Xiaomi has officially announced its latest bionic robotic hand aimed at industrial manufacturing applications. Featuring 21 degrees of freedom (DOF), 26 motor hybrid drive, and 1500 high-density tactile sensors across the entire palm, this new device is designed for precision and versatility in real-world factory tasks.
Design Based on Extensive Industrial Work Data
The robotic hand was developed by Xiaomi’s Intelligent Manufacturing division, using data from 1827 actual Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) collected at their automotive mid-scale test center. This dataset covers over 70% of typical manual operations across 16 key stages in car production. Xiaomi’s robotics team analyzed and verified these procedures using multidimensional data processing including classification, slicing, and redirection.
Hybrid Drive and Advanced Tactile System
The hand employs a hybrid drive system powered by 26 motors combined with tendon tension control. This approach allows for precise grip force control and enhances the hand’s reliability and ease of maintenance. Xiaomi also optimized the cooling system to support stable performance during industrial use.
The tactile coverage consists of 1500 sensors across the whole hand, with a spatial resolution reaching 1mm in finger joints, pads, and roots, and 2mm in the palm. This high-density sensor array enables detailed touch feedback and supports human-hand-mimicking data collection for grip analysis and simulation.
Simulation and Practical Verification
The development included creating digital assets of actual factory tools and components to perform multi-angle grip simulations. These simulations helped verify the dexterity and reliability of the bionic hand in handling a variety of industrial objects, aligning the design with practical manufacturing needs.
Maintaining Modular and Maintainable Design
Following Xiaomi’s previous work on tactile glove technology, the new robotic hand also emphasizes maintainability and modular sensor replacement. This design choice facilitates ongoing upgrades and detailed tactile data analysis based on human hand anatomy.
The bionic hand project represents Xiaomi’s exploration into integrating robotic manipulation solutions into flexible manufacturing environments. Further details on deployment or commercial availability have not been disclosed.
Source: ithome.com
