Self-adaptive mechanisms

In the case of self-adaptive mechanisms, the lack of actuators is compensated by passive elements that constrain the motion of the system.

One of the earliest example of self-adaptive mechanism is the flapping wing proposed by Leonardo da Vinci in the Codex Atlanticus.

[1] The first commonly known underactuated finger was the Soft-Gripper designed by Shigeo Hirose in the late 1970s.

[2] The most common type of transmission mechanisms used in self-adaptive hands are linkages and tendons.

[5] The Yale OpenHand is an example of open source self-adaptive mechanisms that can be found online.