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Printable Kirigami-inspired Flexible and Soft Anthropomorphic Robotic Hand

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Abstract

We present a kirigami-inspired design scheme for a robotic hand by 3D printable folds and cuts. The unique contribution is the printable flexible hand, which provides flexibility and maneuverability that is unavailable in rigid robotic systems. The integration of sensors in the robotic system enables force adjustment for robotic systems applicable in the future. The experimental results have shown that this design can perform everyday tasks through grasping and pinching different items. The fingers can bend from 40 to 100 degrees. Furthermore, the direct printable kirigami cuts and folds from soft elastic printable materials have significant potential for prosthetic devices. The printable kirigami design framework opens the possibility for future developments and modifications in numerous robotic applications.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Singapore Academic Research Fund under Grant R397000353114.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, 119077, Singapore

    Yunhol Chan & Hongliang Ren

  2. Department of Electronic Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, New Territory, Hong Kong, China

    Yunhol Chan & Hongliang Ren

  3. Department of Electronic Engineering, University of York, North Yorkshiref, YO10 5DD, UK

    Zion Tsz-Ho Tse

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  1. Yunhol Chan
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  2. Zion Tsz-Ho Tse
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  3. Hongliang Ren
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Correspondence to Hongliang Ren.

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Each of the authors (Y Chan, Z Tse, H Ren) declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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Chan, Y., Tse, Z.TH. & Ren, H. Printable Kirigami-inspired Flexible and Soft Anthropomorphic Robotic Hand. J Bionic Eng 19, 668–677 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-022-00182-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-022-00182-4

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