Control of a multi-fingered robotic hand using a method of blocks

The control of a mechanical robotic hand is plagued by an inability to derive accurate dynamic models of such a mechanism. The aspects of static and kinetic friction are major obstacles in the control of a mechanical hand. This paper presents a fuzzy-based controller which has the ability to automatically regenerate the member set during the translation of any arbitrary joint in such a mechanism. A series of simulations has been conducted which illustrate the effectiveness of this controller for providing smooth translation, independent of frictional forces. This controller is applied to a custom-designed hand mechanism and is capable of operating via an IBM compatible computer. A hand with a progressively linked finger structure is used for simplicity. An acquisition system has also been designed which allows bi-directional communication with the sensors and actuators of the hand.