Suthar, Bhivraj

This paper presents the development of a soft actu-ated glove for hand rehabilitation incorporating a twisted string actuator (TSA) mechanism threaded through flexible tubes and ergonomic anchors. The integration of TSA technology offers enhanced dexterity and allows natural hand movements. The flexible structures, coupled with ergonomic anchors, ensure a snug and comfortable fit on the wearer's hand, minimizing discomfort and maximizing usability. The design of the glove opens up possibilities for applications in various fields such as rehabilitation, assistance, and virtual reality interfaces. In this paper, we focus in particular on rehabilitation applications, in which the glove is integrated with a hand-tracking system and a Guided User Interface (GUI) for exercise setting, control, and monitoring.

This review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements in the development and applications of robotic fingers. The review focuses on four critical components: mechanism, actuation, sensor and control. A thorough literature search was conducted to identify and evaluate relevant studies, and the results were synthesized and analyzed to provide an overview of the field's current state. The review highlights major contributions, trends, and gaps in the literature and critically evaluates the strengths and limitations of the reviewed studies. The discussion section explores the implications of the findings, including future directions that need to be addressed. The review concludes with a forward-looking outlook on the significance of the field and its potential impact on mechatronics. Overall, this review offers a unique and original contribution to the field by providing a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in robotic fingers.

In this paper, a new type of robotic finger is introduced that uses a twisted string actuator (TSA) and modular passive return rotational (PPR) joints. The design is intended to be simple, compact, lightweight, and energy-efficient while producing high grasping force with a relatively small motor. The PPR joints are based on the beam-buckling principle and are designed to match the non-linear TSA force profile, resulting in high grasping force throughout the finger's full flexion motion and passive finger extension. To evaluate the performance of the robotic finger, we fabricated a prototype and conducted experiments to assess its object grasping cycle, passive finger extension, grasping force, stable grasping condition, shape adaptability, and energy consumption. The finger weighs 170 grams and achieved a high force throughout the flexion motion, producing a maximum grasping force of 43.3 N at full flexion using a stall torque of 32 mNm. The modularity of the PPR joint allows for scalability and adaptability to handle different objects. We also demonstrated the finger's potential as a wearable sixth robotic finger (SRF), evaluating its object grasping competency, shape adaptability, and wearability. The finger was able to grasp various objects with a maximum payload of 1.0 kg and a hanging payload of up to 5 kg. Overall, the proposed robotic finger has the potential to be used as an SRF to compensate for arm disorders’ grasping capability.

Through mechanization, automation, and intensification, there has been a substantial increase in agricultural production over time. The efficiency, reliability, and precision of agricultural equipment have improved significantly with automation, leading to a reduced dependency on human intervention. The surge in the adoption of agricultural robotics research and technologies is a response to the growing recognition that robots offer an effective solution to address the shortage of skilled workers in crop production. This paper aims to present a systematic overview of recent advancements in precision delivery technology within agricultural robotics, with a primary focus on the following aspects: 1) precision agriculture market; 2) design and development of spray robot technologies, encompassing both terrestrial and aerial platforms; 3) spray technologies and their application mechanisms; 4) various spraying techniques tailored to specific pests and vegetation; and 5) evolution of sensor technologies for precision spraying. Additionally, this article explores the current state of the art in robotic technologies employed in precision agriculture.

Advances in technology, design, and manufacturing processes are leading to noticeable improvements in rehabilitation management. In this paper, we introduce MGlove-TS, an actuated soft glove based on twisted string actuators (TSAs) developed to assist and support individuals with hand impairments limiting active movements and grasping force in their rehabilitation process and in daily living. The glove is designed to be lightweight, portable, easy to wear and use, comfortable for prolonged periods, with a little encumbrance, flexible and adaptable, and highly modular. The paper presents the main features of the proposed glove and a prototype actuating the thumb and index finger in flexion/extension and adduction/abduction movements. The actuated glove prototype has been evaluated through a series of tests, whose results showed its potential usefulness.