ASH-1: Advancing Grasping Capabilities in Soft Dexterous Humanoid Robotic Hands

This paper presents the design and development of the ASH-1, a soft robotic hand inspired by human anatomy. The ASH-1 closely mimics the natural structure of the human hand and features 11 independent degrees of actuation (DOA), including a thumb with 3 DOA and four fingers, each with 2 DOA. A key distinction of the ASH-1, compared to other humanoid robotic hands, is its superior adaptability to the weight of the objects being grasped. Experimental results demonstrate the ASH-1's capability to handle ranging from a 0.15 g steel wire to a 20L water jug. Except for the palm skin, the entire ASH-1 is 3D printed using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Each finger is a unified structure comprising hollow intermediate phalanges connected by pneumatic actuators, resulting in a total weight of just 295.4 grams. Furthermore, the hand can exert a grip force of up to 3.7 kg, with the middle finger capable of withstanding a pull exceeding 95 N, and the entire hand supporting over 150 N. The ASH-1's broad payload capacity and lightweight design expand the possibilities for practical applications in soft dexterous manipulation, making it a promising tool for various fields.