AgileLink's OmniHand 3 Ultra Demonstrated Doing Suzhou Embroidery

Chinese robotics company AgileLink, a subsidiary of Agibot, released a video showing its OmniHand 3 Ultra robotic hand carrying out the full process of traditional Suzhou silk embroidery, according to zdnet.co.kr. In the demonstration the hand split silk thread into 16 strands, threaded a needle, secured cloth on an embroidery hoop, twisted thread and sewed.

Each fingertip carries vision-tactile sensors that detect surface deformation, and the hand uses a fully direct-drive design with 21 active degrees of freedom. The direct-drive structure connects motors directly to the joints without tendons or separate transmission mechanisms.

AgileLink trained the hand by combining teleoperation data with reinforcement learning. The OmniHand 3 Ultra is about the size of a human hand and weighs 630 grams.

It supports a precision working payload of about 3 kg and can lift up to 8 kg. The hand can open and close in about 0.3 seconds, with positional repeatability of about 0.2 mm.

Its fingertip vision-based tactile sensors detect forces in three-dimensional directions and deformations down to about 0.08 mm, while the palm has 300 contact sensor points.

Industrial robotic hands

Other developers are also working on dexterous hands for industrial tasks. Boston Dynamics is developing the four-fingered Atlas Hand to control tools such as drills and welding equipment for industrial use.