Tension Distribution in Tendon-Driven Fingers

Researchers at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), in collaboration with General Motors and Oceaneering, have designed a state-of-the-art, highly dexterous, humanoid robot called Robonaut 2 (R2). R2 is made up of multiple component technologies and systems encompassing nearly 50 patented and patent-pending technologies with the potential to be game-changers in multiple industries, including the medical industry. R2 technologies can aid in a variety of medical applications, ranging from telemedicine to handling the logistics of medical procedures. These activities can be done in autonomous mode or in teleoperation mode, where the robot is controlled by a technician or physician. This type of operation would be advantageous in situations where a biomedical hazard poses risks to humans, such as a contagious outbreak or a combat situation. For more routine daily use, R2 could function as an assistant to the hospital staff.