arXiv:2603.12120v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: We introduce CRAFT hand, a tendon-driven anthropomorphic hand with hybrid hard-soft compliance for contact-rich manipulation. The design is based on a simple idea: contact is not uniform across the hand. Impacts concentrate at joints, while links carry most of the load. CRAFT places soft material at joints and keeps links rigid, and uses rollingcontact joint surfaces to keep flexion on repeatable motion paths. Fifteen motors mounted on the fingers drive the hand through tendons, keeping the form factor compact and the fingers light. In
Ongoing advancements in materials science and robotic design are converging to enable more dexterous and robust robotic manipulation, addressing key limitations of existing systems.
Improved robotic hands with hybrid compliance are crucial for enabling robots to perform complex, contact-rich tasks in unstructured environments, accelerating their utility in various industries.
The development of hands like CRAFT changes the design paradigm for robotic grippers, moving towards more anthropomorphic and compliant structures that better mimic biological dexterity and resilience.
- · Robotics manufacturers
- · Logistics and manufacturing sectors
- · Healthcare and elder care providers
- · Companies relying on repetitive manual labor
- · Developers of purely rigid-body robotic hands
Enhanced robotic dexterity contributes to more automated and flexible manufacturing and service industries.
The increased capability of robotic hands will drive demand for more advanced AI control systems and perception software.
Broader adoption of highly dexterous robots could lead to widespread workflow automation, impacting labor markets and requiring new reskilling initiatives.
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Read at arXiv cs.AI