يد صناعية متقدمة تحاكي اللمس البشري في إنجاز رائد في الروبوتات

A recent breakthrough in robotics could help amputees regain some of their lost capabilities. The new prosthetic hand design combines layers of sensors with a hybrid robotic structure and machine learning algorithm that reads neuromorphically encoded signals to achieve human-like capabilities. Here’s what you need to know.

علم الإمساك

When you reach down and pick something up, it may seem like it happens automatically. The reality is that this simple action, which seems like nothing, is a complex interaction between millions of skin mechanoreceptors, your soft tissue, bones,  joints, and brain.

تحتوي يدك على أربعة مستقبلات لمسية أساسية تُسمى خلايا ميركل، وجسيمات ميسنر، ونهايات رُفيني، وجسيمات باسينيان. الطبقة الخارجية من جلدك تحتوي على خلايا ميركل المصممة للاستجابة للمس الخفيف.

بعد ذلك، تستشعر جسيمات ميسنر الترددات المنخفضة. تليها نهايات رُفيني التي تحدد التشوه على الأسطح. الطبقة الأخيرة، جسيمات باسينيان، تكشف الضغط والاهتزازات عالية التردد.

إن هذا المزيج من المستشعرات والعظام والأنسجة هو ما يتيح للبشر الإحساس بسهولة وسرعة بالأسطح المتنوعة والمعقدة. ومن الجدير بالذكر أن هذه البنية تمكنك من التقاط بيضة دون كسرها أو ملاحظة أن كوب الورق الذي يحتوي على الكاكاو الساخن الذي طلبته من آلة البيع يبدأ في الانزلاق.

مشكلات تكرار إمساك الإنسان

There have been many attempts to create robotic hands with the same versatility as human limbs. However, all have fallen short to date for several reasons. However, the attempts that have achieved the best results have utilized soft robotics.

تختلف الروبوتات الناعمة عن الروبوتات التقليدية في أنها لا تمتلك هيكلًا صلبًا. شهدت هذه الأجهزة زيادة في الاستخدام عبر مجموعة متنوعة من المهام، بما في ذلك الإغاثة في الكوارث واستكشاف المعادن، حيث يسمح تصميمها غير المتقيد بتغيير الشكل لتناسب الفضاءات الضيقة. للأسف، فإن هذا الافتقار إلى الصلابة هو ما يجعل الروبوتات الناعمة غير قادرة على تكرار الأطراف البشرية.

For one, every sensor you add to a flexible soft robot impairs its primary capability, flexibility. Additionally, the majority of these systems are only capable of sensing that touch has occurred. This approach is a far cry from the massive amount of sensory data your brain processes every time you touch an item.

تفاصيل الدراسة

Recognizing these limitations, a group of scientists from  Florida Atlantic University and other leading institutions published the study “يد صناعية طبيعية حيوية تحاكي اللمس العصبي لتوفير إمساك دقيق ومتوافق“¹ in Science Advances. The paper looks into a novel hybrid prosthetic hand design that leverages soft robotic joints, a rigid endoskeleton, and a multilayered sensor system.

تصميم اليد

The engineers created a new hand design that replicates human hands. The multi-finger system uses rubber-like polymers for the creation of the fingers and opposable thumb. The design leverages soft, air-filled finger joints that are actuated with the forearm’s muscles via electromyography. This approach allows the wearer to control it like their real hand.

المصدر – Science Advances

الإصبع الحيوي-المحاكي الهجين

The hybrid biometric finger design integrates three independently actuated soft robotic joints. These joints were made from Dragon Skin 10 silicone to simulate human skin. The fingers feature 14 independently actuating joints split like your hand, with 3 in each main finger and two in the thumb.

اختار العلماء استخدام شبكات هوائية لتشغيل مفاصل الإصبع الهجين. على وجه التحديد، تقوم المشغلات بضغط الهواء، مما يملأها ويجعلها تتحرك وفقًا لذلك. تُلغي هذه الاستراتيجية الحاجة إلى محركات ومشغلات إضافية، مما يقلل من التكلفة والوزن.

The human-like configuration of the soft actuators with the rigid endoskeleton provides more force than a traditional soft robotic option. As such, they determined that the pressurized actuators provide direct force transmission to the manipulated object in a way that allows it to provide precise pressure to specific areas to manipulate the object without damage.

طرف إصبع اليد الصناعية

The soft silicone fingertip has an array of multi-layered tactile sensors that allow it to sense pressure and high frequency. It’s the most sensitive part of the hand and is connected to other sensors to provide an in-depth interpretation of the environment and object to be manipulated. Like you, the robot can run its fingertip across a surface to determine a lot of characteristics about an item’s makeup and how it must be handled.

الهيكل العظمي

At the core of this approach is the belief that a hybrid design incorporates a rigid 3D-printed rigid endoskeletal structure. The skeleton used by engineers was developed utilizing polylactic acid (PLA). It offers stability, force multiplication, and support for the core components of the hand.

المستشعرات

The scientists found that they only needed to replicate three layers of tactile sensors to achieve near humanlike performance. Their layout provides reliable tactile feedback in real time to the system, allowing it to make complex decisions to determine the composition, force needed, and approach to successfully manipulate items.

الطبقة الخارجية: تم تصميم طبقة المستشعر الخارجية لتعمل كالبشرة الخارجية لديك. يمكن لبشرتك ملاحظة أدق لمسة. لتحقيق ذلك، دمج الفريق طبقة استشعار ضغطية مقاومة للضغط على سطح طرف الإصبع الهجين. تحتوي هذه الطبقة على تسعة مستشعرات لمسية. كل مستشعر بحجم إجمالي 4 مم² ومُباعد 2.5 مم، مما يوفر تغطية كاملة لطرف الإصبع.

الطبقة المتوسطة: تم بناء منطقة الاستشعار المتوسطة لتعمل مثل نهايات رُفيني في جسمك. لتحقيق ذلك، دمج الفريق طبقة استشعار ضغطية مقاومة للضغط. ومن الجدير بالذكر أن المستشعرات المقاومة للضغط تغير مقاومتها الكهربائية عند تطبيق قوة خارجية عليها.

ومن المثير للاهتمام أن هذه الطبقة تحتوي على ستة مستشعرات بحجم 6 مم². قام الفريق بتباعد هذه المستشعرات بمقدار 2.5 مم ووضعها بطريقة متباعدة عن طبقة المستشعر الخارجية لتحسين قدرات الاستقبال التكتيكي.

الطبقة الداخلية:  صمم المهندسون الطبقة الداخلية لليد لتعمل كجسيمات باسينيان، حيث تكتشف الاهتزازات عالية التردد والضغط المتقطع من البيئة. تم بناؤها باستخدام محول piezoelectric بقطر 10 مم مُثبت على الظفر. بالتحديد، يقع بين المكونات الناعمة والصلبة لطرف الإصبع الهجين.

Whenever forces are detected, it generates a small voltage that allows the system to make adjustments and determine the best way to manipulate the object. Additionally, it utilized the rigid fingernail to pick up vibrations in surfaces.

خوارزميات التعلم الآلي

All of this data gets fed into an ML algorithm that gathers, processes, and neuromorphically encodes the data before sending it back to the robotic appendage.  The system can utilize neuromorphic responses in relation to its proprietary machine learning algorithm to classify texture.

Interestingly, the system neuromorphically encodes data relative to the mechanoreceptors in human skin using the Izhikevich neuron model framework. This strategy allows the unit to provide naturalistic tactile sensory information through nerve stimulation, which is a first for hybrid robotics.

يد الروبوت تعرف ما تلمسه

This strategy enables the robotic arm to determine what it’s touching. The signals bridge the brain and nerves, allowing a wearer to distinguish objects of various shapes and surface textures with ease.

اختبار اليد الصناعية

Testing of the prosthetic hand began with individual fingers. Each finger was tested, and each sensory layer underwent evaluation. Once the team determined that all devices operated independently as planned, they were combined, and the next phase of testing began.

As part of this testing phase of the research, the engineers attached the hand to the UR5 robot arm. From there, the team began attempting to manipulate items. In total, 15 everyday items were selected. The items tested ranged from pineapples, metal water bottles, and soft toys, all the way to a paper cup full of water.

النتائج والملاحظات

The test results showed real promise for this technology. The testing provided some insight into its capabilities. In terms of flexibility, the hybrid biomimetic finger achieved 127° of curvature and a 230° angle of flexion with no points of failure.

Additionally, the robotic arm showed versatility and was able to adjust its grip on the fly. In one instance, it only used 3 fingers to grasp a paper cup to avoid bending it and spilling the water. Impressively, the robotic arm’s sensors classified items based on touch with 98.38% accuracy. This rate surpassed both soft robotic and rigid prosthetic fingers, delivering human-like accuracy.

فوائد النتائج

The benefits that this study brings to the market could change robotics for the better. The hybrid technology demonstrated here could help to improve safety in environments where robots and employees work side by side. Imagine bumping into your robot coworker and them pulling away and apologizing.

زيادة البراعة

The upgraded prosthetic arm showed high dexterity compared to predecessors. It could accomplish tasks that both soft and rigid robots couldn’t. In one example, it was tasked with grasping a ball by conforming around it. It accomplished this task, which would be impossible for a rigid prosthetics.

أكثر طبيعية

Another major benefit of this style of prosthetic is that it feels more natural to the patient. People suffering from upper limb loss can feel as if they can’t reintegrate into their normal tasks because of a fear of their prosthetic causing harm or injury. This tech promises to allow them to safely interact with their loved ones without concern of hurting them.

باحثو دراسة اليد الصناعية

The prosthetic hand study was led by Wen-Yu Cheng of Florida Atlantic University. Other researchers who contributed to the project include Jinghua Zhang, Ariel Slepyan, Mark M. Iskarous, Rebecca J. Greene, Rene DeBrabander, Junjun Chen, and Arnav Gupta of the University of Illinois Chicago.

Interestingly, this same team was the first to introduce electronic skin to the robotics sector in 2018. Now, they have built on this technology further to create capable prosthetics that provide human performance. Their plans include furthering their systems by integrating more sensors, better materials, and increased gripping force.

التطبيقات الواقعية والجدول الزمني لتقنية اليد الصناعية

This advancement holds significant promise for individuals with upper-limb loss, offering them the ability to interact with their environment more naturally and safely. Future prosthetics could integrate this technology and provide life-like responses. The same technology could also help improve surgical robots as well.

While currently in the research phase, such prosthetic technologies could become commercially available within the next 5 to 10 years, depending on further development and regulatory approvals.​ Here are a few other real-world applications for this soft robotic gip tech.

صناعي

The industrial sector has seen a strong shift towards robotics over the last 5 years. This latest technology could help to drive adoption further. Manufacturers are constantly looking at ways to integrate robotics with human workers to improve efficiency without losing quality.

Hybrid robotic features like the one discussed in this study could work alongside humans with less risk. They could also accomplish traditionally human-only tasks like sorting delicate fruit or products like glassware without causing damage.

زراعي

Farming is another area where robots have found a home. These devices could help to improve harvest by helping to monitor the crop’s health via sensors and ensuring the ripe crops get picked in a timely manner. In the future, soft robots could handle much of the farming process, from planting to picking to sorting good and bad crops.

شركة مبتكرة تقود صناعة الروبوتات

The robotics sector continues to boom as more firms and technologies enter it. The future of robotics is bright, and several firms have secured strong positioning in the market. These companies have poured billions into the research and development of more agile, capable, and longer-lasting robots. Here’s one company pioneering robotics.

Ekso Bionics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EKSO)

Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc. (EKSO ) entered the market in 2005, seeking to enhance the field of exoskeleton technology and robotic rehabilitation devices. Since its launch, the company has secured numerous high-level contracts focused on further developing its exoskeleton products.

Exoskeletons are robots that are worn by humans. Their design is meant to supplement and enhance your motions. As such, they could be used in factories to help prevent fatigue or on a battlefield to give soldiers more carrying capacity.

Ekso Holdings offers several innovative solutions designed to improve the quality of life of patients suffering from the loss of limbs. These products, alongside its positioning and market history, make Ekso Bionics Holdings a smart addition to your portfolio.

آخر المستجدات حول Ekso Bionics Holdings

دراسة اليد الصناعية ومستقبل الروبوتات الهجينة

This study demonstrates how nature may have already found the best solution for many design problems. As more engineers seek to mimic nature, their robotic designs will usher in a new age of efficiency. This tech could help ensure that robots can work alongside humans safely and provide additional services that improve both the workers’ lives and the products delivered.

Learn about other cool Robotics Breakthroughs هنا.

الدراسات المشار إليها:

^{1. Sankar, S., Cheng, W.-Y., Zhang, J., Slepyan, A., Iskarous, M. M., Greene, R. J., DeBrabander, R., Chen, J., Gupta, A., & Thakor, N. V. (2025). يد صناعية طبيعية حيوية تحاكي اللمس العصبي لتوفير إمساك دقيق ومتوافق. Science Advances, 11(10), eadr9300. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr9300}