Study of an Underactuated Mechanical Finger Driven by Tendons

This paper presents an investigation on the influence of the design parameters in an underactuated mechanical finger driven by un-extendable tendons. The study was carried out using simulations and experimental tests. The aim of the study is to analyze the behavior of the finger during its closing motion. Hence, this study can help in correctly designing fingers for underactuated grasping devices. Various design aspects and parameters were taken into account to optimize the dynamic behavior of the mechanism in the simulation. The actions of the tendons were modelled with the forces that the tendon exerts on the phalanges.