CMU Researchers Give Robots a Delicate Touch
CMU Researchers Give Robots a Delicate Touch
Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a robotic fingertip that enables robots to handle delicate tasks, such as picking up fragile or tiny objects like pills and potato chips. The fingertip, which attaches to the DeltaHands device, uses a strain gauge and contact microphone to measure pressure and capture microvibrations, allowing the robot to sense and manipulate objects with greater precision. The low-cost, 3D-printable design offers versatility for a range of tasks, from counting paper cups to identifying material compositions through vibrations. The work was presented at the 2026 Intelligent Robots and Systems Conference.
This research introduces a new robotic fingertip that combines force and vibrotactile sensing to enable delicate manipulation of fragile objects. The design is inspired by human fingertips and includes a strain gauge and contact microphone to capture pressure and microvibrations, allowing the robot to perceive and interact with objects more effectively. The low-cost, 3D-printable design makes it a
Source: Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute — News · Read original article ↗
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is still very much an open challenge, and that’s why we wanted to focus on it.” The work builds on the team’s DeltaHands project , which received funding from the National Science Foundation to create a low-cost, highly customizable flexible robotic hand that could turn the pages of a book, grab an oddly shaped item or complete other tasks typically difficult for a robot. The robot can have anywhere from one to six f
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specific number of pills — a challenging task because the tiny objects are difficult to grasp and easy to break. The low-cost, versatile fingertips are inspired by their human counterparts and include familiar elements like a fingernail. “Dexterity is a frontier area of robotics, and we’re making rapid progress,” said Oliver Kroemer, an associate professor in the Robotics Institute (RI). “However, fine manipulation
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res the squeezing pressure the finger applies so the hand knows exactly how hard it’s pinching. The contact microphone sits behind a tiny plastic fingernail, capturing high-frequency vibrations as the finger slides over an object or bumps into a surface. Wrapped in a soft silicone skin for grip, the setup lets the robot hear subtle textures, detect slipping and note hidden edges it may catch on. All told, it cost les
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is still very much an open challenge, and that’s why we wanted to focus on it.” The work builds on the team’s DeltaHands project , which received funding from the National Science Foundation to create a low-cost, highly customizable flexible robotic hand that could turn the pages of a book, grab an oddly shaped item or complete other tasks typically difficult for a robot. The robot can have anywhere from one to six f
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ith objects in different ways depending on the task: from adjusting its grasp when an object starts to slip, to locating fine features that are difficult to see, to actively identifying properties of objects that are completely hidden from vision and using that information to guide the next action.” To test manipulation, researchers experimented with counting and unstacking paper cups; detecting the material composit
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ion of various items, like coarse fabric or wax paper, through micro-vibrations; and grasping fragile items, such as tofu cubes and potato chips. Counting and unstacking cups allowed researchers to test how the fingertips improved manipulation with blocked visuals. The nail on the fingertip, which protects the microphone, was able to slide along the edge of the cups and count them. The microphone allowed researchers
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ystems Conference last week in Pittsburgh. The team plans to continue developing this robotic hand, exploring how to expand sensing from the fingertips to the whole device. In addition to the members mentioned, the team included RI Ph.D. alumni Zilin Si and Kevin Zhang. For More Information: Aaron Aupperlee | 412-268-9068 | [email protected] The post CMU Researchers Give Robots a Delicate Touch appeared first on Rob
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Source：Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute — News · ri.cmu.edu