The ability of robots to effectively manipulate various objects in real-world settings is crucial in assisting humans with daily tasks. The development of cost-effective robotic grippers or hand-like artificial systems is key to enabling dexterous object manipulation in robots. Recently, researchers at Improbable AI Lab and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have introduced a new two-finger robotic gripper designed to tackle everyday manipulation tasks more effectively.
The robotic gripper designed by the researchers consists of a structure with two robotic fingers protruding from it. These fingers, which resemble human fingers in both size and shape, are capable of bending and tightly grasping objects. The team’s focus was on creating a gripper that could handle simple daily tasks, such as picking up objects and placing them in specific locations, rather than complex manual tasks. While the initial gripper only has 2 degrees of freedom (DoF) with two fingers, the researchers hope to develop grippers with additional fingers in the future.
To assess the performance of their two-finger gripper, the researchers conducted a series of real-world experiments. These experiments measured the speed, compliance, and force applied by the system while completing basic “pick-and-place” tasks. The gripper was tested on tasks such as placing dishes in a rack, picking up thin and flat objects like paper, and handling delicate items like strawberries. The results of the experiments were promising, indicating that the gripper was able to successfully complete all three tasks tested.
While the tasks tested were basic, they represent activities that humans do on a daily basis. The success of the two-finger gripper in these tasks suggests its potential for use in developing basic household robots. Moving forward, the researchers plan to further enhance the gripper’s design and evaluate its performance on a wider range of daily tasks. They are optimistic about the potential for their robotic system to revolutionize object manipulation in various real-world settings.
The development of the two-finger robotic gripper by researchers at Improbable AI Lab and MIT marks a significant advancement in the field of robotics. By creating a system capable of effectively manipulating objects in everyday scenarios, the researchers have paved the way for the future of robotics. With further improvements and testing, this new robotic gripper has the potential to revolutionize the role of robots in assisting humans with daily tasks and activities.
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