Soft gripper and robot

Abstract

The invention provides a soft gripper and a robot. The invention relates to the technical field of soft robots. A soft gripper comprises an airflow center, a finger air pipe and a sucker air pipe, wherein the finger air pipe and the sucker air pipe supply air independently. The pneumatic fingers are distributed around the airflow center at intervals; the pneumatic finger comprises finger air chambers arranged at intervals in the length direction of the pneumatic finger, a first air channel communicating with the finger air chambers, a strain layer arranged below the first air channel and a strain limiting layer arranged in the strain layer. The Young modulus of the strain limiting layer material is larger than that of the strain layer material, and the first end of the first gas channel communicates with the finger gas pipe in a sealed mode. The suction cup actuators are arranged on the two sides of the pneumatic finger. The suction cup actuator comprises a suction cup air chamber and a suction cup single body communicated with the suction cup air chamber. The sucker air chamber is hermetically communicated with the sucker air pipe; the sucker monomers are adsorbed on the surface of a grabbed object; the connecting soft film is arranged between the suction cup actuators on the sides of the adjacent pneumatic fingers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of soft robots, and in particular to a soft gripper and a robot, which can be used for underwater biological sampling, ocean exploration, and other underwater operation scenarios requiring flexible gripping. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing demand for marine resource development and underwater exploration, the demand for devices that can perform flexible grasping and manipulation in underwater environments has become increasingly prominent. Traditional underwater grasping devices mostly use rigid structures, which often cause excessive grasping or damage when facing fragile or soft underwater organisms; at the same time, rigid mechanical structures are susceptible to collision or impact in complex underwater environments, thereby reducing operational efficiency and reliability.

[0003] Soft grippers have been gradually applied to underwater environments in recent years due to their softness, lightness, and strong adaptability. However, underwater soft grippers need to work in high pressure, low temperature, and variable water flow environments, and need to balance structural strength and flexible deformability. Therefore, designing an underwater soft gripper that is both reliable and flexible, and combining it with a corresponding preparation method, has important research and application value.

[0004] Existing underwater soft gripper technology solutions usually only use a single flexible material or a simple pneumatic actuator structure to achieve the grasping of underwater organisms. Although this solution is flexible to a certain extent, it still has the following problems and disadvantages in underwater high pressure and complex flow environments: 1). Insufficient grasping force and adaptability: Since most actuators are single-chamber or have a relatively simple structure, they cannot be finely adjusted for underwater organisms of different shapes, sizes and fragility. The deformation range of the actuator when inflating or deflated is limited, which makes it difficult to balance flexibility and stability during grasping, and it is easy to cause a loose grasp or excessive force to damage the organism. The reason is that there is a lack of multi-region, multi-angle segmented control mechanism, which makes it difficult to achieve both flexible grasping and high-strength grasping. 2). Unstable adsorption effect: Some existing solutions rely on mechanical grippers or only use external suction to assist grasping, and lack a suction cup structure that can be self-regulated. The water flow in the underwater environment is complex and there are pressure difference changes. If the suction cup or fixture design does not fully consider the influence of water pressure and flow, there will be problems of loose adsorption or easy detachment. The main reason is that the suction cup structure does not fully utilize the internal and external pressure difference, and the adsorption film or contact surface design is simple, resulting in poor fit and sealing. 3). Stress concentration leads to structural fragility: Under high pressure conditions underwater, if the corners of the internal cavity of the actuator and suction cup are not properly handled, stress concentration is very likely to occur during bending deformation or pressure shock, causing material fatigue, cracks or even damage. The fundamental reason is that the existing technology often adopts a simple right-angle or non-rounded transition cavity design, which lacks targeted optimization for high pressure shocks and frequent bending deformations in underwater environments.

[0005] The above problems and shortcomings result in deficiencies in the existing underwater soft grippers in terms of flexible grasping, stable adsorption and adaptability to seawater environments, making it difficult to meet the needs of safe and efficient sampling of underwater organisms and other targets. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present disclosure provides a soft gripper and a robot to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a soft gripper is provided, comprising: Airflow center, including finger airway and suction cup airway with independent air supply; Pneumatic fingers are distributed around the airflow center at intervals; the pneumatic fingers include a plurality of finger air chambers arranged at intervals along the length direction thereof, a first gas channel connecting the plurality of finger air chambers, a strain layer arranged below the first gas channel, and a strain limiting layer arranged inside the strain layer; wherein the Young's modulus of the material of the strain limiting layer is greater than the Young's modulus of the material of the strain layer, and the first end of the first gas channel is sealed and connected to the finger air tube; A suction cup actuator is arranged on both sides of the pneumatic finger; the suction cup actuator comprises a suction cup air chamber and a plurality of suction cup units connected to the suction cup air chamber; the suction cup air chamber is sealed and connected to the suction cup air pipe, and the suction cup units are used to be adsorbed on the surface of the grasped object; The connecting soft film is arranged between the suction cup actuators on the adjacent pneumatic finger sides.

[0008] In one possible implementation manner, the pneumatic finger further includes a palmar protrusion, and the palmar protrusion is disposed below the strain layer.

[0009] In one possible implementation manner, the palm bulge, the strain layer and the finger air chamber are all made of silicone, and the strain limiting layer is made of TPU material.

[0010] In one possible implementation manner, the suction cup unit is a cavity structure formed by a suction cup membrane and suction cup walls arranged around the suction cup membrane, which is open at one end and closed at the other end; the open end of the cavity structure is sealed and connected to the suction cup air chamber.

[0011] In one embodiment, the thickness of the suction cup membrane is greater than 0.5 mm and less than the thickness of the suction cup wall.

[0012] In one possible implementation manner, the first plane where the suction cup membrane is located is located below the second plane where the palmar protrusion is located.

[0013] In one possible implementation manner, a plurality of holes are formed on the connecting soft film.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the material of the suction cup actuator is silicone; The material of the connecting soft film is silica gel.

[0015] In one possible implementation manner, the connecting soft film and the suction cup actuator, and the suction cup actuator and the pneumatic finger are both fixed by bonding with silicone.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a robot comprising any one of the above-described implementable soft grippers.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this application are: 1) Since this application adopts a combination of pneumatic fingers and suction cup actuators, it has achieved significant improvements in flexible grasping and adsorption performance. The connection of the soft film can give it a stronger wrapping performance, making it very suitable for sampling and operating fragile targets such as organisms and marine artifacts in underwater environments. The soft gripper can not only adapt to various irregular and fragile targets, but also maintain stability in complex underwater flow environments, which provides a safer and more efficient tool for fields such as marine biological research, ecological environment monitoring, and deep-sea exploration. Therefore, the soft gripper of this application has broad application prospects.

[0018] 2) The pneumatic fingers of this application are provided with a strain layer and a strain limiting layer made of TPU, which enables the pneumatic fingers to achieve precise and local bending deformation when inflating and deflating, thereby taking into account sufficient grasping force and gentle operation in flexible grasping. Compared with traditional structures, this design can better adapt to the shapes and sizes of various targets, effectively reduce the risk of injury, and greatly improve operational safety and adaptability.

[0019] 3) The top of the finger air chamber of the present application adopts a rounded corner design, and the connection position between the finger air chambers adopts a rounded corner transition. The rounded corner transition design effectively alleviates the stress concentration problem and improves the durability and overall stability of the pneumatic finger in a high-pressure environment.

[0020] 4) In this application, the suction cup actuator achieves expansion and contraction of the suction cup membrane by precisely controlling the internal and external air pressure difference, ensuring a firm and stable adsorption effect in a complex underwater flow environment. At the same time, the rounded corner transition design effectively alleviates the stress concentration problem and improves the durability and overall stability of the suction cup actuator in a high-pressure environment, which has significant advantages over traditional right-angle or simple suction cup structures.

[0021] 5) In the present application, the design of connecting the soft membrane greatly enhances the wrapping property of the gripper. By setting holes on the membrane surface, the holes can effectively reduce the resistance caused by the impact of water flow and reduce the overall weight, thereby achieving better fluid permeability and pressure balance in the underwater environment, making the soft gripper more flexible in movement and operation; at the same time, water flow or air flow can be quickly exchanged inside and outside the membrane to avoid excessive swelling or collapse of the membrane, thereby enhancing the stability and controllability of the structure.

[0022] It should be understood that the content described in this section is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily understood by reading the detailed description below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, several embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in an exemplary and non-limiting manner, in which: In the drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals represent the same or corresponding parts.

[0024] Figure 1 The overall structure of the soft gripper of the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown Figure 1 ; Figure 2 The overall structure of the soft gripper of the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown Figure 2 ; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the side structure of a soft gripper according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a pneumatic finger according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 5 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a pneumatic finger according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the airflow hub of an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the internal pipeline structure of the airflow hub of an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 8 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a suction cup actuator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Fig. 9 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the components of the suction cup main body casting mold in the embodiment of the present disclosure in a buckled state; Fig.10 A cross-sectional schematic diagram showing various components of the suction cup main body casting mold in an embodiment of the present disclosure in a buckled state; Fig.11A schematic structural diagram showing the components of the suction cup main body casting mold in a separated state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Fig.12 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the components of the pneumatic finger casting mold in the embodiment of the present disclosure in a buckled state; Fig.13 A cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the components of the pneumatic finger casting mold of the embodiment of the present disclosure in a fastened state; Fig.14 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the components of the pneumatic finger casting mold in the embodiment of the present disclosure in a separated state; Fig.15 A schematic structural diagram showing the components of the suction cup monomer casting mold in an embodiment of the present disclosure in a buckled state; Fig.16 A cross-sectional schematic diagram showing various components of the suction cup monomer casting mold according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a buckled state; Fig.17 A schematic structural diagram showing the components of the suction cup monomer casting mold in a separated state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Fig.18 A schematic structural diagram of a connected soft film casting mold according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Explanation of the numbers in the figure: pneumatic finger-1, nylon rolling belt-2, air flow center-3, suction cup actuator-4, connecting soft film-5, palm surface protrusion-101, strain limiting layer-102, strain layer-103, finger air chamber-104, air chamber outer wall-105, first gas channel-106, finger air tube-301, suction cup air tube-302, shell-303, suction cup monomer-401, suction cup membrane-4011, suction cup wall-4012, suction cup air chamber-402, suction cup body-403, front end shell-601, air cavity shaft-602, upper shell-603, lower shell-604, palm surface mold-701, bottom mold-703, middle mold-704, top mold-705, pin-706, base-801, core-802, cover plate-803. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the purpose, features, and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0027] In response to the defects in the prior art, the present invention proposes a design that combines a pneumatic grid actuator (i.e., pneumatic fingers) with an adjustable suction cup, and makes improvements in the overall structure, material matching and preparation process to achieve flexible and reliable grasping and adsorption in an underwater environment.

[0028] Based on this, according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the present invention provides an underwater soft gripper, which aims to solve the problems existing in the prior art, such as insufficient gripping force and adaptability, unstable adsorption effect, fragile structure caused by stress concentration, and insufficient coordination between materials and processes.

[0029] like Figure 1-8 As shown, an underwater soft gripper (referred to as "soft gripper") includes an air flow center 3, including a finger air pipe 301 and a suction cup air pipe 302 with independent air supply; The pneumatic finger 1 is distributed around the airflow center 3 at intervals; the pneumatic finger 1 comprises a plurality of finger air chambers 104 arranged at intervals along the length direction thereof, a first gas channel 106 connecting the plurality of finger air chambers, a strain layer 103 arranged below the first gas channel, and a strain limiting layer 102 arranged inside the strain layer 103; wherein the Young's modulus of the material of the strain limiting layer 102 is greater than the Young's modulus of the material of the strain layer 103, and the first end of the first gas channel 106 is sealed and connected to the finger air tube 301; The suction cup actuator 4 is arranged on both sides of the pneumatic finger 1; the suction cup actuator 4 includes a suction cup air chamber 402 and a plurality of suction cup monomers 401 connected to the suction cup air chamber; the suction cup air chamber 402 is sealed and connected to the suction cup air pipe 302, and the suction cup monomers 401 are used to adsorb on the surface of the grasped object; The connecting soft film 5 is arranged between the suction cup actuators 4 on the adjacent pneumatic finger sides.

[0030] For example, Figure 6-7 As shown, the airflow hub 3 is composed of a finger air tube 301, a suction cup air tube 302 and a shell 303, and the whole is made of 3D printing of PLA (polylactic acid) material. Among them, the finger air tube 301 is responsible for supplying air to the pneumatic finger 1, and the suction cup air tube 302 supplies air to the suction cup actuator 4. The shell 303 is used to install and fix the finger air tube 301 and the suction cup air tube 302. Each air tube is embedded in the corresponding air chamber at the interface through a compression sealing process, and is fixed with the help of a nylon rolling belt 2 to ensure the sealing and stability of airflow transmission.

[0031] The present application has achieved significant improvements in flexible grasping and adsorption performance due to the combination of pneumatic fingers 1 and suction cup actuators 4. The connection of the soft film 5 can give it a stronger wrapping performance, making it very suitable for sampling and operating fragile targets such as organisms and marine artifacts in underwater environments. The soft gripper can not only adapt to various irregular and fragile targets, but also maintain stability in complex underwater flow environments, which provides a safer and more efficient tool for fields such as marine biological research, ecological environment monitoring, and deep-sea exploration. Therefore, the soft gripper of the present application has a wide range of application prospects.

[0032] The soft gripper of this application realizes the design and preparation method of the soft gripper structure that has both flexibility and high-strength grasping, controllable adsorption, stable structure and adaptability to multi-material composite molding manufacturing in an underwater environment, thereby meeting the requirements of grasping strength, adaptability and reliability in complex application scenarios such as underwater biological sampling. The soft gripper is composed of multiple modules as a whole, and the modules are closely combined through precise manufacturing processes and bonding technologies to collaboratively complete the flexible grasping task.

[0033] Further, such as Figure 5 As shown, the pneumatic finger 1 of the present application further includes a palm convexity 101, which is arranged below the strain layer 103. The design of the palm convexity 101 can effectively increase the friction between the pneumatic finger 1 and the contact surface of the grasped object, ensuring stability and reliability during the grasping process.

[0034] For example, the palm convexity 101, the strain layer 103 and the finger air chamber 104 are all made of silicone, and the strain limiting layer 102 is made of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane rubber). In addition, the strain limiting layer can also be made of A4 paper.

[0035] The pneumatic finger 1 is provided with a strain layer 103 and a strain limiting layer 102 made of TPU, so that the pneumatic finger 1 can achieve precise and local bending deformation when inflating and deflating, thereby taking into account sufficient grasping force and gentle operation in flexible grasping. Compared with the traditional structure, this design can better adapt to the shapes and sizes of various targets, effectively reduce the risk of injury, and greatly improve the safety and adaptability of operation.

[0036] Therefore, in this embodiment, the pneumatic finger 1 is mainly composed of a palm convexity 101, a strain limiting layer 102, a strain layer 103, a finger air chamber 104, and an air chamber outer wall 105. A plurality of finger air chambers 104 are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the pneumatic finger 1, and the finger air chambers 104 are connected to each other through a first gas channel 106, and a first end of the first gas channel 106 is sealed and connected to a finger air pipe 301, and the finger air pipe 301 supplies air to the finger air chamber 104. The finger air chamber 104 has an air chamber outer wall 105. In the non-inflated state, there are gaps between the air chamber outer walls 105. When air is supplied to the finger air chamber 104 through the finger air tube 301, as the air pressure inside the finger air chamber 104 gradually increases, the air chamber outer walls 105 expand, expand outward, contact and squeeze each other, generate an interaction force, and cause the upper finger air chamber 104 to move relative to each other, driving the strain layer 103 to stretch. The strain limiting layer 102 is made of TPU material and is made by 3D printing. Its Young's modulus is much larger than that of silicone material, so its stretching amount is smaller, and it guides the pneumatic finger 1 to bend.

[0037] For example, the top of the finger air chamber 104 of the present application adopts a rounded corner design, and the connection position between the finger air chamber 104 and the finger air chamber 104 adopts a rounded corner transition. The use of the rounded corner transition design effectively alleviates the stress concentration problem and improves the durability and overall stability of the actuator (i.e., the pneumatic finger 1) under high pressure environment.

[0038] The rounded corner design and multi-material composite molding process used in the soft gripper of this application effectively reduce stress concentration and extend the service life and durability of the device, which means that good performance can be maintained even under long-term underwater operations or extreme environmental conditions. As a result, it is not only suitable for underwater biological sampling, but can also be expanded to multiple application fields such as marine engineering, submarine pipeline maintenance, rescue operations, and underwater robots. At the same time, with the continuous maturity of soft robot technology, this device with high flexibility and high gripping force is expected to be integrated with other underwater equipment to achieve a more intelligent and multifunctional underwater operation system, thereby promoting the development of the entire marine science and engineering technology.

[0039] For example, the casting of the pneumatic finger 1 is mainly divided into the casting of the finger body (including the finger air chamber 104 and the air chamber outer wall 105), the strain layer 103 and the strain limiting layer 102. The pneumatic finger 1 is cast by a pneumatic finger casting mold.

[0040] like Figure 12-14As shown, the pneumatic finger casting mold is mainly composed of a palm mold 701, a strain limiting layer 102, a bottom mold 703, a middle mold 704, a top mold 705, and a latch 706. Before casting the finger body, the bottom mold 703, the middle mold 704, the top mold 705, and the latch 706 are assembled first, and the silicone material is evenly poured into the opening of the middle mold 704, and then put into a defoaming machine for defoaming treatment, and the finger body is peeled off after the silicone is formed.

[0041] The pouring of the bottom of the pneumatic finger 1 is divided into two steps. The silicone material is poured into the groove of the palm mold 701. When the height of the silicone is half of the groove, it is stopped and then placed in a defoaming machine for defoaming treatment. After the silicone is formed, the strain limiting layer 102 obtained by 3D printing is evenly spread in the center of the groove of the palm mold 701. After the silicone material is filled in the groove, it is still and waits for the silicone to be formed. The strain limiting layer 102 is provided with a long strip of openings, so that when the silicone is poured in later, the silicone passes through the opening of the strain limiting layer and adheres to the silicone below the strain limiting layer 102, thereby further ensuring that the strain limiting layer 102 is firmly bonded to the inside of the strain layer 103.

[0042] Finally, the silicone material is used as an adhesive to bond the cast finger body and the strain layer 103 together, and then the silicone is allowed to form.

[0043] In some embodiments, Figure 8 As shown, the suction cup monomer 401 is a cavity structure with one end open and the other end closed, which is formed by a suction cup membrane 4011 and a suction cup wall 4012 arranged around the suction cup membrane; the open end of the cavity structure is sealed and connected to the suction cup air chamber 402.

[0044] Specifically, the suction cup actuator 4 is mainly composed of a suction cup unit 401, a suction cup air chamber 402, and a suction cup body 403. The suction cup unit 401 is composed of a suction cup membrane 4011 and a suction cup wall 4012. A suction cup air chamber 402 is formed in the suction cup body 403 along its length direction. One end of the suction cup air chamber 402 is sealed and connected to the suction cup air pipe 302, and the other end of the suction cup air chamber 402 is sealed and connected to the open end of the suction cup unit 401. For example, the suction cup membrane 4011 adopts a rounded corner design. The suction cup actuator 4 of the present application adopts a unique internal cavity structure. By controlling the air pressure difference inside and outside the suction cup actuator, the expansion and contraction of the suction cup membrane 4011 is achieved, thereby achieving the purpose of firmly adsorbing the grasped object. This design enables the suction cup actuator 4 to maintain a stable adsorption state in a complex underwater flow environment, avoiding falling off due to water flow impact.

[0045] The working principle of the suction cup actuator 4 is as follows: the internal air pressure of the suction cup air chamber 402 is adjusted. When the internal air pressure of the suction cup air chamber 402 increases and exceeds the external water pressure, the suction cup membrane 4011 will expand outward to the surface of the grasped object as the air pressure increases. When it contacts the surface of the grasped object, the air pressure inside the suction cup air chamber 402 is adjusted to decrease. After the air pressure is less than the external water pressure, the suction cup membrane 4011 will shrink inward as the air pressure decreases. The suction cup membrane 4011 gradually sticks to the surface of the grasped object, thereby producing an adsorption effect, and then the object can be sucked up.

[0046] In the present application, the suction cup actuator 4 achieves the expansion and contraction of the suction cup membrane 4011 by precisely controlling the internal and external pressure difference, ensuring a firm and stable adsorption effect in a complex underwater flow environment. At the same time, the rounded transition design effectively alleviates the stress concentration problem, improves the durability and overall stability of the suction cup actuator in a high-pressure environment, and has significant advantages over traditional right-angle or simple suction cup structures.

[0047] For example, the thickness of the suction cup membrane 4011 is greater than 0.5 mm and less than the thickness of the suction cup wall 4012. The thickness of the suction cup membrane is smaller than the thickness of the suction cup wall, so that when the suction cup air chamber 402 is pressurized, the suction cup membrane 4011 can expand and swell outwards before the suction cup wall 4012, thereby contacting the surface of the grasped object. Then, when the suction cup air chamber 402 is depressurized, the suction cup membrane 4011 can shrink inwards and gradually adhere to the surface of the grasped object.

[0048] For example, the material of the suction cup actuator 4 is silicone. Figure 1 As shown, the suction cup actuator 4 is arranged between the pneumatic finger 1 and the connecting soft film 5, and the suction cup actuator 4 and the connecting soft film 5, as well as the suction cup actuator 4 and the pneumatic finger 1 are bonded by silicone.

[0049] For example, Figure 3 As shown, the first plane where the suction cup membrane 4011 is located is located below the second plane where the palm protrusion 101 is located. When the underwater gripper grasps the grasped object, the suction cup membrane 4011 can contact the surface of the grasped object before the palm protrusion 101, and then when the suction cup membrane 4011 shrinks inwards and clings to the surface of the grasped object, the palm protrusion 101 can also contact the surface of the grasped object, increasing the friction between the pneumatic finger and the surface of the grasped object, ensuring the grasping force, as well as the stability and reliability during the grasping process, and reducing the risk of mechanical damage to fragile objects.

[0050] In this embodiment, when manufacturing the suction cup actuator 4, the suction cup body 403 and the suction cup monomer 401 are respectively formed by casting silicone rubber through two sets of different molds, that is, the suction cup body 403 is cast by using the suction cup body casting mold, and the suction cup monomer 401 is cast by using the suction cup monomer casting mold. Figure 9-11As shown, the suction cup body casting mold is composed of a front end shell sleeve 601, an air cavity shaft 602, an upper shell 603 and a lower shell 604. Before pouring the silicone material, the three components of the front end shell sleeve 601, the upper shell 603 and the lower shell 604 are buckled together, and the silicone material is poured into the small hole of the front end shell sleeve 601 until the internal cavity is filled, and then put into a defoaming machine for defoaming treatment, and then the air cavity shaft 602 is inserted into the hole of the front end shell sleeve 601 and buckled, and the suction cup body 403 is peeled off after the silicone is formed.

[0051] like Figure 15-17 As shown, the suction cup monomer casting mold is composed of a base 801, a core 802 and a cover plate 803. Before casting the silicone material, the base 801 and the core 802 are first buckled together, the silicone material is poured into the buckled mold, and then the mold is put into a defoaming machine for defoaming treatment, and then the cover plate 803 is buckled together. After the silicone is formed, the suction cup monomer 401 is peeled off; then the suction cup monomer 401 is bonded and fixed to the groove at the bottom of the suction cup body 403 by silicone, and the groove is connected to the suction cup air chamber 402, so that the opening end of the suction cup monomer 401 is sealed and connected to the suction cup air chamber 402 of the suction cup body 403.

[0052] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, a plurality of holes are provided on the connecting soft membrane 5. For example, the material of the connecting soft membrane 5 is silicone. The design of the connecting soft membrane 5 greatly enhances the wrapping property of the gripper. By setting holes on the membrane surface, the holes can effectively reduce the resistance caused by the impact of water flow and reduce the overall weight, thereby achieving better fluid permeability and pressure balance in the underwater environment, making the soft gripper more flexible in movement and operation; at the same time, water flow or air flow can be quickly exchanged inside and outside the membrane to avoid excessive swelling or collapse of the membrane, thereby enhancing the stability and controllability of the structure.

[0053] For example, the connecting soft film 5 is also formed by using a connecting soft film casting mold and casting with silicone. Fig.18 As shown. The connecting soft film 5 is arranged between the suction cup actuators 4 on the sides of two adjacent pneumatic fingers, and is fixed to the suction cup actuator 4 by silicone bonding. The connecting soft film 5 is also fixed to the airflow hub 3. The connecting soft film 5 is used to connect the airflow hub and the suction cup actuator 4. The soft gripper is composed of 4 pneumatic fingers 1, 1 airflow hub 3, 8 suction cup actuators 4 and 4 connecting soft films 5. They are bonded by silicone, and the airflow hub, pneumatic fingers 1 and suction cup actuator 4 are fastened and assembled by nylon rolling belts 2, forming a set of compact structure and coordinated functions.

[0054] For example, the connecting soft film 5 and the suction cup actuator 4, as well as the suction cup actuator 4 and the pneumatic finger 1 are fixed by silicone bonding. The connection design of the connecting soft film 5 significantly improves the wrapping performance of the soft gripper. The holes set on the surface of the connecting soft film can effectively reduce the resistance and overall weight caused by the impact of water flow, thereby achieving a more ideal fluid permeability and pressure balance in an underwater environment, making the gripper more flexible during movement and operation. At the same time, these holes promote the rapid exchange of water or air flow inside and outside the membrane, avoiding excessive swelling or collapse of the connecting soft film due to uneven pressure, thereby ensuring the stability and controllability of the gripper.

[0055] The present invention optimizes the mold structure and production process, and uses a variety of materials for manufacturing. The airflow hub 3 uses 3D printed PLA, the strain limiting layer 102 in the pneumatic finger 1 uses TPU material and is 3D printed, and the pneumatic finger 1 and the suction cup actuator 4 are both molded by silicone casting. The synergy between the various materials makes the overall structure both flexible and strong in the complex underwater environment, and the various parts are tightly connected, and it is not easy to cause local delamination or breakage due to material mismatch.

[0056] This application combines 3D printing technology with silicone casting technology. The airflow hub 3 is made of PLA material, the strain limiting layer in the pneumatic finger 1 is printed with TPU, and the entire shell and suction cup are molded by silicone casting. This multi-material collaborative manufacturing method improves the overall flexibility and mechanical strength, and by optimizing the mold and manufacturing process, a relatively simple and efficient production method is achieved, which greatly reduces the complexity of traditional processes and improves the consistency and reliability of products.

[0057] The soft gripper of this application is not only suitable for marine engineering fields such as marine biological sampling and underwater cultural relics salvage, but can also be extended to multiple application scenarios such as underwater rescue, seabed facility maintenance and intelligent underwater robots. In terms of marine biological sampling, the pneumatic fingers and controllable suction cup structure of this technology can achieve gentle and precise grasping of marine organisms of various shapes, sizes and fragility, greatly reducing the risk of damage caused by traditional rigid clamps; at the same time, the rounded cavity design and multi-material composite molding process ensure the long-term stability and durability of the equipment in high pressure, low temperature and complex water flow environments. This makes the product very suitable for use by scientific research institutions, marine exploration companies and relevant government departments in ecological monitoring, marine resource surveys and environmental protection. Its market positioning mainly focuses on high-precision, low-risk and high-stability professional underwater operation equipment.

[0058] In addition, the principles and structural advantages of the technology of this application can also be transformed and applied in the field of medical equipment, especially in minimally invasive surgery and robot-assisted surgery. By utilizing the characteristics of flexible grasping and precise control, a class of gentle and high-precision soft surgical instruments can be developed to treat soft tissues or organs inside the human body, thereby reducing damage to tissues during surgery, improving surgical safety and patient recovery efficiency. The main functions of this type of medical equipment include: being able to adaptively grasp according to different tissue morphologies, achieving high-precision positioning and operation in a small operating space, and having good repeatability and durability. In terms of market demand, with the continuous promotion of minimally invasive surgical technology and the increasing requirements for patient safety, this type of equipment with both flexibility and high grasping force is gradually becoming an important development direction in surgical operations, organ transplantation and other medical fields that require delicate operations. Its market positioning is a high-end, precise, and low-traumatic medical device product.

[0059] In addition, the technology also has potential application prospects in the fields of industrial automation and intelligent manufacturing. For example, in industries such as food processing, pharmaceuticals or electronic product assembly, traditional rigid manipulators often have problems such as insufficient flexibility in grasping fragile items and easy to cause damage. The flexible grasping technology used in the present invention can achieve safe operation of irregular and fragile products, meeting the needs of modern intelligent manufacturing for flexible and precise operation.

[0060] In addition, the application of this software gripper has the following impact on society and industry: The technology of this application optimizes the structure of the internal cavity and mold of the pneumatic finger and designs a controllable suction cup structure, which not only achieves accurate and flexible grasping of underwater targets, but also greatly simplifies the manufacturing process. These technical advantages have promoted the development of the entire underwater robot and soft robot industry, and its application has had a profound impact on both the industry and society.

[0061] Technological breakthroughs make underwater operations more gentle and efficient. Traditional rigid grippers often have the risk of damage when grasping fragile or irregular targets, while the soft gripper of this application effectively reduces the impact on the target through flexible structure and precise air pressure control. This not only helps to improve the success rate of marine biological sampling, cultural relics salvage and underwater facility maintenance, but also provides a more scientific and precise means for marine ecological protection and resource management, and promotes the progress of related industries such as marine research and environmental monitoring.

[0062] The optimization of the manufacturing process by the technology in this application has greatly reduced the complexity and cost of production. By improving the mold design, optimizing the defoaming treatment and sealing process, efficient and consistent product manufacturing is achieved. This simple and efficient production method not only shortens the R&D cycle, but also improves the consistency and durability of the product, providing technical support for the large-scale promotion of the soft robot industry, and helping the entire industry accelerate towards maturity and standardization.

[0063] This technology has significant cross-domain application potential. The flexible grasping characteristics of the soft gripper can be transformed into a new minimally invasive surgical instrument in the medical field to reduce damage to fragile tissues during surgery; in industrial automation, it can be used to handle fragile and irregular objects and improve the intelligence and automation level of production lines. This cross-industry application not only brings new breakthroughs to the research and development of high-end equipment, but also promotes collaborative innovation among various fields and further enhances the overall industrial competitiveness.

[0064] The popularization of soft gripper technology helps improve the quality of life of the public. In terms of environmental protection, resource development, and medical health, its application can reduce damage to the natural ecology, improve operational safety, and provide reliable support for refined operations, thus making positive contributions to the sustainable development of society and scientific and technological progress.

[0065] According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the present invention also provides a robot, including the soft gripper in any of the above embodiments. The robot with the soft gripper of the present application can also achieve stability and controllability of grasping. It can not only adapt to various irregular and fragile targets, but also maintain stability in complex underwater flow environments, which provides a safer and more efficient tool for the fields of marine biological research, ecological environment monitoring, and deep-sea exploration.

[0066] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add or delete steps. For example, the steps recorded in this disclosure can be executed in parallel, sequentially or in different orders, as long as the desired results of the technical solutions disclosed in this disclosure can be achieved, and this document does not limit this.

[0067] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present disclosure, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0068] The orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0069] The description of the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0070] Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connection", "direct connection", "indirect connection", "fixed connection", "installation", and "assembly" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; the terms "installation", "connection", and "fixed connection" can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or the internal communication of two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0071] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure, which should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A soft gripper, characterized in that: include, An airflow center (3), including a finger airway (301) and a suction cup airway (302) with independent air supply; A pneumatic finger (1) is distributed at intervals around an airflow center (3); the pneumatic finger (1) comprises a plurality of finger air chambers (104) arranged at intervals along its length direction, a first air channel (106) connecting the plurality of finger air chambers, a strain layer (103) arranged below the first air channel, and a strain limiting layer (102) arranged inside the strain layer (103); wherein the Young's modulus of the material of the strain limiting layer (102) is greater than the Young's modulus of the material of the strain layer (103), and a first end of the first air channel (106) is sealed and connected to the finger air tube (301); A suction cup actuator (4) is arranged on both sides of the pneumatic finger (1); the suction cup actuator (4) comprises a suction cup air chamber (402) and a plurality of suction cup units (401) connected to the suction cup air chamber; the suction cup air chamber (402) is sealed and connected to the suction cup air pipe (302), and the suction cup units are used to be adsorbed on the surface of the grasped object; The connecting soft film (5) is arranged between the suction cup actuators (4) on the sides of adjacent pneumatic fingers.

2. The soft gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pneumatic finger (1) further comprises a palmar protrusion (101), wherein the palmar protrusion (101) is arranged below the strain layer (103).

3. The soft gripper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The materials of the palm bulge (101), the strain layer (103) and the finger air chamber (104) are all made of silicone, and the material of the strain limiting layer (102) is TPU material.

4. The soft gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The suction cup monomer (401) is a cavity structure formed by a suction cup membrane (4011) and a suction cup wall (4012) arranged around the suction cup membrane, with one end open and the other end closed; the open end of the cavity structure is in sealed communication with the suction cup air chamber (402).

5. The soft gripper according to claim 4, characterized in that: The thickness of the suction cup membrane (4011) is greater than 0.5 mm and less than the thickness of the suction cup wall (4012).

6. The soft gripper according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first plane where the suction cup membrane (4011) is located is located below the second plane where the palmar protrusion (101) is located.

7. The soft gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting soft film (5) is provided with a plurality of holes.

8. The soft gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the suction cup actuator (4) is silicone; The material of the connecting soft film (5) is silicone.

9. The soft gripper according to claim 8, characterized in that: The connecting soft film (5) and the suction cup actuator (4), as well as the suction cup actuator (4) and the pneumatic finger (1) are all fixed by means of silicone bonding.

10. A robot, characterized in that: The invention comprises the soft gripper as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images