1-degree-of-freedom Robotic Gripper With Infinite Self-Twist Function

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel robotic gripper with a single actuator capable of both grasping and infinite wrist twisting, enabling effective handling of flexible objects through a differential gear mechanism and force-based switching.

Contribution

A new robotic gripper design that combines grasping and infinite twist functions with a differential gear mechanism and force-based switching, allowing versatile manipulation of flexible objects.

Findings

Successful experimental validation of the gripper's performance.

Effective twist grasping of flexible thin objects demonstrated.

The differential gear mechanism enables seamless switching between motions.

Abstract

This study proposed a novel robotic gripper that can achieve grasping and infinite wrist twisting motions using a single actuator. The gripper is equipped with a differential gear mechanism that allows switching between the grasping and twisting motions according to the magnitude of the tip force applied to the finger. The grasping motion is activated when the tip force is below a set value, and the wrist twisting motion is activated when the tip force exceeds this value. "Twist grasping," a special grasping mode that allows the wrapping of a flexible thin object around the fingers of the gripper, can be achieved by the twisting motion. Twist grasping is effective for handling objects with flexible thin parts, such as laminated packaging pouches, that are difficult to grasp using conventional antipodal grasping. In this study, the gripper design is presented, and twist grasping is analyzed. The gripper performance is experimentally validated.