PROXIMAL ACTUATION THERMAL ARCHITECTURE A Thermodynamic Requirement for Continuous-Duty Humanoid Manipulation

Continuous-duty humanoid manipulation is thermally constrained by distal actuation. This paper presents a task-based thermal analysis of the repetitive industrial pick cycle and identifies the distal hand volume as the dominant heat trap. An architectural inversion is defined in which all primary heat-generating components are relocated to the proximal structure while force transmission and dexterity are preserved through passive finger mechanisms. The resulting thermal path enables sustained operation without torque derating, positional drift, or maintenance interruption. The work establishes proximal actuation as a thermodynamic requirement for deployable humanoid hands rather than a design preference.