Dexterous Assembly Using a Planar Hand Having Programmable Passive Compliance

Special purpose compliant end-effectors are effective in realizing task-appropriate passive compliance. This paper presents a programmable, 3 -fingered, antagonistic, compliant hand (P3ACH) capable of realizing a desired compliant behavior within a large space of multidirectional compliant behaviors. Manipulation dexterity is demonstrated by performing different assembly tasks faster, more robustly, and with lower contact forces than an active system realizing the same compliant behavior.