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Making Robots Mimic the Human Hand Making Robots Mimic the Human Hand
(about 17 hours later)
As part of a national research project to develop low-cost artificial hands, the Pentagon has released a video of a robot that can change a tire — almost.As part of a national research project to develop low-cost artificial hands, the Pentagon has released a video of a robot that can change a tire — almost.
By Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

The Pentagon, in an effort to develop low-cost artificial hands, has built a robot that can take a tire off a car. Putting it back on is another problem altogether.

By Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

The Pentagon, in an effort to develop low-cost artificial hands, has built a robot that can take a tire off a car. Putting it back on is another problem altogether.

But it is becoming feasible to make hands that will cost less than $3,000 in quantities of 1,000. Two teams — from iRobot, a robot maker in Bedford, Mass., and the government’s Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico — are working on the hand project; they employ a variety of widely available technologies, like cellphone cameras and sensors, to help lower costs.But it is becoming feasible to make hands that will cost less than $3,000 in quantities of 1,000. Two teams — from iRobot, a robot maker in Bedford, Mass., and the government’s Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico — are working on the hand project; they employ a variety of widely available technologies, like cellphone cameras and sensors, to help lower costs.
“We’re definitely watching their progress,” said Rodney Brooks, founder of Rethink Robotics, a Boston-based maker of low-cost manufacturing robot systems.“We’re definitely watching their progress,” said Rodney Brooks, founder of Rethink Robotics, a Boston-based maker of low-cost manufacturing robot systems.
The Darpa research has been vital in keeping the United States in the forefront of robotic technology, he said. He likened the current work to Darpa projects in the 1980s and 1990s that led to the robotic navigation technologies crucial to the development of self-driving automobiles.The Darpa research has been vital in keeping the United States in the forefront of robotic technology, he said. He likened the current work to Darpa projects in the 1980s and 1990s that led to the robotic navigation technologies crucial to the development of self-driving automobiles.
One of the hands under development comes with three fingers and the other comes with four, and they are able to do a variety of delicate operations. In one Darpa video, a robot hand picks up chopsticks and then a piece of sushi, Dr. Pratt said. One of the hands under development comes with three fingers and the other comes with four, and they are able to do a variety of delicate operations. In one Darpa video, a robot hand picks up a tweezers and uses it to pick up a straw and move it back and forth, Dr. Pratt said.
The various hands are still a work in progress, he noted. The tire-changing video was made when “we were using the old hands and not the new hands, and they did not quite have the dexterity to thread the nut onto the bolt in a way that it doesn’t cross the thread.”The various hands are still a work in progress, he noted. The tire-changing video was made when “we were using the old hands and not the new hands, and they did not quite have the dexterity to thread the nut onto the bolt in a way that it doesn’t cross the thread.”
Darpa also set out tasks that it hopes to accomplish during the next phase. One example is to design a robot arm and hand that can search for an improvised explosive device, or I.E.D., by touch. The challenge would be to program a hand that could open the zipper on a gym bag and then go through the bag and recognize objects by touch.Darpa also set out tasks that it hopes to accomplish during the next phase. One example is to design a robot arm and hand that can search for an improvised explosive device, or I.E.D., by touch. The challenge would be to program a hand that could open the zipper on a gym bag and then go through the bag and recognize objects by touch.
The agency is also financing research groups in two other categories. It has selected the National Robotics Engineering Center at Carnegie Mellon University, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Southern California to continue development of high-level software for the next generation of robot arms.The agency is also financing research groups in two other categories. It has selected the National Robotics Engineering Center at Carnegie Mellon University, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Southern California to continue development of high-level software for the next generation of robot arms.
Until recently, the agency asked software developers to develop robotic programs for generic individual motions, like moving forward or backward; now it has set out to simply have the robots perform a specific task.Until recently, the agency asked software developers to develop robotic programs for generic individual motions, like moving forward or backward; now it has set out to simply have the robots perform a specific task.
“You could say things like pick up the bottle, unlock the door, tasks like that,” Dr. Pratt said. The agency began with six teams and held a “bake-off” in which it chose three teams to continue in the last phase of the project.“You could say things like pick up the bottle, unlock the door, tasks like that,” Dr. Pratt said. The agency began with six teams and held a “bake-off” in which it chose three teams to continue in the last phase of the project.
In the software project, Darpa supplied each team with a standard hand that it then programmed.In the software project, Darpa supplied each team with a standard hand that it then programmed.
“The grasping tasks were done so well that we believe that for the kinds of objects we had them pick up — ranging from a ball to a rock to tools like hammers — we don’t need to do further work in grasping,” Dr. Pratt said.“The grasping tasks were done so well that we believe that for the kinds of objects we had them pick up — ranging from a ball to a rock to tools like hammers — we don’t need to do further work in grasping,” Dr. Pratt said.
Manipulating grasped objects was a more challenging task, he said, and one on which the teams would continue to do research. The program is financed for 18 more months.Manipulating grasped objects was a more challenging task, he said, and one on which the teams would continue to do research. The program is financed for 18 more months.
Darpa is also continuing to finance the development of low-cost arms at Barrett Technologies, a robotics research firm in Cambridge, Mass.; Sandia; iRobot; and SRI International, a research organization in Menlo Park, Calif.Darpa is also continuing to finance the development of low-cost arms at Barrett Technologies, a robotics research firm in Cambridge, Mass.; Sandia; iRobot; and SRI International, a research organization in Menlo Park, Calif.
The agency is also planning to create a joint project to transfer some of the low-cost technology advances it has made in the project into a related effort to develop prosthetic limbs for wounded soldiers.The agency is also planning to create a joint project to transfer some of the low-cost technology advances it has made in the project into a related effort to develop prosthetic limbs for wounded soldiers.
Johns Hopkins University has received funds to develop a neural interface — a direct link from a robot arm to the human brain — and DEKA Research, an independent development laboratory headed by Dean Kamen in Manchester, N.H., has developed a separate wearable arm now being considered for approval by the Food and Drug Administration.Johns Hopkins University has received funds to develop a neural interface — a direct link from a robot arm to the human brain — and DEKA Research, an independent development laboratory headed by Dean Kamen in Manchester, N.H., has developed a separate wearable arm now being considered for approval by the Food and Drug Administration.
That robotic arm is close to commercialization, said Geoffrey Liang, acting deputy director of Darpa’s Defense Sciences Office. That robotic arm is close to commercialization, said Geoffrey Ling, acting deputy director of Darpa’s Defense Sciences Office.
“We have pictures of young men doing rock climbing and one of the patients using chopsticks, which is really extraordinary,” he said. “It provides a high degree of functionality, and the patients who have it are using it.”“We have pictures of young men doing rock climbing and one of the patients using chopsticks, which is really extraordinary,” he said. “It provides a high degree of functionality, and the patients who have it are using it.”