05/12/2021
Humans use all surfaces of the hand for contact-rich manipulation. Robot hands, in contrast, typically use only the fingertips, which can limit dexterity. In a new study from the lab of Aaron Dollar, professor of mechanical engineering & materials science & computer science, researchers took a non-traditional approach to creating a new design for robotic hands.
The research team - graduate students Walter Bircher and Andrew Morgan, and Dollar - designed a two-fingered dexterous hand. Known as “Model W,” it was inspired by the high levels of dexterity seen in humans’ hand movements and robotic caging grasps - a strategy used to loosely trap objects between the fingers of a hand, preventing object ejection while allowing some free motion to occur. With the goal of making the design a useful tool for others in the robotic manipulation community, the researchers made the design a relatively simple one, with inexpensive components. They have also released the desi
Yale Innovators Celebrated at Startup Yale 2021
Over three days, students pitched for roughly $125,000 in funding as they shared how they re innovating in health, sustainability, tech, and more.
Startup Yale 2021 took place from April 29 through May 1, bringing together eight events and hundreds of virtual attendees in a series of conversations and pitch-offs. For the second year, Startup Yale took place entirely on Zoom, with students from across Yale pitching for the campus’ biggest entrepreneurship awards in front of a live audience.
The event kicked off with a keynote featuring Porter Braswell (YC ’11), in conversation with Tsai CITY faculty director Anjelica Gonzalez and Tsai CITY student team member Jamal Davis Neal, Jr. (YDS ’23). Braswell is the founder of Jopwell, a platform that represents and advances careers for Black, Latinx, and Native American students and professionals, as well as the author of