Strain gages as sensors for controlling the manipulative robot hand OEDIPUS

The article describes the complete project including the force control and gives details of the arrangement and wiring of the strain gages on the elements.

OEDIPUS is the name given to a project to develop a universal two-finger gripper for a robot hand with four independent degrees of freedom of movement. The gripper is equipped with four position control circuits and a force control system.

Two straingage transducer systems on the first elements of the gripper determine the direction, magnitude and point of application of the applied force. From these, the system then derives the ideal gripping force which it then applies through the control system. Operations such as tracking of the gripper force for changing external forces are also possible.