Swiss Researchers Turn a Robot Hand Into a Walking Fingertip Robot

At a glance

Researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland turned a commercial robot hand into a standalone robot that walks on its fingertips. The same fingers can also handle nearby objects. The team sees it being useful in narrow spaces where a robot arm cannot reach.

Key points

1. 1

   The researchers used a commercial robot hand from China's Wuji Technology as it was.

2. 2

   A battery, sensors (inertial measurement units), and a small computer were attached to the back of the hand, so it could move using only the hand.

3. 3

   Walking was first learned in simulation using reinforcement learning (a method where rewards and penalties teach through trial and error).

4. 4

   Because the fingers differ in length, each finger was given a reference position so it returns like a virtual spring.

Why it matters

It could be used for inspection or search work in tight spaces that robot arms cannot enter, showing a new way to use robot parts for different roles.