Robot imitates nature

摘要

By analyzing its structure and motion, and taking advantage of new manufacturing techniques and high-speed servopneumatic controls, engineers at Festo, Esslingen, Germany, have developed a new lightweight, biomechatronic system that could change the way manufacturers handle products. At first glance, the Bionic Handling Assistant resembles not so much a robotic arm but an organic structure with three basic elements: an arm, hand axis, and gripper with adaptive fingers. The Bionic Handling Assistant is 0.75 m long with a maximum extension of 1.1 m and an operating range (diameter) of 1.2 m. Thirteen actuators give the unit 11 degrees of freedom. It weighs only 1.8 kg but handles weights to 500 gm. Operating pressure is 1.5 bar to 3.0 bar. The high flexibility, excellent long-term resilience, and low density (0.95 gm/cc) of polyamide make it well suited for the Bionic Handling Assistant, says Festo. The Bionic Handling Assistant is currently in its prototype phase, undergoing test and evaluation.