UC San Diego · MAE 156B Senior Capstone
TriFinger
Manipulation
A low-cost three-fingered manipulator, built in-house for dexterous manipulation research.
Team 03 · Sponsored by Prof. Xiaolong Wang, UCSD ECE · Winter 2021
Overview
A ground-up rebuild of the research-grade TriFinger robot — cheaper, easier to source, easier to build.
Three fingers, nine joints: it grasps, lifts, and repositions objects as a learning platform for UCSD robotics and ML students.
Design Principles
Cost Efficient
$1,800 to build, versus $5,000 for the original.
Readily Available Parts
Every component is off-the-shelf — no custom actuators.
Easy to Manufacture
3D-printed on a desktop printer, assembled with common tools.
Nine axes, sub-degree accuracy — from 3D-printed parts and off-the-shelf components.
How It Works
- 01
Mechanical
Three identical 3-DOF finger modules on an aluminum frame, with swappable fingertips.
- 02
Actuation & Electronics
Belt-driven steppers and feedback servos, coordinated by an Arduino Mega.
- 03
Software & Controls
A MATLAB GUI solves the inverse kinematics and streams joint angles to the Arduino.
Want the Full Story?
CAD models, reports, and videos — all on the project site.
Visit the project site