A Novel Robot Finger Geometry for Parallel Self-Adaptive Grasp with Rack-Crank-Slider Mechanism

In this paper, a novel underactuated robotic finger mechanism with one active degree of freedom capable of parallel grasping as well as self-adaptive manipulation is proposed. The design of this self-adaptive underactuated finger is based on a novel rack-and-pinion crank-slider mechanism capable of combining the advantages of the wide range from linkage mechanisms and the precision from rack-and-pinion mechanisms. In this paper, the feasibility of the mechanism is verified through kinematic analysis and static force analysis, and a actual 3D modelling design is carried out with a size similar to that of a human finger.