Jamming Gripper Stencil Pre-Shaping for Delicate Grasping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Jamming grippers face challenges in grasping smaller and more delicate objects due to the need for significant force to reshape the gripper, which can be damaging, and they are power-hungry, requiring vacuum operation.
Innovation Solution
The use of stencil moldings to pre-shape the jamming gripper into a desired form before engagement with the object, allowing for minimal force grasping and precise conformation, utilizing a deformable membrane with granular material and a pressure regulator to transition between malleable and rigid states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a jamming gripper is used to grasp smaller and more delicate objects, then the gripper can conform to various shapes, but significant force is required to reshape the gripper which can be damaging to fragile objects
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper is pre-shaped into a desired form before engagement with the object using a molding process. This preliminary action allows the gripper to be shaped without requiring significant force during the actual grasping operation, thereby protecting fragile objects from damage while maintaining adaptability to various shapes
2Reliability
If a jamming gripper operates using vacuum to maintain rigid state, then the gripper can grasp objects firmly, but the system becomes power-hungry
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper utilizes phase transition of granular material between loose and jammed states to achieve rigid form. By applying a small amount of pressure to transition the material phase, the gripper maintains structural integrity and grasping firmness without requiring continuous vacuum operation, thereby significantly reducing power consumption
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables grasping of complex and fragile objects with reduced pressure, achieving precise conformation and handling of various shapes without excessive force, while also allowing for re-moldability and reduced power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
the pressure regulator is configured to modify an internal pressure of the gripper, so as to phase transition the gripper between a malleable state and a rigid state
Implementation Method 2
the gripper comprises a deformable membrane configured to phase transition between a malleable state and a rigid state as a function of pressure imparted by the pressure regulator
Data Source
AI summary
A robot system having a robot with a jamming gripper is disclosed. The jamming gripper may comprise granular material within a deformable membrane configured to phase transition between a malleable state and a rigid state upon modification of its internal pressure. The phase transition of the gripper may allow the robot to engage and/or grasp a target object by conforming to the shape of the target object while in its malleable state, then transitioning to its rigid state in order to firmly grasp the object. In some situations, the robot may be configured to select and/or engage a stencil before engaging the target object, so as to pre-shape the gripper before engagement with the target object.