Construction and Experimental Analysis of a Multipurpose Robotic Fin Ray Gripper for Manipulator Robots

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Fin Ray-type grippers offer a promising solution for handling delicate objects.
• Accurate estimation of gripping forces is crucial for safe manipulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a methodology for estimating gripping forces in Fin Ray-type grippers.
• To validate the gripper's ability to handle fragile objects without damage.

Main Methods:

• Integrated experimental and computational approaches, including mechanical modeling, material selection, and load cell experiments.
• Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations using ABAQUS for model validation.
• Experimental analysis of the gripper handling a chicken egg.

Main Results:

• The computational model was validated against experimental data.
• FEM analysis determined a maximum stress of approximately 7 MPa on a chicken egg.
• The Fin Ray-type gripper demonstrated safe handling of the egg without causing damage.

Conclusions:

• The developed methodology accurately estimates gripping forces for Fin Ray-type grippers.
• Fin Ray-type grippers are suitable for manipulating fragile objects safely.
• This approach eliminates the need for complex force and pressure control algorithms.