Boston Dynamics equips Atlas with next-generation robot hand... Precision work demonstration

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Hong Gyu-bin = The humanoid robot 'Atlas' of Boston Dynamics, a robot affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, is equipped with a next-generation robot hand.

Boston Dynamics released a video of Atlas, equipped with a new robot hand, performing various manipulation tasks through YouTube and blog on the 1st (local time).

As humanoid robots must use workspaces and tools designed for humans, robot hands are considered a key element that determines the ability to perform general tasks.

The biggest feature of the new robot hand is that it has 13 degrees of freedom for a total of 4 fingers, including the thumb, making its manipulation capabilities more sophisticated than before. The thumb has four degrees of freedom, and the remaining fingers each have three degrees of freedom.

Degree of freedom refers to the number of variables that can move or change independently. The higher the degree of freedom, the more directions the robot can move and perform complex tasks.

The new robot hand is similar in size to a human hand and has the strength necessary for industrial field work. By simplifying the structure and modularizing major parts, the durability and convenience of maintenance required for industrial sites were increased, and the possibility of mass production was considered.

Additionally, the next-generation robot hand is equipped with tactile sensing technology that detects even the slightest contact with an object. By densely placing pressure-based tactile sensors on the fingertips and palm, small changes in force that occur when contacting an object can be detected.

Alberto Rodriguez, who oversees the development of Atlas' behavioral manipulation technology, said, "We reviewed various designs, from the number of thumbs to the necessity of the little finger. We considered the optimal design method through experiments, simulations, and 3D printing mock-ups. After working all day with the entire team of developers fixing the little finger, we decided that we could do without one finger."

In the video, Atlas used a new robot hand to handle tools and small parts, demonstrating precision assembly and in-hand manipulation.

He demonstrated drilling a hole in wood by picking up a drill bit, inserting it into the drill, and pressing a button. He also precisely turned and tightened a small nut with his fingertips.

He stably manipulated objects of various shapes and materials, such as rotating a thin and long drum stick with his fingers and rolling two smooth golf balls in one hand.

From the beginning of development, Boston Dynamics applied the 'Sim-to-Real' method of learning robots in a virtual environment and then applying the results to actual robots. The explanation is that reinforcement learning is carried out by changing conditions such as motor torque, friction, and object shape in simulation to increase responsiveness to the real environment.

Boston Dynamics recently opened the 'Robotics Metaplant Application Center' (RMAC), a demonstration space modeled after the Hyundai Motor Group's manufacturing environment. Here, Atlas collects, learns, and verifies actual manufacturing operation data.