Detachable Support Member for Robot Gripper Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic grippers face difficulties in grasping large and heavy objects, such as textbooks, as they tend to rotate or slip due to the weight distribution, which existing grippers struggle to manage effectively.
Innovation Solution
A detachable elongated support member is integrated with the gripper base, extending parallel to the plane of motion of the gripping fingers, which prevents rotation and slipping by providing additional support beneath the object, allowing the gripper to apply less torque and use a smaller actuator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional gripper without support member is used, then the device complexity is low, but the gripper cannot effectively grasp large and heavy objects as they rotate or slip
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper system is divided into two functional components: the basic opposable fingers for gripping and a separate detachable support member for stabilization. This segmentation allows the support member to be added only when needed for heavy objects, improving grasping stability without permanently increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is designed to be detachable rather than fixed, allowing the gripper configuration to dynamically adapt to different task requirements. The support member can be attached when grasping heavy objects that need stabilization and removed when it is not needed, making the system flexible and adaptable.
2Reliability
If the gripper fingers are made stronger to prevent rotation and slipping, then the grasping reliability improves, but the actuator size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support member acts as an intermediary element between the gripper fingers and the heavy object. It provides the additional stabilization needed to prevent rotation and slipping, allowing the actuators to remain smaller since they don't need to generate enough force alone to stabilize heavy objects.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilization function is extracted from the gripper fingers themselves and implemented through a separate support member. This allows the fingers to focus on gripping while the support member handles the stabilization of heavy objects, preventing the need for oversized actuators.
3Reliability
If a fixed support structure is added to the gripper, then the grasping of heavy objects is stabilized, but the device complexity and cost increase permanently
Solution Approach 1:
The support member transitions from a static fixed structure concept to a dynamic detachable component. It can be attached when needed for heavy objects and removed when not needed, allowing the gripper to maintain simplicity for light object tasks while gaining stabilization capability when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system's structural parameters are changed based on task requirements. The support member's presence or absence changes the gripper's effective parameters (such as support length and structural rigidity), allowing optimization for different object weights and sizes without permanently increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An example robotic gripping device includes two opposable gripping fingers and at least one actuator configured to move the two opposable gripping fingers towards and away from each other within a plane of motion. The robotic gripping device further includes a gripper base coupled to the two opposable gripping fingers, where the gripper base comprises an attachment interface. The robotic gripping device further includes a detachable elongated support member that mates with the attachment interface of the gripper base, such that when the elongated support member is attached to the attachment interface of the gripper base, the elongated support member extends parallel to the plane of motion of the two opposable gripping fingers.