Automated machines are not new in the world of innovation. Robots have been a source of delight and wonder for many years now.
But there is a feature for robots that researchers cannot seem to crack – their grip strength. For one, mainstream robot gripper types often grab things by putting pressure on objects. Because of this, small and delicate objects like fish or egg yolks pose a challenge to scientists.
North Carolina State University researchers have developed a robot gripper that can grab delicate materials such as eggs without damaging them. In fact, it can also lift human hair.
Robot gripper manufacturers can apply the model to the biomedical field in the future. The project is also a huge breakthrough in the field of soft robotics.
From art to machine
For years, robot grippers have had the reputation of being rough. Picking things up meant that machines exert a lot of pressure on the item they are grabbing. Because of this, small and fragile objects are hard to grip.
Researchers were first inspired by the art of kirigami, a Japanese paper folding art. As a variant of the more popular origami, kirigami involves cutting paper before folding it. The end result is a 3D design that stands upright and glue-free on paper.
To bring life to the project, the researchers developed a way that turns flat 2D sheets into curved 3D material by cutting parallel slits on the surface. Then, users will have to grab the end of the sheets, revealing a sort of netting shape, and the industrial robot gripper encloses the target within its sphere.
The final shape of the robot gripper mechanism depends on the external shape of the material. That would mean that a flat material with a circle-shaped boundary would form a sphere.
The process is “similar to the way we cup our hands around an object,” says Jie Yin, one of the researchers of the project. The end result is a robot gripper that places minimal pressure on items and, at the same time, has keen precision.
Details of the robot gripper
But how will users know the best shape the robot gripper design should take?
Yaoye Hong, a Ph.D. student who worked o the project, said that they have devised a model that enables users to “work backward.” That is, if users know the 3D shape of the robot gripper fingers, they can use the project’s model and determine the boundary and shape of the 2D material. The model will be based on the shape and curvature of the object picked up.
Furthermore, users can control the 2D manipulation by controlling where the material is pushed and pulled. Jie Yin says that converting flat sheets to 3D structures is simpler and more efficient than previous models.
An innovation of the future
Jie Yin says that the model, with the vast array of potential it displays, offers uses in biomedical technology. For instance, the model can be molded in the shape of a joint that can bend and move with a person’s knees and elbows.
While the project is still in its early settings, the team is getting ready for the bigger picture. Today, they are linking up with companies to integrate their concept to improve industrial processes. They are also looking for ways to apply warmth in the material for therapeutic needs and healthcare purposes. It goes without saying that tech of this type has many uses across various fields. The researchers’ paper called Boundary Curvature Guided Programmable Morphing Kirigami Sheets is available online in Nature Communications. Meanwhile, to model the dexterity of their robot grippers, they have published a Youtube video online.
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