2024.07.19
Panasonic Group People
Developing a Robot Hand with Controlled Gripping Force　
Playing a Role in Automated Logistics Systems: Shohei Taniguchi

Developing Robotic Technology and Creating Businesses for a Well-Being Society

Our Robotics Promotion Office envisions a well-being society where people thrive, free from the heavy burdens of modern work and life. We are committed to developing core technologies and creating businesses that help robots provide value to society and customers, positioning them as essential living infrastructure.

I lead the development and commercialization of technologies for flexible manipulation of objects by robot arms and hands. Using technology that appropriately controls the force applied to humans and objects, I am focusing on commercializing a “picking hand” that can dexterously and gently grasp anything for the logistics and manufacturing industries. I am deeply committed to rapidly implementing robotic automation and work support in society to help address the critical social issue of labor shortages.

Leveraging Massage Chair Insights in Logistics Applications

I had been researching force control since I was a student. Upon joining the company, I was placed in charge of the advanced development of massage chairs. To achieve a massage that feels more like a human hand, I focused on the fact that massage therapists always feel the pressure on their hands while adjusting the force they apply. I reproduced this using three elements of robotics technology: sensing, control, and actuation. In 2008, this work gave rise to the world’s first force-controlled massage machine, the Real Pro. One key point was that to sell it to the general public, we used our proprietary low-cost sensors instead of the expensive ones used for research to enable mass production.

Meanwhile, at logistics sites, a wide variety of goods are handled, including products that are soft or fragile. The robot hand must be able to gently and reliably pick up these objects without crushing or dropping them. We achieved advanced force control technology at a low cost by using the knowledge of the perfect amount of force developed with the Real Pro. Another key point was the design of the hand. The gripper, which features a unique mechanism with a belt attached to the inside, can gently move an object by rotating the belt while adjusting the force applied after grabbing it lightly. We repeated the process of formulating hypotheses, conducting experiments, and verifying results. Obtaining ideas from our colleagues, we are also working to optimize sensor characteristics and develop force sensors and force control algorithms. As a result, we achieved highly advanced picking actions, including gripping both hard and soft objects steadily and dexterously, changing the orientation of objects in the hand, and packing objects expertly into boxes.