Tendon-based modelling, estimation and control for a simulated high-DoF anthropomorphic hand model

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Polcz, Péter, Schäffer, Katalin, Koller, Miklós
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Polcz, Péter
Schäffer, Katalin
Koller, Miklós
author_facet Polcz, Péter
Schäffer, Katalin
Koller, Miklós
contents Tendon-driven anthropomorphic robotic hands often lack direct joint angle sensing, as the integration of joint encoders can compromise mechanical compactness and dexterity. This paper presents a computational method for estimating joint positions from measured tendon displacements and tensions. An efficient kinematic modeling framework for anthropomorphic hands is first introduced based on the Denavit-Hartenberg convention. Using a simplified tendon model, a system of nonlinear equations relating tendon states to joint positions is derived and solved via a nonlinear optimization approach. The estimated joint angles are then employed for closed-loop control through a Jacobian-based proportional-integral (PI) controller augmented with a feedforward term, enabling gesture tracking without direct joint sensing. The effectiveness and limitations of the proposed estimation and control framework are demonstrated in the MuJoCo simulation environment using the Anatomically Correct Biomechatronic Hand, featuring five degrees of freedom for each long finger and six degrees of freedom for the thumb.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_20682
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Tendon-based modelling, estimation and control for a simulated high-DoF anthropomorphic hand model
Polcz, Péter
Schäffer, Katalin
Koller, Miklós
Robotics
70B15
I.2.9
Tendon-driven anthropomorphic robotic hands often lack direct joint angle sensing, as the integration of joint encoders can compromise mechanical compactness and dexterity. This paper presents a computational method for estimating joint positions from measured tendon displacements and tensions. An efficient kinematic modeling framework for anthropomorphic hands is first introduced based on the Denavit-Hartenberg convention. Using a simplified tendon model, a system of nonlinear equations relating tendon states to joint positions is derived and solved via a nonlinear optimization approach. The estimated joint angles are then employed for closed-loop control through a Jacobian-based proportional-integral (PI) controller augmented with a feedforward term, enabling gesture tracking without direct joint sensing. The effectiveness and limitations of the proposed estimation and control framework are demonstrated in the MuJoCo simulation environment using the Anatomically Correct Biomechatronic Hand, featuring five degrees of freedom for each long finger and six degrees of freedom for the thumb.
title Tendon-based modelling, estimation and control for a simulated high-DoF anthropomorphic hand model
topic Robotics
70B15
I.2.9
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.20682