Symes Declan, Rose Michael, Nunez Sardinha Emanuel David, Jafari Aghil, Hussain Javeed, Etoundi Appolinaire
School of Engineering, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, United Kingdom.
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Global College of Engineering and Technology, Muscat, Oman.
Front Robot AI. 2025 Apr 29;12:1496073. doi: 10.3389/frobt.2025.1496073. eCollection 2025.
Robotic hand design is multifaceted, with the design of robotic thumbs often oversimplified to facilitate ease of manufacture, control, and reliability. Despite the extensive development of robotic hands, the need for a more dexterous and anthropomorphic thumb design remains significant, particularly for applications in prosthetics and rehabilitation robotics, where naturalistic movement and adaptability are essential. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the conception, evolution, and evaluation of a unique biomimetic soft thumb. The thumb plays a vital role in hand function, and its unique range of motion is enabled by the carpometacarpal (CMC) saddle joint. By harnessing the biologically accurate mechanisms of the CMC joint, this research aims to enhance the functionality of tendon-driven robotic hands, offering improved dexterity and adaptability for tasks such as grasping and manipulation. The introduced is a biomimetic soft robotic thumb that provides a comprehensive range of motion at the thumb's base while ensuring cost efficiency and reduced mechanical complexity. A comparative analysis with existing robotic thumb designs highlights the advancements of the , particularly in terms of range of motion and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, we discuss the long-term durability and maintenance requirements of the soft robotic materials and components used. When subjected to the Kapandji physiotherapy test, the design secured a commendable score of 9 of 10, with 10 representing the highest level of dexterity achievable by a human thumb. The findings affirm that employing biomimetic soft-structured robotic CMC saddle joints is a promising strategy to address the challenges associated with robotic thumb development in robotic hands.
机器人手的设计是多方面的，其中机器人拇指的设计常常被过度简化，以方便制造、控制和确保可靠性。尽管机器人手已经有了广泛的发展，但对于更灵巧和拟人化的拇指设计的需求仍然很大，特别是在假肢和康复机器人领域，自然运动和适应性至关重要。本文通过探索一种独特的仿生软拇指的概念、演变和评估来填补这一空白。拇指在手部功能中起着至关重要的作用，其独特的运动范围由腕掌（CMC）鞍状关节实现。通过利用CMC关节的生物学精确机制，本研究旨在增强肌腱驱动的机器人手的功能，为抓握和操作等任务提供更高的灵巧性和适应性。所介绍的是一种仿生软机器人拇指，它在拇指基部提供了全面的运动范围，同时确保了成本效益并降低了机械复杂性。与现有机器人拇指设计的对比分析突出了该设计的进步，特别是在运动范围和成本效益方面。此外，我们还讨论了所使用的软机器人材料和部件的长期耐用性和维护要求。在进行卡潘迪物理治疗测试时，该设计获得了10分中的9分的优异成绩，10分代表人类拇指可达到的最高灵巧水平。研究结果证实，采用仿生软结构机器人CMC鞍状关节是应对机器人手中机器人拇指开发相关挑战的一种有前途的策略。
