Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Three-Finger Borescope-Mounted IPMC Gripper.

Soft robotics·2026
Same author

Mesoscale carbon fiber lattices with foam-like weight and bulk strength.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Volatile organic compounds exposure and all health outcomes: An umbrella review and evidence map.

Environmental research·2026
Same author

Heavy metal exposure and all health outcomes: An umbrella review of meta-analyses.

Journal of hazardous materials·2026
Same author

Simultaneous Determination of Thioridazine and Its Metabolites by UHPLC-MS/MS With Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study in Rats.

Biomedical chromatography : BMC·2025
Same author

Accurate quantification of human miRNA isoforms using the PROMER technology.

Biochemical and biophysical research communications·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Rod-based Fabrication of Customizable Soft Robotic Pneumatic Gripper Devices for Delicate Tissue Manipulation
07:49

Rod-based Fabrication of Customizable Soft Robotic Pneumatic Gripper Devices for Delicate Tissue Manipulation

Published on: August 2, 2016

9.3K

Shape Memory Alloy-Based Soft Gripper with Variable Stiffness for Compliant and Effective Grasping.

Wei Wang1,2, Sung-Hoon Ahn1,2

  • 11 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University , Seoul, Korea.

Soft Robotics
|December 19, 2017
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces a novel shape memory alloy-based soft gripper with variable stiffness fingers. This innovative design enhances grasping force and adaptability for various objects, overcoming limitations of traditional soft actuators.

Keywords:
shape memory alloysoft fingered gripperstiffness modulation

More Related Videos

Four-Dimensional Printing of Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogel-Based Soft Robots
05:43

Four-Dimensional Printing of Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogel-Based Soft Robots

Published on: January 13, 2023

4.5K
Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators
14:42

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators

Published on: April 25, 2020

8.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Rod-based Fabrication of Customizable Soft Robotic Pneumatic Gripper Devices for Delicate Tissue Manipulation
07:49

Rod-based Fabrication of Customizable Soft Robotic Pneumatic Gripper Devices for Delicate Tissue Manipulation

Published on: August 2, 2016

9.3K
Four-Dimensional Printing of Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogel-Based Soft Robots
05:43

Four-Dimensional Printing of Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogel-Based Soft Robots

Published on: January 13, 2023

4.5K
Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators
14:42

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators

Published on: April 25, 2020

8.9K

Area of Science:

  • Robotics and Mechanical Engineering
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Traditional soft pneumatic and motor-based actuators face challenges in creating compact, lightweight robotic systems.
  • Shape memory actuators offer a promising alternative but are limited by low actuation force due to inherent softness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a shape memory alloy-based soft gripper with variable stiffness for adaptive grasping.
  • To address the low actuation force limitation of soft actuators by integrating stiffness modulation.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of a three-finger gripper using soft composite actuators and stiffness-changeable material.
  • Each finger features two hinges capable of independent stiffness modulation (approx. 55-fold change).
  • Actuation achieved by selectively changing hinge stiffness and actuating shape memory alloy (SMA) wires for multi-posture capability.

Main Results:

  • The gripper demonstrates adaptive grasping in a low stiffness state and effective holding in a high stiffness state.
  • The variable stiffness mechanism increased the maximum grasping force by approximately 10 times.
  • Successful grasping and pick-up of a frustum-shaped object were achieved using shape-retained configurations.

Conclusions:

  • Combining shape memory actuators with stiffness modulation effectively enhances grasping force and adaptability.
  • The developed soft gripper shows significant potential for handling objects with diverse shapes and weights.