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  4. Mod-VSA: A Modular Variable Stiffness Actuator for Multi-fingered Robotic Hands
 
conference paper

Mod-VSA: A Modular Variable Stiffness Actuator for Multi-fingered Robotic Hands

Junge, Kai  
•
Noda, Tomoyuki
•
Hughes, Josie  
2025
2025 IEEE 8th International Conference on Soft Robotics, RoboSoft 2025
2025 IEEE 8th International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)

Regulating contact forces is crucial for robotic manipulation, but achieving stiffness variation in multi-fingered hands is challenging due to design complexity. This work presents Mod-VSA, a modular variable stiffness actuator for multi-fingered tendon-driven hands. Mod-VSA consists of concatenated units with a novel stiffness modulation mechanism, allowing a single actuator to adjust stiffness across all units mechanically. The mechanism which can vary the stiffness by a factor of ten, is experimentally characterized with a static force model, and each module includes a Hall sensor for tendon force and displacement measurements. To demonstrate its use-case, the Mod-VSA is combined with the ADAPT Hand, an anthropomorphic multi-fingered hand, to perform finger-level force control and grasping tasks which require both low and high stiffness interactions. Through this VSA design, online force regulation capabilities for a multi-fingered hands can be achieved, expanding their possible applications.

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