qb SoftHand Research

A robotic hand covered in blue and black soft material, with a metallic top piece.
Nice to meet you! Photo: qb robotics

qb SoftHand Research is an anthropomorphic robotic hand that can grasp a wide range of objects with different shapes and textures. Designed as a versatile research platform, it is safe to operate around people, and simple to program even when performing complex manipulations.

Creator

qb robotics

Year
2018
Country
Italy 🇮🇹
Categories
Features
A versatile robot hand. Video: qb robotics

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Appearance

Neutral

Did you know?

The joints in the qb SoftHand can "self-heal": They'll dislocate if you bend them too much, but then they'll snap back in place.

The hand is attached to a robotic arm. It grips a metal square, which a human hand is reaching into with a screwdriver.
A true helping hand. Photo: qb robotics

History

Qb robotics is an Italian company founded in 2011 as a spin-off of the University of Pisa – Research Center "E. Piaggio" and the Italian Institute of Technology. It develops robotic hands, grippers, handles, delta robots, and actuators primarily based on soft robotics technologies. The company's robots rely on design and control principles similar to those found in the muscular system of animals and humans. Headquartered in Pisa, qb robotics strives to build innovative robots that are both capable and safe when interacting with humans or operating near them. The company currently focuses on three main industrial sectors: service robotics; industrial robotics and automation; and biomedical and prosthetics.

A human hand pulls on one of the robotic hands fingers.
Don't worry, this finger can self-heal. Photo: qb robotics
A robotic hand attached to a Cobot arm on a tabletop pinches a bolt between two fingers. The hand has metal on top, and is covered in blue and black soft material. On the right side of the table, a pole holds a camera system looking at the hand.
qb SoftHand will get those for you. Photo: qb robotics

Specs

Overview

Safe for human-robot interaction. Able to grasp different objects without changes to the control action. Single-motor actuation. Plug-and-play and simple to control. Robust and modular, with "self-healing" joints. Supports Windows, Mac, and Linux and integration with several software packages.

Status

Ongoing

Year

2018

Website
Width
5.6 cm
Height
21.6 cm
Length
19.1 cm
Weight
0.5 kg
Sensors

Absolute magnetic rotary encoder

Actuators

DC brushed motor

Degrees of Freedom (DoF)
19
Materials

ABS, fiberglass, aluminum

Software

ROS, C++ libraries, URCap, Matlab, Simulink. GUI for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Power

24-V power supply

Cost
€7,000 to 9,500 (depending on configuration)