Hand intended to equip a humanoid robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11376746-B2
Application number	US-201716315570-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 4, 2017
Priority date	Jul 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A hand intended to equip a humanoid robot, the hand includes a palm and at least one finger extending along a first axis, the hand being capable of picking up an object, the finger comprising a first phalanx linked to the palm by a first motorized pivot link and a second phalanx consecutive to the first phalanx linked to the first phalanx by a second pivot link. The finger comprises a first mechanism linking the palm to the second phalanx configured such that the rotation of the first phalanx about the second axis causes the second phalanx to rotate about the third axis, and a second mechanism linking the palm to each of the phalanges configured to actuate the finger in such a way that the finger wraps around the object to be picked up, and the second mechanism is configured to deform the first mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hand intended to equip a humanoid robot, the hand comprising a palm and at least one finger extending along a first axis, the hand being able to grasp an object, the finger comprising a first phalanx linked to the palm by a first pivot link motorized so as to render the first phalanx rotationally mobile about a second axis substantially at right angles to the first axis, and a second phalanx consecutive to the first phalanx linked to the first phalanx by a second pivot link pivoting about a third axis substantially parallel to the second axis, wherein the finger comprises:
a first mechanism linking the palm to the second phalanx configured in such a way that the rotation of the first phalanx about the second axis generates the rotation of the second phalanx about the third axis, a second mechanism linking the palm to each of the phalanges configured to actuate the finger in such a way that the finger wraps around the object to be grasped,
and in that the second mechanism is configured to deform the first mechanism, in that the finger comprises a third phalanx consecutive to the second phalanx linked to the second phalanx by a third pivot link pivoting about a fourth axis substantially parallel to the third axis, in that the first mechanism is configured in such a way that the rotation of the first phalanx about the second axis generates the rotation of the third phalanx about the fourth axis, in that the first mechanism comprises:
a first bar having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first bar being pivot-linked about a fifth axis parallel to the second axis, distinct from the second axis and rotationally mobile about the second axis and the second end of the first bar being pivot-linked about a sixth axis parallel to the third axis, distinct from the third axis and rotationally mobile about the third axis,
a second bar having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second bar being pivot-linked about a seventh axis parallel to the third axis, distinct from the third and sixth axes and rotationally mobile about the third axis and the second end of the second bar being pivot-linked about an eighth axis parallel to the fourth axis, distinct from the fourth axis and rotationally mobile about the fourth axis,

and in that the first bar and the second bar are elastic bars, one of the bars being configured to be compressed when the second mechanism actuates the finger and generates a force on the consecutive phalanx below a threshold value and to buckle when the second mechanism actuates the finger and generates a force on the consecutive phalanx above the threshold value, deforming the first mechanism.

2. The hand as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second mechanism comprises a cable extending from the third phalanx to the palm, each of the phalanges being able to be displaced relative to the palm by driving of the cable.

3. The hand as claimed in claim 2 , wherein at least one of the phalanges comprises a guide channel intended to guide the cable between the third phalanx and the palm.

4. The hand as claimed in claim 2 , comprising a plurality of fingers wherein the first bar and the second bar have a different elasticity, and in that the elasticity of the first bar is lesser than the elasticity of the second bar and further comprising:
a motorization means configured to exert a force on each of the cables of the plurality of fingers so as to displace each of the phalanges of the plurality of fingers to actuate the plurality of fingers in such a way that the plurality of fingers wraps around the object to be grasped, a differential mechanism intended to distribute the force exerted by the motorization means over each of the cables of the plurality of fingers.

5. A humanoid robot equipped with a hand as claimed in claim 4 .

6. The hand as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first bar and the second bar have a different elasticity, and in that the elasticity of the first bar is lesser than the elasticity of the second bar.

7. The hand as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first bar and the second bar have a different elasticity, and in that the elasticity of the first bar is greater than the elasticity of the second bar.

8. The hand as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first bar and the second bar are made of elastomer.

9. The hand as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first bar and the second bar have a square section.

Assignees

• Softbank Robotics Europe
• Centre Nat Rech Scient

Inventors

• Cerruti Giulio
• Chablat Damien
• Clerc Vincent
• Gouaillier David

Classifications

• B25J15/0233

  actuated by chains, cables or ribbons · CPC title

• B25J15/022

  actuated by articulated links · CPC title

• B25J15/0009 Primary

  comprising multi-articulated fingers, e.g. resembling a human hand · CPC title