Implementation of a Remote Center of Motion Robot Finger with Tactile Sensors in the Joints Robot grippers and hands are commonly used to grasp various objects. However, for multilink fingers, it is challenging to cover the joints with tactile sensors, which limits the safety and sensitivity of such fingers. In the current paper we use a remote center of motion (RCM) mechanism for the joints, which enables us to cover also the joints completely with soft and thick tactile sensors, in particular distributed 3axis sensors. The RCM joints are implemented as 6bars, and we evaluate their robustness in simulation. A real implementation of the gripper is tested by grasping various objects, and the resulting tactile sensor readings are presented.

Robot Finger with Remote Center of Motion Mechanism for Covering Joints with Thick Skin An endeffector such as a gripper or multifingered hand is essential to enable robots to grasp and manipulate objects of various size and shape. Soft skin increases the grasp stability and can provide space for tactile sensors. However, covering the joints with skin is challenging, typically causing a considerable surface area of multisegment robot fingers not to be covered by skin. This also creates the risk that objects get pinched in the joints when flexing the fingers. The current paper suggests using a remote center motion (RCM) mechanism to move the center of joint rotation to the surface of a thick skin layer. In particular, a 6bar mechanism is used. Thereby, a thick soft skin layer with a continuous surface can be realized. Furthermore, adaptive joint coupling with linkages is implemented. In the current paper a 2fingered gripper is realized, and objects of various size and shape are grasped (from thin paper to objects of 135 mm diameter). The current gripper was manufactured with 3Dprinted material to enable rapid prototyping, therefore the payload was limited to only 1 kg for this version. Overall, this paper shows the feasibility of an RCM for a robot finger and discusses the benefits and limitations of such a mechanism.