances in biomimetic principles of sensory transduction, haptic exploration and compliant control.