Making Robots Mimic the Human Hand 43
RougeFemme writes "As part of a research project to develop low-cost artificial hands, DARPA has developed a two-hand robot that can almost change a tire. Research has mastered grasping objects with robotic hands; the next objective is to manipulate the objects once grasped. Research also continues on a neural interface, a direct link between a robotic arm and the human brain. The ultimate goal of the research project is to develop prostethics and robotic arms for wider use, by reducing cost and improving dexterity and machine vision."
That DARPA program isn't going so well (Score:5, Informative)
DARPA has had some of those two-handed robots for a few years now, and has researchers working with them. So far, the results have been disappointing. They can pick up a screwdriver, but not use it. Robots manipulating a powered socket wrench in a well-defined environment aren't a big deal; auto assembly lines have had those for years. Putting a key in a lock, slowly, is about the upper limit of that project.
Part of the problem is that simulators for manipulation aren't very good. Willow Garage is funded to take the current version of the Gazebo simulator and make it work for manipulation. But I doubt they'll be able to make it good enough to do manipulation using force feedback. The physics engines they're using are for game physics; they cheat on frictional contacts. You need a really good simulator to debug control software for putting a nut on a bolt by feel.