Chinese Scientists Develop a Lightweight Bionic Dexterous Hand with 19 Degrees of Freedom, Promising to Revolutionize Prosthetic and Robotics Technology

Tech 2025-01-28 14:16:39 Source: Network

Chinese Scientists Develop a Lightweight Bionic Dexterous Hand with 19 Degrees of Freedom, Promising to Revolutionize Prosthetic and Robotics TechnologyA team of researchers from the School of Engineering Science/Humanoid Robotics Research Institute at the University of Science and Technology of China, led by Professor Zhang Shiwu, Associate Professor Wang Liu, Associate Professor Jin Hu, and Associate Professor Sun Shuai, has successfully developed a lightweight bionic dexterous hand with 19 degrees of freedom (DOF). Their findings were published online on January 22nd in the international academic journal Nature Communications under the title "A lightweight prosthetic hand with 19-DOF dexterity and human-level functions

A team of researchers from the School of Engineering Science/Humanoid Robotics Research Institute at the University of Science and Technology of China, led by Professor Zhang Shiwu, Associate Professor Wang Liu, Associate Professor Jin Hu, and Associate Professor Sun Shuai, has successfully developed a lightweight bionic dexterous hand with 19 degrees of freedom (DOF). Their findings were published online on January 22nd in the international academic journal Nature Communications under the title "A lightweight prosthetic hand with 19-DOF dexterity and human-level functions."

Weighing only 0.37 kilograms, this dexterous hand replicates human-level functionality, offering hope to over ten million upper-limb amputees worldwide to regain their ability to perform activities of daily living. It also provides a novel solution for dexterous manipulation in humanoid robots.

Chinese Scientists Develop a Lightweight Bionic Dexterous Hand with 19 Degrees of Freedom, Promising to Revolutionize Prosthetic and Robotics Technology

The human hand, with 23 DOF and accounting for only about 1/150th of the body's weight, performs 54% of the body's movements. It is a crucial component for human and humanoid robot dexterity. However, current prosthetic and robotic dexterous hands face significant challenges. Traditional prosthetic hands typically use motor drives, resulting in low power density and making it difficult to achieve an ideal balance between DOF and weight. Heavier hands (over 0.4 kg) cause significant discomfort to patients, while those with fewer DOF (usually less than 10) can only perform limited grasping actions, insufficient for daily needs. This limitation leads to nearly half of prosthetic hands being abandoned by users. Therefore, balancing high-DOF dexterous movement with comfortable wear has been a major scientific challenge in the field of prosthetic hands.

To address this challenge, the research team cleverly employed high power-to-weight ratio shape memory alloy (SMA) as artificial muscle actuators and biomimetically designed a tendon-like transmission system. This system amplifies the SMA's driving force while reducing transmission resistance, effectively improving the hand's efficiency. Furthermore, 23 sensor units were embedded in the fingers and wrist for precise joint motion control. By integrating 38 array-type SMA actuators, including a cooling module, 19 active DOF movements were achieved.

Thanks to its bionic design and highly integrated approach, this prosthetic hand, weighing only 0.37 kg, possesses human-level dexterity. It can perform various daily fine motor tasks such as combing hair, writing, shaking hands, handing out business cards, and playing chess, achieving a perfect balance of comfort, high DOF, and precise control. Remarkably, it can also operate scissors, use a phone, and even perform complex sign language gestures. Currently, it can replicate 33 traditional human grasping actions and perform 6 more challenging new grasping actions, significantly broadening its application scenarios.

For user convenience, the research team integrated voice recognition technology into the prosthetic hand. The system supports 60 languages and 20 dialects, with a recognition accuracy of 95% and a response time of milliseconds, achieving simple, user-friendly, and low-cost human-computer interaction. This design significantly reduces the learning curve for amputees.

In clinical tests, a 60-year-old female amputee mastered the use of the prosthetic hand in just half a day and successfully completed representative tasks in standard prosthetic hand function assessment experiments such as the Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure (SHAP) and the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT). This fully demonstrates the practicality and ease of use of the prosthetic hand.

This research has strong engineering application prospects. Its lightweight design, high DOF, high-precision control, and convenient human-computer interaction make it a comfortable and convenient assistive device for millions of upper-limb amputees worldwide. It also offers an effective solution for dexterous manipulation in humanoid robots, potentially driving the development of humanoid robotics for more sophisticated and complex tasks. Its excellent performance and broad application prospects will undoubtedly revolutionize the fields of prosthetic and robotics technology.

The success of this research lies in its ingenious combination of advanced technologies from various disciplines, including biomimetics, materials science, mechanical engineering, and artificial intelligence. The application of high power-to-weight ratio SMA significantly improves drive efficiency, while the biomimetic tendon-like transmission system effectively reduces transmission resistance and enhances dexterity. The precise motion control system ensures accurate operation, and the integrated voice recognition simplifies human-computer interaction. All these technological innovations have culminated in this groundbreaking prosthetic hand.

Looking ahead, with continuous technological advancements, this prosthetic hand is expected to further enhance its functionality and performance, such as adding tactile feedback for improved object perception and enhanced precision and safety. The research team will continue to explore innovative technologies to further improve its performance, bringing benefits to more upper-limb amputees and contributing to the development of humanoid robotics. The success of this research also highlights China's leading position in prosthetic and robotics technology, contributing Chinese wisdom to global technological development.

This lightweight, high-performance bionic dexterous hand is not only a significant technological breakthrough but also an innovative achievement filled with humanitarian concern. It will bring new hope to countless upper-limb amputees, helping them regain their confidence, independence, and quality of life, ultimately benefiting all of humanity. Its applications extend beyond prosthetics to medical rehabilitation, industrial automation, and service robots. This is undoubtedly an excellent example of technological progress benefiting humankind.

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