Application of soft and compliant joints in grasping mechanisms received an increasing attention during recent years. This article suggests the design and development of a novel bio-inspired compliant finger which is composed of a 3D printed rigid endoskeleton covered by a soft matter. The overall integrated system resembles a biological structure in which a finger presents an anthropomorphic look. The mechanical properties of such structure are enhanced through optimization of the repetitive geometrical structures that constructs a flexure bearing as a joint for the fingers. The endoskeleton is formed by additive manufacturing of such geometries with rigid materials. The geometry of the endoskeleton was studied by finite element analysis (FEA) to obtain the desired properties: high stiffness against lateral deflection and twisting, and low stiffness in the desired bending axis of the fingers. Results are validated by experimental analysis.

翻译：近年来，软体柔性关节在抓取机构中的应用受到越来越多的关注。本文提出了一种新型仿生柔性手指的设计与开发方案，该手指由3D打印的刚性内骨架与软物质外层覆盖层构成。整体集成系统模拟生物结构，使手指具有拟人化外观。通过优化构成手指关节的重复几何结构（柔性轴承），增强了这种结构的力学性能。内骨架采用刚性材料通过增材制造技术成型，并通过有限元分析（FEA）研究其几何结构以获得理想特性：对侧向挠曲和扭转具有高刚度，在目标弯曲方向具有低刚度。实验结果验证了该方法的有效性。