Convergence Accelerator Track M: Bio-Inspired Design of Robot Hands for Use-Driven Dexterity

The goal of this project is to create a transformative, bio-inspired re-design of the robotic hand. A new approach to robot hand design can bring results with national impact. For example, it has been estimated that 400,000 Americans are living with some form of upper limb loss. Yet existing devices show high rates of abandonment and are not meeting basic needs. Many Americans are placed in occupational circumstances that are unhealthful or hazardous, including exposure to toxic materials due to the current need for human dexterity in these occupations. Such circumstances arise even in tasks as apparently mundane as recycling. Labor shortages hamper efforts to empower the medium sized farmer and stabilize our food supply. Redesigning the robot hand for greater functional dexterity can help to address these and other challenges, improving individual health and national circumstances. To accomplish this goal, the project will bring together end-users, hand surgeons, human motion scientists, materials chemists, and robot designers to develop a "wetware" concept for a robotic hand with an ionic liquid permeating soft, porous material surrounding a hard skeleton. This approach enables combined strength and dexterity, lubrication of joints and tendons, built-in contact and proprioceptive sensing, soft contact with the world, separation of intrinsic vs. extrinsic muscles, and a waterproof, easy to clean exterior. The team will pursue a convergent research approach with initial focus on end-users with upper limb loss. Three research thrusts are (1) optimization of hand anatomy for functional dexterity, including an explainable optimization tool to facilitate communication of anatomical choices with end-users, hand surgeons, and other team members; (2) prototype engineering of the bio-inspired robot hand design concept to obtain for the first time ever tendon and joint lubrication in conjunction with proprioceptive sensing and contact sensing all over the hand; and (3) targeted design of novel active polymers to create intrinsic muscles to enhance dexterity in a lightweight and compact package. Outreach and mentoring activities include initiation of an undergraduate research network and development of hands-on demos that leverage the interdisciplinary nature of this research effort to attract students to careers in robotics and STEM. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.