QB Robotics SoftHand2 Research Configuration guide
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY THESE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USE. DO NOT DISCARD: KEEP FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
General Manual
RELEASE —V1.0.2
Dear customer,
Thank you for purchasing our product.
The present document provides information at best of our knowledge at the time of
publication. This document could present differences from the product and it is
subject to changes without notice: the latest version is available on our webpage
www.qbrobotics.com.
qbroboticss.r.l. does not assume any responsibility for errors or omissions.
In nocaseqbroboticss.r.l. will be responsible for any loss, problems or damages to
persons or property arising from the use of this document.
The qb® logo and qbrobotics® are registered trademarks of qbrobotics s.r.l. In the
following, the indications of (R) are omitted.
Table of Contents
1 Preface .......................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Using this document 1
1.2 Symbols and conventions 1
1.3 Kit content 2
2 Safety............................................................................................................................. 3
2.1 Intended use 3
2.2 Safety instructions 3
2.3 EC Directives on product safety 4
2.4 Environmental conditions 4
2.5 Environmental safety 4
3 Technical data .............................................................................................................. 6
3.1 Mechanical dimensions 6
3.2 Center of Mass 7
3.3 Mechanical characteristics 8
3.4 Electrical characteristics 9
3.5 Tool connector pinout 9
4 Description ..................................................................................................................11
4.1 General 11
4.2 Characteristics and key features 12
4.3 Standard customization 12
5 Mounting and wiring ..................................................................................................13
5.1 Tool mounting 13
5.2 Cable connections 15
6 Software .......................................................................................................................19
6.1 Configuration GUI 19
6.2 ROS 23
6.3 C++ API library 34
7 Maintenance and warranty........................................................................................38
7.1 General 38
8 FAQ and troubleshooting ...........................................................................................39
8.1 PC drivers and requirements 39
8.2 Simplified CAD models of the qb SoftHand2 Research 41
8.3 The glove is deteriorated/broken 42
8.4 The hand does not reopen correctly 43
QBSOFTHAND2 RESEARCH USER MANUAL —5
1 Preface
1.1 Using this document
The documentation must always be complete and in a perfectly readable state.
Keep the document accessible to the operating and, if necessary, maintenance personnel at all times.
Pass the document to any subsequent owner or user of the product.
1.2 Symbols and conventions
STYLE DESCRIPTION
Identifies information about practice or circumstances that can lead to critical
damages on the device and to personal injury.
Attentions help you identify a hazard, avoid a hazard, and recognize the
consequence.
Identifies information about practice or circumstances that can lead to
damages on the device and to personal injury.
Attentions help you identify a hazard, avoid a hazard, and recognize the
consequence.
Identifies remarkable information and additional notes.
CRITICAL:
...
WARNING:
...
NOTE:
...
2 —PREFACE
GENERAL MANUAL —SEP 8, 2022 —RELEASE:V1.0.2
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
STYLE DESCRIPTION
Identifies tips and highlights.
Identifies the required tool to be used during the described assembly phase.
Monospaced text Identifies file paths, file names and software functions.
1.3 Kit content
The kit consists of:
N.1 qb SoftHand2 Research 24 V;
N.1 ISO 9409-1-50-4-M6 flange adapter;
N.1 3m main cable;
N.1 USB to RS485 converter with extension cord;
N.1 USB flash drive:
GUI for Linux and Windows;
Manual;
Datasheet;
N.1 cylindrical pin EN ISO 8734 A d6x14 h6;
N.4 metrical screws EN ISO 4762 M6x10;
N.8 metrical screws EN ISO 10642 M3x8;
N.1 2 mm Allen hex key;
N.1 5 mm Allen hex key.
Optionals:
24 VDC power supply unit;
ISO 9409-1-40-4-M6 flange adapter;
ISO 9409-1-31.5-4-M5 flange adapter;
Kinova Gen3 flange adapter.
TIPS:
...
QBSOFTHAND2 RESEARCH USER MANUAL —3
2 Safety
2.1 Intended use
The product design is intended for grasping and manipulating objects in the weight range from 1 to 1700
g.
Fragile, sharp or sharp-edged objects shall not be grasped.
Objects having the ratio between the biggest and the smallest dimensions ≥8 mm and the main dimension
greater than 300 mm shall not be grasped.
The product, as its name suggests, is intended for research and educational use.
The product is intended for installation on robotic arms: the safety features are established only for use
as described in this document.
The safety of the product cannot be guaranteed in case of inappropriate use. One, single, inappropriate
use can result in a permanent damage to the safety of the product.
2.2 Safety instructions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
WARNING:
Check that all the content is intact after removing it from the packaging.
The device can be used only by specially trained staff.
Disconnect the power supply before installation, cleaning or maintenance operations.
Make sure that no residual energy remains in the system.
Always operate the product within the specifications defined.
Keep away from children and pets. Always set off or unplug when not in use.
Never use aerosol products, petroleum based lubricants or other flammable products on
or near the end-effectors.
Do not use any damaged power cable, plug, or loose outlet. It may cause damages to the
product or injury to people.
Do not touch electrical components to avoid damages due to electrostatic charges.
Make sure the end-effector is properly and securely bolted in place and cabled.
Do not use if damaged or defective. Do not disassemble.
Do not insert any objects between moving parts of the fingers.
Keep head and face outside the reach of the end-effector.
Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry when working with the end-effector.
Disrespect of these precautions can affect safety of the device.
4 —SAFETY
GENERAL MANUAL —SEP 8, 2022 —RELEASE:V1.0.2
•
•
2.3 EC Directives on product safety
The following EC directives on product safety must be observed.
If the product is being used outside the UE, international, national and regional directives must be
also observed.
2.3.1 Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC)
Because of their small size, no serious threats to life or physical condition can normally be expected from
electric miniature drivers. Therefore, the Machinery Directive does not apply to our products. The
products described here are not "incomplete machines", so installation instructions are not normally
issued by qbrobotics.
2.3.2 Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU)
The Low Voltage Directive applies for all electrical equipment with a nominal voltage of 75 to 1500 V DC
and 50 to 1000 V AC. The products described in this device manual do not fall within the scope of this
directive, since they are intended for lower voltages.
2.4 Environmental conditions
Wrong environmental and operating conditions can lead to injuries, product damages and/or significant
reduction to the product's life.
2.5 Environmental safety
The qb SoftHand2 Research must be disposed of in accordance with the applicable national laws,
regulations and standards.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
WARNING:
Any use or application deviating from intended use is deemed to be impermissible misuse.
This includes, but is not limited to:
Use before performing a risk assessment;
Use outside the permissible operational conditions and specifications;
Use in not low-dust environment;
Use in places with high temperature or humidity;
Use in wet places;
Use in potentially explosive atmospheres;
Use in medical and life critical applications;
Use close to a human's head, face and eye area;
Use as a climbing aid;
Use in outdoor applications.
QBSOFTHAND2 RESEARCH USER MANUAL —5
All the components of this product have been chosen in accordance with the EU RoHS directive 2011/65/
EU: they are produced with restricted use of hazardous substances to protect the environment.
Observe national registration requirements for importers according to EU WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU.
6 —TECHNICAL DATA
GENERAL MANUAL —SEP 8, 2022 —RELEASE:V1.0.2
3 Technical data
3.1 Mechanical dimensions
The figurebelow shows the overall dimensions of the qb SoftHand2 research, valid for both left and right
configurations;distancesand tolerances in the drawing are noted in millimeters [mm] and
degrees [°] .
Figure 1. — qb SoftHand2 Research drawings
QBSOFTHAND2 RESEARCH USER MANUAL —7
3.2 Center of Mass
The following table gives also the position of the Center of Mass of the SoftHand2 Research and defines its
Coordinate System, like depicted in the following schemes.
UNIT LEFT RIGHT
Hand opened, CoM x coordinate, OTX [mm] -3.8 3.8
Hand opened, CoM y coordinate, OTY [mm] 96.0 96.0
Hand opened, CoM z coordinate, OTZ [mm] 1.5 1.5
Hand closed, CoM x coordinate, OTX [mm] -2.6 2.6
Hand closed, CoM y coordinate, OTY [mm] 85.5 85.5
Hand closed, CoM z coordinate, OTZ [mm] 2.5 2.5
Weight [kg] 0.940
Center of Mass, OT, is evaluated w.r.t. ΣMconsidering the hand mounted with its palm facing the ground, cf.
the figures below.
WARNING:
Be aware that the above figure may be out of scale.
NOTE:
All coordinate systems here described follow the orthogonal right-hand rule.
8 —TECHNICAL DATA
GENERAL MANUAL —SEP 8, 2022 —RELEASE:V1.0.2
Figure 2. — Robot Tool Coordinate System
On the left, it is represented the mechanical interface coordinate system ΣM(OM; XM, YM, ZM)of an
articulated robot, as defined by ISO 9787:2013. In particular, the center of the coordinate system, OM, is
on the interface surface of the robot tool flange and the ZMaxis is coincident with the tool flange axis of
symmetry.Riis the i-th revolute joint of the robot and(O1; X1, Y1, Z1)is the base coordinate system of the
robot.
On the right,there is the Tool Coordinate System,ΣT(OT; XT, YT, ZT), of the SoftHand. The center,OT,
coincides with the center of mass of the hand and its position is defined by the distance fromOM. TheZT
axis is normal to the palm, outgoing positive, and theYTaxis follows the proximal-distal direction and
orientation. This definition implies thatΣTis the same for left and right SoftHands. So, the positive
orientation ofXTaxis will be on the side of the thumb in the right hand and on the side opposite to the
thumb in the left hand.
3.3 Mechanical characteristics
BEST VALUE
Pinch grasping payload [kg] 2.0
Power grasping payload [kg] 3.0
Open pinch grasping payload [kg] 30
Manipulation torque [Nmm] 50
Index pushing force [N] 0.5
Full closing time [s] 1.0
Look at the graph for details.
For this SVG the export flag is not set!
For this SVG the export flag is not set!
QBSOFTHAND2 RESEARCH USER MANUAL —9
1 https://www.phoenixcontact.com/online/portal/us?uri=pxc-oc-itemdetail:pid=1424232
2 https://www.phoenixcontact.com/online/portal/us?uri=pxc-oc-itemdetail:pid=1404192
3 https://www.phoenixcontact.com/online/portal/us?uri=pxc-oc-itemdetail:pid=1098315
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
For this SVG the export flag is not set!
3.4 Electrical characteristics
MINIMUM NOMINAL MAXIMUM
Power supply voltage [VDC] 23.1 24 24.8
Power consumption [W] 2.5 22 38
Current limit [A] —0.5 *
Operational time [s] — — 300
Duty cycle [%] — — 69
Operating temperature [°C] -5 20 50
Relative humidity ** [%] 5 —80
Typical noise level [dB] 44 62 72
* Starting spike current may be greater, but it is instantaneous.
** Only the non-condensing case is to be considered.
3.5 Tool connector pinout
On the qb SoftHand flange there is aPhoenix Contact 8-position M8 connector, A-coded, withgold-plated
copper alloy contacts — Part Number: 14242321.
The following cables are compliant and recommended:
Phoenix contact: 3m free cable end with angled socket — Part Number: 14041922
Phoenix contact: 300mm female/female with angled sockets—Part Number:10983153
The RS485 protocol characteristics are as follow:
8 bit;
no parity;
1 stop bit;
no flow control;
2M baud rate.
10 —TECHNICAL DATA
GENERAL MANUAL —SEP 8, 2022 —RELEASE:V1.0.2
# WIRE COLOR DESCRIPTION
1 White RS485+
Figure 3. — User view
2 Brown RS485-
3 Green —
4 Yellow —
5 Gray 24V ***
6 Pink GND ***
7 Blue 24V ***
8 Red GND ***
*** 24VDC and GND must be provided by an isolated Power Supply Unit.
WARNING:
Any error in the pins connection may cause irremediable damages to the device.
QBSOFTHAND2 RESEARCH USER MANUAL —11
4 Description
4.1 General
qb SoftHand2 Research is an anthropomorphic robotic hand based on soft-robotics technology. It is
flexible, adaptable and able to interact with the surrounding environment, objects, or even humans while
limiting the risk of injuring operators, spoiling products, or damaging the robot itself.
The introduction of the two-motors attuation allows the qb SoftHand2 Research to exploits the principles
of first and second synergies in an intrinsically intelligent design, that is not only safe w.r.t. unexpected
human-robot interaction but also adaptable to grasp and manipulate different shaped objects, showing an
unparalleled level of simplicity and flexibility. Combining the two Synergies and/or the movements of
motors, the qb SoftHand2 Research can performs different gestures, as shown in the following picture.
Figure 4. — qb SoftHand 2 Research gestures.
The combination of these innovations results in a plug-and-play, simple to control and affordable device.
The custom-made electronic board inside the qb SoftHand2 Research is composed of a logic stage for
communication and low-level computation, and a power stage for motion control. This, together with a
DC motor and its absolute encoder, establishes a simple position and current control feedback regulated
by a properly tuned PID controller.
The qb SoftHand2 is generally shipped with an Adapter Board and a 3 meter-length cable.
12 —DESCRIPTION
4 mailto:[email protected]
GENERAL MANUAL —SEP 8, 2022 —RELEASE:V1.0.2
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The qb SoftHand2 Research does not use Common Industrial Protocols (CIP) or other industrial standards
for I/O communication due to historical design and technical reasons.
I/O data basically refers as measurements from the device, commands to the device, and parameters
from/to the device. These are handled in a custom package format as follows
2-byte — common preamble;
1-byte — target slave id;
1-byte — payload length;
n-byte — payload;
1-byte — checksum for communication integrity.
A custom-made single-master-multiple-slave (SMMS) serial communication protocol is implemented to:
send commands to the connected devices;
read measurements from the connected devices (motors position and/or currents);
get and set configuration parameters.
4.2 Characteristics and key features
Flexibility, adaptivity and robustness thanks to the soft-robotics design;
19 anthropomorphic DOFs controlled in two synergies motion;
Dislocatable and self-reposition phalanges;
Up to 50 Nmm manipulating torque*;
Up to 2.0 kg maximum payload*;
Maximum closure time of 1.0 s;
Total weight of 940 g (including aluminium flange and screws);
ROS packages and general C++ API available;
* Manipulating torque and payloads highly depend on object dimensions and approaching strategy (cf.
Mechanical Characteristics(see Page 6)).
4.3 Standard customization
Mechanical flange adapters for non-standard robot flanges;
Left and Right chirality configurations.
NOTE:
We may evaluate other customization for special partners; for requests, please contact our
sales team4.
QBSOFTHAND2 RESEARCH USER MANUAL —13
5 Mounting and wiring
5.1 Tool mounting
The qb SoftHand2 Research kit allows you to connect the device to the robot arm.
The device can be mounted on any robot equipped with a mounting interfaceISO 9409-1.
To assemble the hand on the robot arm, please follow thefollowing instructions:
INSTRUCTIONS
1Insert (1) into the 6 mm hole on the wrist.
Use only the screws provided within the package. Longer screws could damage the robot or
the hand!
14 —MOUNTING AND WIRING
GENERAL MANUAL —SEP 8, 2022 —RELEASE:V1.0.2
INSTRUCTIONS
2Center (2) on the wrist diameter 63 mm,
taking care that the cylindrical pin (1) fits
into one of the four d6 reamed through
holes.
3Fasten (2) to the robot wrist by tightening
the four screws (3).
You need the 5 mm Allen wrench.
QBSOFTHAND2 RESEARCH USER MANUAL —15
INSTRUCTIONS
4Center (4) on the diameter 63 mm of (2),
taking care that the plug fits into one of the
four d6 mm through holes.
5Fix axially the hand by tightening the 8
screws (5).
You need the 2 mm Allen wrench.
5.2 Cable connections
To power and connect the qb SoftHand2 Research to UR robots' control box or a workstation computer,
please follow the instructions in the table, using the provided kit.
For this SVG the export flag is not set!
The following images include an external power supply kit (sold separately). If your robot's
control box allows to power external devices, it is not necessary.
In this case, please read the following steps carefully.
16 —MOUNTING AND WIRING
GENERAL MANUAL —SEP 8, 2022 —RELEASE:V1.0.2
INSTRUCTIONS
1Connect the main cable (C1) to the RS485-USB
converter (B).
2Connect the main cable (C1) to a power supply unit
(A) (Not connected to the power).
3If you have purchased our external power supply,
connect the power cable (C3) at the power supply
unit (A).
If you have not required the external
power supply, the C1 cable has two
unconnected red and grey ends. These are
used to power the device, so connect the
red wire to the negative (V-)and the
grey wire to the positive connector (V+).
For example in UR CB series robots you
can connect the device to 24 V sockets
inside the Digital Inputs panels.
Table of contents
Other QB Robotics Robotics manuals
QB Robotics
QB Robotics qb SoftClaw Configuration guide
QB Robotics
QB Robotics SoftHand Industry User manual
QB Robotics
QB Robotics qbmove Advanced Kit User manual
QB Robotics
QB Robotics N.1 qb SoftHand Research 24 V Configuration guide
QB Robotics
QB Robotics qb SoftHand RESEARCH User manual
QB Robotics
QB Robotics SoftClaw User manual
QB Robotics
QB Robotics SoftHand Research User manual
