Usually the people behind products test their prototypes pretty carefully, given that they have invested significant amounts of money, resources and time. Due to this reason, many companies do not even think about applying much in the way of force to their prototypes in fear of damaging their creative “babies”. However, iRobot in association with DARPA’s Autonomous Robotics Manipulation program, possess a contrarian view to the one expressed above, as seen with their latest prototype. The United States Department of Defense agency contractor tried their level best to beat the robotic life out of their three-fingered prototype using a simple yet efficient weapon; an aluminum baseball bat.
Incredibly (and also not so incredibly given what DARPA does), iRobot’s three artificial fingers came out without as much as a scratch from this beating. This is obviously a testament to the great durability that has been engineered into this amazing prototype that iRobot has developed while creating a mechanical hand for DARPA. The project was comprised of the fingers holding a ball in place while someone hits the ball in a manner similar to T-Ball.
The device’s amazing durability is the result of its three terrific flexible feelers. These stretchy fingers are made from soft polymers which feature embedded tactile sensors. To make it more resilient and free from metallic joints, iRobot used low cost cables developed from fishing lines in order to pull the digits firmly. Simple, yet effective as depicted in the video below.
It is because of these fine features that this iRobot prototype can take serious blunt force trauma while simultaneously (and somewhat defiantly) holding a small object like a baseball (the bat’s natural enemy) as well as things like credit cards or keys. In brief, this small device can lift items that weigh up to 50 pounds without breaking much of a sweat. On top of that, the user can replace these three-fingers in a matter of seconds, should something actually happen to them. Although this prototype is still in testing stage, it is displaying great promise and is further proof that people work to develop incredible technology on a daily basis.
Source: Engadget
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