For many robotic hands in existence, their often metallic, cold design makes one expect to find a being with the likeness of California’s 38th governor on the other end. Practically speaking, many of these robotic arms are heavy, expensive, and a little too firm in their grip. ITK, a tech company based in Japan, has developed Handroid, a highly advanced robotic hand designed to be used in environments that are inaccessible or too dangerous for human hands.
What sets Handroid apart from other robotic hands on the market is its weight. Many robotic hands have servo motors in each finger joint that allow them to move and operate independently, but these motors add significantly to the weight. Handroid can move all five fingers independently, but accomplishes this without motors in the joint. Moreover, the cost for the Handroid is only $6500, which is a very low price for such a device.
Right now, users control the Handroid using a glove-type controller that causes the robotic arm to mimic whatever position the user’s hand is in. However, because of its light weight, durability, and low price, Handroid is also being researched as a prosthetic hand that could be controlled by neural signals.
Here’s a cool promo video of Handroid:
Product page @ ITK: The “Handroid”
(HT: TechCrunch)