ROBOTIC HAND OPERATED WITH SUPER-ELASTIC MEMORY WIRES

P. Lima¹*, M. Neto¹, A. Silva¹, M. F. Silva¹, S. Santos¹, A. Sena¹

Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pernambuco, Department of
Mechanical Engineering, Caruaru, Brazil
*[email protected]

INTRODUCTION EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

This work proposes the activation, by means of an embedded system, of a The mechanical structure of the robotic hand was made of PLA polymer by rapid prototyping.
prototype of a robotic hand consisting of five fingers, using Shape memory The mechanical design aimed at the movements of the distal, middle and proximal phalanges of
all the fingers of the robotic hand. Nylon threads were inserted through holes in the end of each
alloys (SMA) wires. Each finger will have its bending and traction movement finger, and passing through the upper inner path of each finger. These nylon wires are
determined by thin wires of a superelastic Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) type SMA, connected to the wires with SMA. Superelastic alloys of the ASTM standard, after the heat
activated by cooling using Seebek-Peltier-based thermoelectric inserts, and treatment, reached their austenitic phase.
deactivated by Joule effect. Specifically, from the control of the voltage sent to The instrumentation was divided into three stages, as shown in Fig. (1). Development of power
circuits, temperature acquisition circuit and the activation of each alloy individually through the
Peltiers pellets (TEC1-12706), the cooling of the SMA wires indirectly was bluetooth communication between a smartphone and the microcontrolled system.
achieved by cooling a chamber containing alcohol gel and glycerin. With
cooling of the wires immersed to the cooled fluid (without freezing), the alloy
returned to its treated format. The activation of the Peltiers occurred by means
of a power circuit that receives the PWM control signals from an embedded
microcontrolling system with PIC18F4550. The heating of each SMA wire by
joule effect (referring to each finger) occurred by means of a power circuit that
also received PWM signals from the microcontroller. For control purposes a
temperature sensor of the NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) type was
introduced in the refrigerated environment. The fingers were triggered
individually from application in Smartphone, communicating by bluetooth with
embedded system. Figure 1. Schematic of the instrumentation for control. Source: Own authorship.

RESULTS
The fingers were triggered individually from application in Smartphone, communicating by temperature sensor and the thermocouple did not show precision beyond two decimal places, it
Bluetooth with embedded system. In Fig. (2) the assembled system is shown. was concluded that the processing temperatures would be within the range given by the
manufacturer.

1600 Ti K

Figure 2. Idealized experimental set. Source: Own authorship.

1400

1200

1000
counts

800

600

400

One of the great difficulties in the implementation of a PID control is the experimental tuning of
200

0
0
O K

1 2 3
keV
4 5 6

proportional, integral and derivative values. The Ziegler-Nichols tuning method was used to
implement the temperature controller (Peltiers) of the refrigerated chamber.
The PID controller provided efficient temperature control, maintaining the average of 4°C. The
tuning of the controllers that provided the best results determined as gains: KP = 4,67; KI = 12,40
and KD = 0,18.
In the experimental tests the internal temperature of the box reached the approximate 4 ° C,
enough temperature so that it was possible to observe the deformation of the SMA, by becoming
malleable in its martensitic state, keeping the hand with fingers in the open position. By triggering
the system to generate heat by Joule effect, using a current of 2A and a voltage 5VDC, observed
the closure of the fingers. Fig. (3) shows the closing of the index finger. First, the movement of the
distal phalanx, Fig. (3b), then the mean, Fig. (3c), and finally the proximal, Fig. (3d), of the robotic
hand, as a consequence of the studding of the coated nylon cable attached to SMA which, with
heat, returns to its state of memory.
The closing time of the finger, observing the activation and the complete closing of the finger, was
in approximately 4s. The experiment b) was repeated to evaluate the closing time as well as the
deformation temperature of the SMA, and observed that the time was maintained with few changes Figure 7. Finger movement through the force applied by the SMA. Source: Own Authorship.
and as for its temperature the alloy already started to its martensitic state near 6°C. Since both the

CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES
• Bo, Z. and Lagoudas, D.C., 2008. “Thermomechanical modeling of polycrystalline SMAs under cyclic
• The control of the voltage applied to the Peltiers pellets provided the cooling of the SMA wires at a loading, Part I: Theoretical derivations”. In International Journal of Engineering Science 37, 1089–1140,
temperature of approximately 4°C, considered sufficient to allow the deformation to be observed, 2008.
with the hand with fingers in the open position.
• Born, R.M. 2007. Application of Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys in Linear Actuators. Master's
• The heating of each wire (referring to each finger) occurred by joule effect through smartphone,
Dissertation in Ocean Engineering. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
microcontroller and individualized circuits of power, presenting a closing time of each finger in
approximately 4s. • Duerig, T.; Pelton, A. and Stöckel, D. 1999. “An overview of Nitinol Medical Applications”, In: Materials
Science and Engineering, v.273-275, pp.149-160, 1999.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Presenter: Priscila Carolina C. de Lima
This work was carried out with the financial support of PIBIC/IFPE (Process 2016/2017). The authors +55 81 996098727
would like to thank the IFPE –Caruaru Campus for the use of its facilities.