This repository covers the CAD files, software, and instructions needed to operate the Roller Ring. The Roller Ring is a low-cost modular robotic attachment with active surfaces, that is wearable by both robot and human hands, to manipulate objects without lifting a finger. To create these movements, we developed and implemented a generalized motion model for active surfaces to manipulate arbitrary object shapes through non-holonomic object motions. To see further discussion of this device's physical capabilities and ideas behind it, please see the associated research paper which has been published in the 2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2025) and won 3rd Place at the ASME Student Mechanism and Robot Design Competition. For device licensing, commerical use, or future collaboration of the Roller Ring, please contact Hayden Webb and/or Kaiyu Hang.
Promotional Video
Manipulation Capabilities
In hardware you'll find the STL files for printing the Roller Rings using an FDM Printer (Bambu, Prusa, etc.). Full Bill of Materials for non 3D-printed components can be found in the Bill of Materials under BOM_mechanical.xlsx. Video instruction for mechanical construction can be found below.
Construction Video
In software, you'll find the teleoperation script for controlling the Roller Rings. In this, options for using either a keyboard or game controller for teleoperation is provided. For full documentation and origin of Teensy motor script & board utilized in teleoperation, please refer to the README found in this folder. The board and motor-related components can be found in the Bill of Materials under BOM_electrical.xlsx .
For further questions and inquiries regarding the software and PCB detailed here, please contact Shenli Yuan.
If this project has helped you in your projects, you can cite this work with:
@inproceedings{2403.13132,
Author = {Hayden Webb and Podshara Chanrungmaneekul and Shenli Yuan and Kaiyu Hang},
booktitle = {2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)},
Title = {Wearable Roller Rings to Augment In-Hand Manipulation through Active Surfaces},
Year = {2025},
Volume = {},
Number = {},
Pages = {},
keywords = {In-Hand Manipulation; Multifingered Hands},
doi = {},
Eprint = {arXiv:2403.13132}
}Further information detailing this work's patent information titled "Wearable roller rings to enable robot dexterous in-hand manipulation through active surfaces" can be found here from the USPTO.