The journey of a prosthetic user is characterized by the opportunities and the limitations of a
device that should enable activities of daily living (ADL). In particular, experiencing a bionic …

After many years of rigid conventional procedures of production, industrial manufacturing is
going through a process of change toward flexible and intelligent manufacturing, the so …

This article reports on the state of the art of artificial hands, discussing some of the field's
most important trends and suggesting directions for future research. We review and group …

Replacing the human hand with artificial devices of equal capability and effectiveness is a
long-standing challenge. Even the most advanced hand prostheses, which have several …

Abstract Variable Impedance Actuators (VIA) have received increasing attention in recent
years as many novel applications involving interactions with an unknown and dynamic …

Variable stiffness actuators (VSAs) are complex mechatronic devices that are developed to
build passively compliant, robust, and dexterous robots. Numerous different hardware …

In this paper we introduce the Pisa/IIT SoftHand, a novel robot hand prototype designed with
the purpose of being robust and easy to control as an industrial gripper, while exhibiting …

In recent years, a clear trend toward simplification emerged in the development of robotic
hands. The use of soft robotic approaches has been a useful tool in this prospective …

This paper discusses design and control of a prismatic series elastic actuator with high
mechanical power output in a small and lightweight form factor. A design is introduced that …

The physical characteristics of animals' bodies are substantially different from those of
classic robots. Elastic tendons, ligaments, and muscles enable animals to robustly interact …