The Robonaut hand: a dexterous robot hand for space

TLDR

The paper presents a highly anthropomorphic, human‑scale robotic hand for space operations. The hand features five fingers, an integrated wrist and forearm, and fourteen independent degrees of freedom, with mechanisms and design philosophy detailed to meet space‑suit constraints. The hand closely matches an astronaut’s hand kinematics and strength in a pressurized glove, yet integration shows size‑related challenges.

Abstract

A highly anthropomorphic human scale robot hand designed for space based operations is presented. This five finger hand combined with its integrated wrist and forearm has fourteen independent degrees of freedom. The device approximates very well the kinematics and required strength of an astronaut's hand when operating through a pressurized space suit glove. The mechanisms used to meet these requirements are described in detail along with the design philosophy behind them. Integration experiences reveal the challenges associated with obtaining the required capabilities within the desired size.