Design of an Affordable, Fully-Actuated Biomimetic Hand for Dexterous Teleoperation Systems

Abstract

This paper addresses the scarcity of affordable, fully-actuated five-fingered hands for dexterous teleoperation, which is crucial for collecting large-scale real-robot data within the "Learning from Demonstrations" paradigm. We introduce the prototype version of the RAPID Hand, the first low-cost, 20-degree-of-actuation (DoA) dexterous hand that integrates a novel anthropomorphic actuation and transmission scheme with an optimized motor layout and structural design to enhance dexterity. Specifically, the RAPID Hand features a universal phalangeal transmission scheme for the non-thumb fingers and an omnidirectional thumb actuation mechanism. Prioritizing affordability, the hand employs 3D-printed parts combined with custom gears for easier replacement and repair. We assess the RAPID Hand’s performance through quantitative metrics and qualitative testing in a dexterous teleoperation system, which is evaluated on three challenging tasks: multi-finger retrieval, ladle handling, and human-like piano playing. The results indicate that the RAPID Hand’s fully actuated 20-DoF design holds significant promise for dexterous teleoperation.