Although most research films don’t have a storyline, sometimes one does a good job at keeping your interest as you watch. One such film is “Beyond Manual Dexterity,” which draws viewers in immediately with a very skilled robotic gripper before taking unexpected turns. This film, which features research from Switzerland’s EPFL, was launched in conjunction with a research paper of the same name at the IEEE’s International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Rotterdam.
The goal of the research is to extend the capabilities of robotic hands so that they can grip a greater range of objects by overcoming conventional limitations. The team claims that although multi-fingered hand movement has been enhanced by deep learning models, the problem of grasping items in crowded situations is still not well understood.
Nature has long served as an inspiration to roboticists, and a large number of the robots of today including quadrupeds and humanoids are influenced by biological factors. This study raises the question of why the limits of biological hands should apply to robotic hands. The absence of an original idea could be the cause. The team has created a robotic hand that can detach itself to crawl across surfaces and bend backward to pick up objects, all while escaping these naturally occurring limitations. These traits give the robotic hand a rather creepy appearance.
Even if the hand’s design might put users in a state of discomfort known as the “uncanny valley,” this discovery presents a fresh direction for robotic gripping. The uncanny valley is a concept in robotics and animation where human-like objects, such as robots or digital characters, evoke a feeling of discomfort or eeriness when they look almost, but not exactly, like real humans. Even though the outcome seems disturbing, it shows how robots can function in ways that humans cannot.
“I think we’re the first to introduce this idea to robotics,” said researcher Xiao Gao, acknowledging the uniqueness. Although it is unclear if such advancements can be expanded, the research has undoubtedly drawn interest from professionals in the industry.