Vacuum Augmented Electroadhesive Gripper Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robotic grippers face limitations in handling diverse objects due to requirements for smooth surfaces, high power consumption, and potential damage, and existing non-permanent attachment methods like chemical adhesives or fasteners often leave residues or require excessive force, making them unsuitable for fragile or delicate items.
Innovation Solution
The use of electroadhesive surfaces with a load-bearing backing that changes shape from curled to uncurled to create a vacuum seal, combined with electrostatic attraction, allowing for reversible and temporary attachment without damaging the object.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If suction is used to grip objects, then objects can be held without mechanical contact, but smooth clean dry and flat surfaces are required which limits the types and conditions of objects that can be gripped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines electroadhesive forces with vacuum suction to create a hybrid gripping system. The electroadhesive electrodes provide additional attachment force that works complementarily with the vacuum seal, allowing the system to handle objects with various surface properties including those that are not perfectly smooth or clean, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and adaptability
2Ease of operation
If suction is used to grip objects, then objects can be held without mechanical contact, but a lot of power is required for the pumps and leaks at any location on a vacuum or low pressure seal result in loss of suction
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges electroadhesive attachment with vacuum suction, where the electroadhesive electrodes provide a significant portion of the holding force independently of the vacuum system. This reduces the power burden on the vacuum pump since it no longer needs to maintain the full gripping force, and the electroadhesive effect is not susceptible to leaks, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and energy consumption
3Force
If mechanical actuation with large normal forces is used to grip objects, then objects can be held securely, but large forces increase the cost of mechanical actuation and require substantial weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical actuation systems that generate large normal forces with an electroadhesive system that uses electrostatic fields to generate attachment forces. This substitution eliminates the need for heavy mechanical actuators, motors, and transmission components, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving sufficient gripping force and minimizing actuator weight
4Force
If mechanical actuation with large normal forces is used to grip objects, then objects can be held securely, but large forces leave damaging marks on the surface of the object
Solution Approach 1:
The system substitutes mechanical contact forces with electroadhesive forces that act through a small gap without direct surface-to-surface contact. The electroadhesive field penetrates the gap and attaches the object to the gripping surface without requiring large normal forces that would cause mechanical deformation or surface marks, thereby resolving the contradiction between gripping force and surface damage prevention
5Force
If chemical adhesives are used to attach objects, then objects can be held firmly, but residues are left and dust and other debris are attracted that reduce effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical adhesive bonding with electroadhesive attachment that uses electrostatic fields instead of chemical bonds. This substitution eliminates the generation of residues and the attraction of dust and debris that accompany chemical adhesives, while still providing firm attachment forces, thereby resolving the contradiction between attachment force and harmful factor generation
6Force
If chemical adhesives are used to attach objects, then objects can be held firmly, but a significant amount of added force is required to undo or overcome a grip once applied
Solution Approach 1:
The electroadhesive system uses periodic or controllable electrical actuation to attach and detach objects. By simply switching the electrical power on or off, or modulating the voltage, the attachment force can be instantly applied or removed without requiring additional mechanical force to overcome the bond, thereby resolving the contradiction between attachment force strength and detachment ease
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
This solution enables robust, reliable, and reversible attachment of objects, suitable for a wide range of surfaces, including fragile ones, with improved handling capabilities and reduced risk of damage, and allows for higher speed and predictability in automated handling operations.
Implementation Method 1
electrodes that are configured to induce an electrostatic attraction with nearby objects when an appropriate voltage or current is applied to the electrodes
Implementation Method 2
the electrode polarization can induce a corresponding polarization in a nearby object to effect adhesion of the object to the electroadhesive surface
Implementation Method 3
the transition from the curled shape to the uncurled shape can cause the electroadhesive surface to be smoothed across the target surface in a manner that forces air and contaminants to evacuate the interface between the gripping surface and the target substrate
Data Source
AI summary
An electroadhesive gripping system includes a vacuum-augmented gripper. The gripper can include an electroadhesive surface associated with one or more electrodes and a load-bearing backing structure coupled to the electroadhesive surface. The backing couples to the backside of the electroadhesive surface so as to at least partially define a shape of the electroadhesive surface. The backing is configured to flex between a curled shape and an uncurled shape. A spreading arm is configured to apply force to the backing so as to flex the backing from the curled shape to the uncurled shape. When positioned next to a substrate, the uncurling motion of the backing can cause the electroadhesive surface to become vacuum sealed to the substrate. A power supply can be configured to apply voltage to the electroadhesive surface.