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First-Author Research Paper, Award Finalist for Best Paper on Robot Manipulation and Locomotion at ICRA 2026
This research was conducted with co-workers from RAI with the goal of exploring how passive rollers on robotic fingertips could act as constraints to enable more dexterous manipulation with low-dexterity grippers. By leveraging the contrast between rolling and non-rolling directions, controlling friction becomes more predictable, enabling controlled sliding for in-hand manipulation, adaptation to uncertain environments, and manipulation involving multiple bodies at once.
Two motors are used, one to control the roller pivot DoF and one to engage and disengage the brake. The use of crown gears enables a more compact package, and the addition of the decoupling bearing (2-6) allows the pivoting DoF to be unaffected by the brake engagement. Natural latex rubber tubing provides a high friction coefficient in the non-rolling direction, while needle roller bearings allow low friction motion in the rolling direction.
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