A Low-Cost Open-Source 3-D-Printed Three-Finger Gripper Platform for Research and Educational Purposes

Robotics research and education have gained significant attention in recent years due to increased development and commercial deployment of industrial and service robots. A majority of researchers working on robot grasping and object manipulation tend to utilize commercially available robot-manipulators equipped with various end effectors for experimental studies. However, commercially available robotic grippers are often expensive and are not easy to modify for specific purposes. To extend the choice of robotic end effectors freely available to researchers and educators, we present an open-source lowcost three-finger robotic gripper platform for research and educational purposes. The 3-D design model of the gripper is presented and manufactured with a minimal number of 3-D-printed components and an off-the-shelf servo actuator. An underactuated finger and gear train mechanism, with an overall gripper assembly design, are described in detail, followed by illustrations and a discussion of the gripper grasping performance and possible gripper platform modifications. The presented open-source gripper platform computer-aided design model is released for downloading on the authors research lab website(www.alaris.kz) and can be utilized by robotics researchers and educators as a design platform to build their own robotic end effector solutions for research and educational purposes

A low-cost open-source 3-D-printed three-finger gripper platform for research and educational purposes

Robotics research and education have gained significant attention in recent years due to increased development and commercial deployment of industrial and service robots. A majority of researchers working on robot grasping and object manipulation tend to utilize commercially available robot-manipulators equipped with various end effectors for experimental studies. However, commercially available robotic grippers are often expensive and are not easy to modify for specific purposes. To extend the choice of robotic end effectors freely available to researchers and educators, we present an open-source lowcost three-finger robotic gripper platform for research and educational purposes. The 3-D design model of the gripper is presented and manufactured with a minimal number of 3-D-printed components and an off-the-shelf servo actuator. An underactuated finger and gear train mechanism, with an overall gripper assembly design, are described in detail, followed by illustrations and a discussion of the gripper grasping performance and possible gripper platform modifications. The presented open-source gripper platform computer-aided design model is released for downloading on the authors research lab website(www.alaris.kz) and can be utilized by robotics researchers and educators as a design platform to build their own robotic end effector solutions for research and educational purposes

Space Exploration Robotic Systems - Orbital Manipulation Mechanisms

In the future, orbital space robots will assist humans in space by constructing and maintaining space modules and structures. Robotic manipulators will play essential roles in orbital operations. This work is devoted to the implemented designs of two different orbital manipulation mechanical grippers developed in collaboration with Thales Alenia Space Italy and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory – California Institute of Technology. The consensus to a study phase for an IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle) successor, a preoperational vehicle called SPACE RIDER (Space Rider Reusable Integrated Demonstrator for European Return), has been recently enlarged, as approved during last EU Ministerial Council. One of the main project task consists in developing SPACE RIDER to conduct on orbit servicing activity with no docking. SPACE RIDER would be provided with a robotic manipulator system (arm and gripper) able to transfer cargos, such as scientific payloads, from low Earth orbiting platforms to SPACE RIDER cargo bay. The platform is a part of a space tug designed to move small satellites and other payloads from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit (GEO) and viceversa. The assumed housing cargo bay requirements in terms of volume (<100l) and mass (<50kg) combined with the required overall arm dimensions (4m length), and mass of the cargo (5-30kg) force to developing an innovative robotic manipulator with the task-oriented end effector. It results in a seven degree-of-freedom arm to ensure a high degree of dexterity and a dedicate end-effector designed to grasp the cargo interface. The gripper concept developed consists in a multi-finger hand able to lock both translational and rotational cargo degrees of freedom through an innovative underactuation strategy to limit its mass and volume. A configuration study on the cargo handle interface was performed together with some computer aided design models and multibody analysis of the whole system to prove its feasibility. Finally, the concept of system control architecture, the test report and the gripper structural analysis were defined. In order to be able to accurately analyze a sample of Martian soil and to determine if life was present on the red planet, a lot of mission concepts have been formulating to reach Mars and to bring back a terrain sample. NASA JPL has been studying such mission concepts for many years. This concept is made up of three intermediate mission accomplishments. Mars 2020 is the first mission envisioned to collect the terrain sample and to seal it in sample tubes. These sealed sample tubes could be inserted in a spherical envelope named Orbiting Sample (OS). A Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) is the notional rocket designed to bring this sample off Mars, and a Rendezvous Orbiting Capture System (ROCS) is the mission conceived to bring this sample back to Earth through the Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV). MOSTT is the technical work study to create new concepts able to capture and reorient an OS. This maneuver is particularly important because we do not know an OS incoming orientation and we need to be able to capture, to reorient it (2 rotational degrees of freedom), and to retain an OS (3 translational degrees of freedom and 2 rotational ones). Planetary protection requirements generate a need to enclose an OS in two shells and to seal it through a process called Break-The-Chain (BTC). Considering the EEV would return back to Earth, the tubes orientation and position have to be known in detail to prevent any possible damage during the Earth hard landing (acceleration of ∼1300g). Tests and analysis report that in order for the hermetic seals of the sample tubes to survive the impact, they should be located above an OS equator. Due to other system uncertainties an OS presents the potential requirement to be properly reoriented before being inserted inside the EEV. Planetary protection issues and landing safety are critical mission points and provide potential strict requirements to MOSTT system configuration. This task deals with the concept, design, and testbed realization of an innovative electro-mechanical system to reorient an OS consistent with all the necessary potential requirements. One of these electro-mechanical systems consists of a controlled-motorized wiper that explores all an OS surface until it engages with a pin on an OS surface and brings it to the final home location reorienting an OS. This mechanism is expected to be robust to the incoming OS orientation and to reorient it to the desired position using only one degree of freedom rotational actuator

Remotely operated telepresent robotics

Remotely operated robots with the ability of performing specific tasks are often used in hazardous environments in place of humans to prevent injury or death. Modern remotely operated robots suffer from limitations with accuracy which is primarily due the lack of depth perception and unintuitive hardware controls. The undertaken research project suggests an alternative method of vision and control to increase a user‟s operational performance of remotely controlled robotics. The Oculus Rift Development Kit 2.0 is a low cost device originally developed for the electronic entertainment industry which allows users to experience virtual reality by the use of a head mounted display. This technology is able to be adapted to different uses and is primarily utilised to achieve real world stereoscopic 3D vision for the user. Additionally a wearable controller was trialled with the goal of allowing a robotic arm to mimic the position of the user‟s arm via a master/slave setup. By incorporating the stated vision and control methods, any possible improvements in the accuracy and speed for users was investigated through experimentation and a conducted study. Results indicated that using the Oculus Rift for stereoscopic vision improved upon the user‟s ability to judge distances remotely but was detrimental to the user‟s ability to operate the robot. The research has been conducted under the supervision of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and provides useful information towards the area of remotely operated telepresent robotics

Design and Development of Sensor Integrated Robotic Hand

Most of the automated systems using robots as agents do use few sensors according to the need. However, there are situations where the tasks carried out by the end-effector, or for that matter by the robot hand needs multiple sensors. The hand, to make the best use of these sensors, and behave autonomously, requires a set of appropriate types of sensors which could be integrated in proper manners. The present research work aims at developing a sensor integrated robot hand that can collect information related to the assigned tasks, assimilate there correctly and then do task action as appropriate. The process of development involves selection of sensors of right types and of right specification, locating then at proper places in the hand, checking their functionality individually and calibrating them for the envisaged process. Since the sensors need to be integrated so that they perform in the desired manner collectively, an integration platform is created using NI PXIe-1082. A set of algorithm is developed for achieving the integrated model. The entire process is first modelled and simulated off line for possible modification in order to ensure that all the sensors do contribute towards the autonomy of the hand for desired activity. This work also involves design of a two-fingered gripper. The design is made in such a way that it is capable of carrying out the desired tasks and can accommodate all the sensors within its fold. The developed sensor integrated hand has been put to work and its performance test has been carried out. This hand can be very useful for part assembly work in industries for any shape of part with a limit on the size of the part in mind. The broad aim is to design, model simulate and develop an advanced robotic hand. Sensors for pick up contacts pressure, force, torque, position, surface profile shape using suitable sensing elements in a robot hand are to be introduced. The hand is a complex structure with large number of degrees of freedom and has multiple sensing capabilities apart from the associated sensing assistance from other organs. The present work is envisaged to add multiple sensors to a two-fingered robotic hand having motion capabilities and constraints similar to the human hand. There has been a good amount of research and development in this field during the last two decades a lot remains to be explored and achieved. The objective of the proposed work is to design, simulate and develop a sensor integrated robotic hand. Its potential applications can be proposed for industrial environments and in healthcare field. The industrial applications include electronic assembly tasks, lighter inspection tasks, etc. Application in healthcare could be in the areas of rehabilitation and assistive techniques. The work also aims to establish the requirement of the robotic hand for the target application areas, to identify the suitable kinds and model of sensors that can be integrated on hand control system. Functioning of motors in the robotic hand and integration of appropriate sensors for the desired motion is explained for the control of the various elements of the hand. Additional sensors, capable of collecting external information and information about the object for manipulation is explored. Processes are designed using various software and hardware tools such as mathematical computation MATLAB, OpenCV library and LabVIEW 2013 DAQ system as applicable, validated theoretically and finally implemented to develop an intelligent robotic hand. The multiple smart sensors are installed on a standard six degree-of-freedom industrial robot KAWASAKI RS06L articulated manipulator, with the two-finger pneumatic SHUNK robotic hand or designed prototype and robot control programs are integrated in such a manner that allows easy application of grasping in an industrial pick-and-place operation where the characteristics of the object can vary or are unknown. The effectiveness of the actual recommended structure is usually proven simply by experiments using calibration involving sensors and manipulator. The dissertation concludes with a summary of the contribution and the scope of further work

Innovative robot hand designs of reduced complexity for dexterous manipulation

This thesis investigates the mechanical design of robot hands to sensibly reduce the system complexity in terms of the number of actuators and sensors, and control needs for performing grasping and in-hand manipulations of unknown objects. Human hands are known to be the most complex, versatile, dexterous manipulators in nature, from being able to operate sophisticated surgery to carry out a wide variety of daily activity tasks (e.g. preparing food, changing cloths, playing instruments, to name some). However, the understanding of why human hands can perform such fascinating tasks still eludes complete comprehension. Since at least the end of the sixteenth century, scientists and engineers have tried to match the sensory and motor functions of the human hand. As a result, many contemporary humanoid and anthropomorphic robot hands have been developed to closely replicate the appearance and dexterity of human hands, in many cases using sophisticated designs that integrate multiple sensors and actuators---which make them prone to error and difficult to operate and control, particularly under uncertainty. In recent years, several simplification approaches and solutions have been proposed to develop more effective and reliable dexterous robot hands. These techniques, which have been based on using underactuated mechanical designs, kinematic synergies, or compliant materials, to name some, have opened up new ways to integrate hardware enhancements to facilitate grasping and dexterous manipulation control and improve reliability and robustness. Following this line of thought, this thesis studies four robot hand hardware aspects for enhancing grasping and manipulation, with a particular focus on dexterous in-hand manipulation. Namely: i) the use of passive soft fingertips; ii) the use of rigid and soft active surfaces in robot fingers; iii) the use of robot hand topologies to create particular in-hand manipulation trajectories; and iv) the decoupling of grasping and in-hand manipulation by introducing a reconfigurable palm. In summary, the findings from this thesis provide important notions for understanding the significance of mechanical and hardware elements in the performance and control of human manipulation. These findings show great potential in developing robust, easily programmable, and economically viable robot hands capable of performing dexterous manipulations under uncertainty, while exhibiting a valuable subset of functions of the human hand.Open Acces

Development of an Upper Limb Myoelectric Prothesis in Flexible/Hybrid Material, for Application in Young Patients

With the recent developments in the Additive Manufacturing (AM) industry, new methods of prostheses production have taken over the prosthetic industry. These new prostheses models produced using 3-Dimensional (3D)-printing methods solve some of the issues of the most common prostheses, such as cost and weight, but, despite their growth, still present high rejection rates, especially in children. These rejections are mostly related to the low levels of anthropomorphism and limitations in terms of functionality associated to 3D printed prostheses. The main goal of this study was to develop an aesthetically appealing 3D printed myoelectric prosthesis for a four year old child with a transverse metacarpal total deficiency. The development of the prosthesis was based on the assessment and improvement of current 3D printable prosthetic models, and the integration of a myoelectric classifier and the electronic components into the model. The whole prosthesis was designed using a combination of the Fusion 360 CAD and SolidWorks CAD 2021 softwares, and produced using The Original Prusa i3 MK3S with polyactic acid (PLA) or Filaflex filaments. The prosthesis was designed through an iterative process, where several prototypes were developed in order to optimise its appearance and functionality. Some printed models were subjected to pull tests, that evaluated its flexibility and allowed the development of the electronic sector of the prosthesis. The developed prosthesis possessed a high level of anthropomorphism and functionality, consisting of a solution that is quite similar to the human hand and was able to simulate the intended movements, although with some limitations. Additionally, the device was relatively cheap and light when compared to existing 3D-printed myoelectric prostheses. Although this thesis has some limitations, it certainly contributed to clarify many of the doubts that still exist in the scientific community. Hopefully, it will help to further develop the prosthetic industry.Nos últimos anos, o desenvolvimento de técnicas de Manufactura Aditiva (MA) tem permitido a evolução nos métodos de produção de próteses. Esses novos modelos de próteses produzidos usando métodos de impressão 3D resolvem alguns dos problemas das próteses mais comuns no mercado, como custo e peso, mas, apesar destes avanços, ainda apresenta altas taxas de rejeição, principalmente em crianças. Essas taxas de rejeição estão muitas vezes relacionadas com os baixos níveis de antropomorfismo e funcionalidade destes modelos. O principal objetivo deste estudo tornou-se então desenvolver uma prótese mioelétrica esteticamente atraente, produzida através de impressão 3D, para ima criança de quatro anos e com deficiência total do metacarpo transverso. O desenvolvimento da prótese deu-se por meio da avaliação do modelos atuais de próteses produzidos por impressão 3D, melhoria das suas características e integração de um classificador mioeletrico e os componentes eletrônicos associados. A prótese foi toda projetada usando uma combinação dos softwares Fusion 360 CAD e SolidWorks CAD 2021 e produzido utilizando a The Original Prusa i3 MK3S e filamentos de PLA ou Filaflex. A prótese foi concebida através de um processo iterativo, onde vários protótipos foram desenvolvidos de forma a otimizar a sua aparência e funcionalidade. Alguns dos modelos impressos foram submetidos a testes de tração, de forma a avaliar a sua flexiblidade e desenvolver as componentes eletrónicas da prótese. A prótese desenvolvida possuía um alto nível de antropomorfismo e funcionalidade, obtendo-se uma solução bastante semelhante à mão humana capaz de simular, embora com algumas limitações, os movimentos pretendidos. Além disso, o dispositivo é relativamente barato e leve quando comparado com outros modelos de próteses produzidos por impressão 3D. Embora o protótipo final tenha algumas limitações, certamente contribui para o desenvolvimento do modelo prótetico e esclarece alguns dos problemas em modelos antigos. Espera-se que este estudo ajude a aprofundar e desenvolver a indústria das próteses

Common Errors Found in APA Citation: Basis to Improve the Information Literacy Program

Citation and referencing should not be taken for granted. To be scholarly, one must follow a conventional citation and referencing format. The reference list must be accurate and free from mistakes. By doing so, the bibliographic information cited in the research becomes valid. This ongoing research used citation analysis to share the initial results found in tracking the common errors made by students in referencing. In particular, the presenter will focus on APA style as this is the citation guide prescribed by the school. Finally, the results of the study will be used to improve the Information Literacy Program in instilling academic integrity