Introduction
This activity combines a fun craft activity with robotics, simple machines and hand anatomy.
Key Concepts/Terminology
Robotics:
- End effector- the part of the robot that interacts with the environment
Anatomy:
- Carpal tunnel - a canal in the wrist where tendons and median nerve pass through.
- Tendon - fibrous cord that attaches muscle to a bone part
- Median nerve - a nerve that passes through the middle of palm side of arm (through the carpal tunnel)
- Flexor retinaculum (of hand) - fibrous band on palm side of the wrist forming the roof of the carpal tunnel
Materials
Per student:
- 1 pre-cut and assembled cardboard “hand/arm” with glued-on straws at spaces between joints (folded part of cardboard)
- 5 cord strings “tendons”
- 1 strip band “flexor retinaculum” -forms the roof/top part of carpal tunnel
- Duct-tape
Assembly of Robotic Hand
- Tie and attach the precut strings onto the tips of the cardboard hand
- String the cord through the straws (that have been glued onto the cardboard hand
- Use a piece of duct-tape to fasten the strip band at the wrist area
Test and Operation
- Try pulling on the string(s) to control the fingers
- Now try to use the hand to pick up small objects such as a toilet paper roll
