Abstract
Despite decades of research, current robotic systems are unable to reliably grasp and manipulate a wide range of unstructured objects in human environments. The somewhat traditional approach of attempting to copy the immense mechanical complexity of the human hand in a stiff “robotic” mechanism, and the subsequently required levels of sensing and control, has not yet been successful. Alternatively, with careful attention to the design of the mechanics of hands, including adaptive underacted transmissions and carefully tuned compliance, we have been able to achieve a level of dexterity and reliability as yet unseen in the robotics community. I will describe ongoing efforts to further develop grasping and dexterous manipulation capabilities in engineered systems as well as our work in studying human hand function to guide some of the efforts.