Date of Award
Summer 2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Mechanical Engineering
First Advisor
Joseph Schimmels
Second Advisor
Allison Murray
Third Advisor
Philip Voglewede
Abstract
Conventional robots are adept at performing tasks where the desired absolute position of the robot's end effector is well defined. However, these robots will struggle with tasks in which the desired position is poorly defined, subject to variation, or determined by contact with a constraint with positional uncertainty. This problem can be solved by introducing compliance to the system, either active or passive. Active compliance uses force feedback to make corrective motions, but is limited in speed and experiences higher contact forces than passive systems. Passively compliant systems are capable of realizing the necessary compliance for a given task but currently require specialized end effectors. This paper presents a programmable, 3-fingered, antagonistic, compliant hand (P3ACH) capable of realizing a large space of multi-directional compliant behaviors. Manipulation dexterity is determined by performing different tasks faster, more robustly, and with lower contact forces than active systems realizing the same compliant behavior. The P3ACH demonstrates the proof of concept in the use of variable passive end effectors for creating a future fully dexterous spatial manipulator.