A Review of Recent Advances in Soft Robotic Dexterous Hands

Abstract

Soft robotics represents an emerging field that offers inherent compliance and adaptability. Over the past five years, research on actuation for soft robotic hands has grown explosively. Classic tendon-motor and pneumatic systems now incorporate high-torque micro-servos, textile bellows rated for millions of cycles, and millisecond-level smart valves. Meanwhile, new actuation methods such as electro-hydraulic HASEL pouches, photothermal liquid-crystal elastomers, and bio-hybrid muscle strips bring additional advantages to the robotic hands, including high energy density, cable-free light activation, self-repair capabilities, and quiet operation. This review first examines the fundamental designs of soft dexterous hands and soft metacarpophalangeal joints, looking at their working principles and key implementations for each actuation type. Then, this review explores their performance metrics, advantages, limitations, and suitable application scenarios. Finally, this review comprehensively compares critical parameters like actuation force, speed, and control complexity, highlighting the complementary strengths of these approaches and identifying areas for potential integration and future development.