A Bioinspired Soft Swallowing Gripper for Universal Adaptable Grasping.

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Biomimetics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional robotic grippers face challenges in handling diverse object types.
• Biomimicry offers innovative solutions for grasping challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a universal soft gripper inspired by the bloodworm's everting mechanism.
• To enhance the gripper's functionality with modular attachments for varied applications.
• To analyze the gripper's performance and grasping capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of a soft gripper based on the water snake wiggly (WSW) mechanism.
• Integration of detachable modules: a vacuum suction cup and an end-needle.
• Theoretical analysis of holding force relative to object scale.
• Experimental validation using a motor-driven prototype.

Main Results:

• The bloodworm-inspired gripper achieved flexible, passive, form-fitting grasps.
• The gripper demonstrated universal grasping capacity across various object shapes, sizes, and stiffnesses.
• Unique abilities include multi-object picking, sequential grasping, and handling of powdered materials.

Conclusions:

• The developed soft gripper offers a versatile and reliable solution for universal grasping.
• The biomimetic design overcomes limitations of existing robotic grippers.
• The gripper's unique manipulation abilities open new possibilities in robotics.