Robot hands are becoming more human

If you want to guess the purpose of any particular futuristic robot, look at its hands. Last week, two videos released by Boston Dynamics and Fig AI provided clear examples of how some tasks simply require more “human touch.”

In the first case, Boston Dynamics, owned by Hyundai Show a new pair From the “grippers” of the Atlas factory robot. (Readers familiar with the company may be more familiar with Atlas’s older, beefier predecessor.) The claw-like three-digit pincer features three fingers, one of which acts as a very long thumb, a combination particularly suitable for pinching and grasping objects. Although Atlas is designed to resemble a person in other ways, his hands are not exactly face to face. Instead, the company’s engineers said, the design is optimized for sorting, packing and handling objects, all tasks the Atlas would need to perform frequently in a factory or warehouse.

“The goal is to apply the least amount of force possible while maintaining a consistent grip,” said Carl Price, a mechanical engineer at Atlas.

This is in sharp contrast to the more human-looking robot hands that the figure revealed last week. In a Flashy video Announcing the launch of its knitwearFigure 03“, the company shows off its robots that perform precise tasks like watering plants, washing dishes, and gently handing a cup of water to their human masters. Similar to Tesla with its egg-stroking Optimus robot, Figer explained that it envisions a future for humanoid robots in the home. The company describes its latest model as a “general-purpose humanoid robot for everyday use.”

But the daily tasks mentioned above, as well as many others required of a functional robotic server, pose different engineering challenges than those faced by a machine designed to sort boxes all day long. In other words, the hands provide a clearer glimpse of the robot’s larger place in the world.

Why is it difficult to imitate human hands?

Hands may be one of the most difficult parts of the human body to accurately replicate in a robotic form. Each one contains More than 30 muscles and 27 jointsenabling 27 degrees of freedom. It also has more than 17,000 touch receptors and nerve endings, allowing us to perform a wide range of actions, from tapping a keyboard to writing precisely with a pen to lifting a heavy bar.

While robotic hands and advanced prosthetics have made significant advances in recent years, none of them come close to the complexity, reliability and innate simplicity of the human hand. This represents a major challenge for humanoid robots, which are increasingly being promoted as tools to do this Increase, or replacehuman work.

“The majority of manual movements in these sectors require not only precise movements, but also adaptive responses to unpredictable variables such as irregular object shapes, changing textures, and dynamic environmental conditions,” University of Florida civil engineering professor Eric Do He told the BBC in an interview Earlier this year.

Sometimes, three fingers are more than enough

In the case of Atlas, the new three-axis hand is an evolution of the older robot design. The original model worked much of the time but was prone to failure with extended use. This led to the development of the second generation clutch, designed to be “rugged and reliable.” In the video, Price points out that the current version has seven degrees of freedom and seven actuators, two for each finger and one dedicated just to the thumb joint. Each fingertip contains touch sensors that mimic the human sense of touch. Cameras are also mounted in the palm of the robot’s hand.

But the most important innovation came from the addition of a feature that separates human hands from those of most other animals: the opposable thumb. That may not seem like much at first, but engineers at Boston Dynamics say the change greatly expands the types of grips Atlas can make and increases the robot’s flexibility in deciding how to grab an object.

“In fact, over the last year or so, we’ve realized that we can absorb almost anything we throw at it,” said Alberto Rodriguez, director of robotic behavior at Atlas.

Atlas hand is human hand
The hand of the atlas with its three “fingers”. Image: Boston Dynamics

So, if a thumb is better than no thumb, one might wonder why Boston Dynamics didn’t follow the human hand to a tee. Price says they settled on three fingers because they decided that was “the smallest number of fingers that could accomplish very complex operations and tasks.”

For example, the extra space between the fingers provided by the opposable thumb helps the Atlas maintain a more stable lawn, especially for heavy objects. The thumb also allows for a more precise two-finger grip which can be used to move small objects such as screws. While the Atlas team says they definitely thought about adding more fingers, they ultimately decided the juice wasn’t worth squeezing.

“We decided not to add more fingers because adding more fingers adds more complexity,” Rodriguez said. “If this is not necessary, it means lower reliability, higher costs and, in general, lower development speed.”

Why do robot servants need human hands?

Three fingers may be enough to set up a factory, but Veger — and other companies hoping to bring humanoid robots into the home — believe more is needed. The slim 5’6″ Figure 03 features built-in palm cameras in each hand that aid in “close-range visual feedback during grip.” This newest model also has softer, more adaptive fingertips than previous versions, which Figure says allows for a more stable grip on objects in a wide range of sizes, shapes and textures. Each finger includes a new type of haptic sensor capable of detecting forces as small as three grams. This means the robot can register lightweight objects such as a paper clip or playing card.

“The 03-shaped hands represent a major leap in compatible, tactile design,” the company notes.

The figure's hands pick up the glass
A grip that’s too tight can leave broken glass everywhere. Image: Figure AI

But as Boston Dynamics engineers note, all this extra complexity increases the risk of failure. The potential costs are high. While a robot server breaking a glass or two may seem like a reasonable trade-off, the risks become much higher when these robots are tasked with dispensing precise prescription medications. For the elderly or Handling a young child safely. Figure and its competitors talk ambitiously about bringing robots into homes sooner rather than later, but the actual time horizon for such a future remains murky at best.

Future robots may appear more human

Even engineers at Boston Dynamics, who have invested heavily in the clutch track, see a future in which robots are more like humans.

There is some reason to believe that the future, both for manufacturing-style robots and those designed for the home, could begin to look more human. In cases where robots are expected to work alongside people in factories, having five-fingered hands allows them to use tools already made for human workers. This may reduce the need to develop entirely new tools and systems designed specifically for robotics. It also gives industry leaders more incentive to reduce their human workforce.

“All of these things push us, not necessarily by design but naturally and organically, toward more anthropomorphic clutch designs,” Rodriguez said.

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Mack DeGeurin is a technology reporter who has spent years investigating the intersections between technology and politics. His work has previously appeared in Gizmodo, Insider, New York Magazine, and Vice.


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