Design of an Underactuated Robotic End-Effector With a Focus on Power Tool Manipulation Available to Purchase

End-effectors require careful design considerations to be able to successfully hold and use power tools while maintaining the ability to also grasp a wide range of other objects. This paper describes the design of an end effector for a humanoid robot built for disaster response scenarios. The end effector is comprised of two independently actuated fingers with two opposing stationary rigid hollow pylons built to allow the pinching of objects and to provide protection for the opposing fingers when retracted and not in use. Each finger has two degrees of freedom (DOF) and is actuated with one servo motor through the use of an underactuated four bar linkage. Using only two fingers and two actuators the end-effector has the ability to hold a power tool while also being able to simultaneously actuate the trigger of the tool independently. The combination of compliant fingers and rigid pylons along with the careful design of the palm structure creates a strong robust dexterous end-effort that is simple to control.