Design of artificial hands: A review

Abstract

The human hand is capable of performing complex and useful tasks using an effective integration of mechanisms, sensors, actuators and control functions, and at the same time is also a cognitive instrument, allowing humans to develop a superior brain by interacting with the surrounding environment. The idea of developing a human-like artificial hand has always intrigued mankind, and to replicate it is still one of the main challenges of robotics, requiring large efforts, based on multidisciplinary knowledge ranging from engineering to neuroscience. This chapter is aimed at providing an overview of past and present artificial hands, developed in the frameworks of research projects in prosthetics and humanoid robotics.