Development of the Amadeus dextrous robot end-effectors

Amadeus (advanced manipulator for deep underwater sampling) is an international subsea manipulator project, funded by the European Union Marine Science and Technology Research Programme. The objective is to improve the sampling and manipulation capabilities of underwater systems, through the development of advanced grippers and manipulation control techniques. The three fingered hydraulic end-effectors utilize an innovative continuum finger construction, where motion is generated through the elastic deformation of bellows actuators and the fingers contain no moving parts. Independent finger control enables asymmetric grasps to be achieved on irregularly shaped objects and allows object manipulations to be performed solely through finger actuation. In addition the compliant continuum finger structure passively reacts to disturbances within the environment increasing grasp stability and reducing the risk of contact damage. The first Amadeus prototype was completed in 1996 and has been successfully used in the laboratory. Subsequently the objective of the second phase of the project is to build on this experience and produce a more robust system offering enhanced functionality and which is suitable for trials in the marine environment. This paper discusses end-effector requirements for robot manipulation in poorly structured environments and presents the rationale behind the Amadeus end-effectors. In particular the objectives and design of the first prototype are presented along with some of the modifications being incorporated into the second generation device.