1
|
Kortman VG, de Vries E, Jovanova J, Sakes A. Unlocking Versatility: Magnetic-Actuated Deployable Suction Gripper for Complex Surface Handling. Soft Robot 2024. [PMID: 38836749 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2023.0250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Suction grippers offer a distinct advantage in their ability to handle a wide range of items. However, attaching these grippers to irregular and rough surfaces presents an ongoing challenge. To address this obstacle, this study explores the integration of magnetic intelligence into a soft suction gripper design, enabling fast external magnetic actuation of the attachment process. Additionally, miniaturization options are enhanced by implementing a compliant deploying mechanism. The resulting design is the first-of-its-kind magnetically-actuated deployable suction gripper featuring a thin magnetic membrane (Ø 50 mm) composed of carbonyl iron particles embedded in a silicone matrix. This membrane is supported by a frame made of superelastic nitinol wires that facilitate deployment. During experiments, the proof-of-principle prototype demonstrates successful attachment on a diverse range of curved surfaces in both dry and wet environments. The gripper achieves attachment on curved surfaces with radii of 50-75 mm, exerting a maximum attachment force of 2.89 ± 0.54 N. The current gripper design achieves a folding percentage of 75%, enabling it to fit into a Ø 12.5 mm tube and access hard-to-reach areas while maintaining sufficient surface area for attachment forces. The proposed prototype serves as a foundational steppingstone for further research in the development of reliable and effective magnetically-actuated suction grippers across various configurations. By addressing the limitations of attachment to irregular surfaces and exploring possibilities for miniaturization and precise control, this study opens new avenues for the practical application of suction grippers in diverse industries and scenarios.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vera G Kortman
- Department of BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of 3mE, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- Department of Marine and Transport Technology, Faculty of 3mE, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen de Vries
- Department of BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of 3mE, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Jovana Jovanova
- Department of Marine and Transport Technology, Faculty of 3mE, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Aimée Sakes
- Department of BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of 3mE, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Shan Y, Zhao Y, Wang H, Dong L, Pei C, Jin Z, Sun Y, Liu T. Variable stiffness soft robotic gripper: design, development, and prospects. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2023; 19:011001. [PMID: 37948756 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ad0b8c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The advent of variable stiffness soft robotic grippers furnishes a conduit for exploration and manipulation within uncharted, non-structured environments. The paper provides a comprehensive review of the necessary technologies for the configuration design of soft robotic grippers with variable stiffness, serving as a reference for innovative gripper design. The design of variable stiffness soft robotic grippers typically encompasses the design of soft robotic grippers and variable stiffness modules. To adapt to unfamiliar environments and grasp unknown objects, a categorization and discussion have been undertaken based on the contact and motion manifestations between the gripper and the things across various dimensions: points contact, lines contact, surfaces contact, and full-bodies contact, elucidating the advantages and characteristics of each gripping type. Furthermore, when designing soft robotic grippers, we must consider the effectiveness of object grasping methods but also the applicability of the actuation in the target environment. The actuation is the propelling force behind the gripping motion, holding utmost significance in shaping the structure of the gripper. Given the challenge of matching the actuation of robotic grippers with the target scenario, we reviewed the actuation of soft robotic grippers. We analyzed the strengths and limitations of various soft actuation, providing insights into the actuation design for soft robotic grippers. As a crucial technique for variable stiffness soft robotic grippers, variable stiffness technology can effectively address issues such as poor load-bearing capacity and instability caused by the softness of materials. Through a retrospective analysis of variable stiffness theory, we comprehensively introduce the development of variable stiffness theory in soft robotic grippers and showcase the application of variable stiffness grasping technology through specific case studies. Finally, we discuss the future prospects of variable stiffness grasping robots from several perspectives of applications and technologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Shan
- Key Laboratory of Parallel Robot and Mechatronic System, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanzhi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Parallel Robot and Mechatronic System, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Haobo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Parallel Robot and Mechatronic System, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Liming Dong
- Key Laboratory of Parallel Robot and Mechatronic System, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Changlei Pei
- Key Laboratory of Parallel Robot and Mechatronic System, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaopeng Jin
- Key Laboratory of Parallel Robot and Mechatronic System, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Sun
- Key Laboratory of Parallel Robot and Mechatronic System, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Parallel Robot and Mechatronic System, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yoo SH, Kim M, Park HJ, Lee GI, Lee SH, Kwak MK. Vacuum-powered soft actuator with oblique air chambers for easy detachment of artificial dry adhesive by coupled contraction and twisting. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF ADVANCED MATERIALS 2023; 24:2274818. [PMID: 38024796 PMCID: PMC10653703 DOI: 10.1080/14686996.2023.2274818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
A gecko foot-inspired, mushroom-shaped artificial dry adhesive exploiting intermolecular forces between microstructure and surface has drawn research attention for its strong adhesive force. However, the high pull-off strength corresponding to the adhesive force matters when detaching fragile substrates. In this study, we report a vacuum-powered soft actuator having oblique air chambers and a dry adhesive. The soft actuator performs coupled contraction and twisting by applying negative pneumatic pressure inward and exhibits not only high pull-off strength but also easy detachment. This effective detachment can be achieved thanks to the twisting motion of the soft actuator. The detachment performances of the actuator models are assessed using a 6-degrees-of-freedom robot arm. Results show that the soft actuators exhibit remarkable pull-off strength decrement from ~20 N cm-2 to ~2 N cm-2 due to the twisting. Finally, to verify a feasible application of this study, we utilize the inherent compliance of the actuators and introduce a glass transfer system for which a glass substrate on a slope is gripped by the flexibility of the soft actuators and delivered to the destination without any fracture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seung Hoon Yoo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsu Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Jun Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Ga In Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Ho Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dong-A University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon Kyu Kwak
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Qiu Z, Paul H, Wang Z, Hirai S, Kawamura S. An Evaluation System of Robotic End-Effectors for Food Handling. Foods 2023; 12:4062. [PMID: 38002120 PMCID: PMC10670141 DOI: 10.3390/foods12224062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Owing to Japan's aging society and labor shortages, the food and agricultural industries are facing a significant demand for robotic food handling technologies. Considering the large variety of food products, available robotic end-effectors are limited. Our primary goal is to maximize the applicability of existing end-effectors and efficiently develop novel ones, and therefore, it is necessary to categorize food products and end-effectors from the viewpoint of robotic handling and establish their relationships through an effective evaluation approach. This study proposes a system for evaluating robotic end-effectors to identify appropriate ones and develop new ones. The evaluation system consists of food categorization based on food properties related to robotic handling, categorization of robotic end-effectors based on their grasping principles, a robotic system with visual recognition based on Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) to conduct handling tests, a scoring system for performance evaluation, and a visualization approach for presenting the results and comparisons. Based on food categorization, 14 real food items and their corresponding samples were chosen for handling tests. Seven robotic end-effectors, both commercialized and under development, were selected for evaluation. Using the proposed evaluation system, we quantitatively compared the performance of different end-effectors in handling different food items. We also observed differences in the handling of real food items and samples. The overall performance of an end-effector can be visualized and quantitatively evaluated to demonstrate its versatility in handling various food items.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Qiu
- Research Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-0058, Japan; (Z.Q.); (H.P.)
| | - Hannibal Paul
- Research Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-0058, Japan; (Z.Q.); (H.P.)
| | - Zhongkui Wang
- Department of Robotics, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-0058, Japan;
| | - Shinichi Hirai
- Department of Robotics, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-0058, Japan;
| | - Sadao Kawamura
- Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-0058, Japan;
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Chu AH, Cheng T, Muralt A, Onal CD. A Passively Conforming Soft Robotic Gripper with Three-Dimensional Negative Bending Stiffness Fingers. Soft Robot 2023. [PMID: 36854140 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2021.0200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Robot grippers that lack physical compliance have a difficult time dealing with uncertainty, such as fragile objects that may not have well-defined shapes. Existing soft robotic grippers require a large empty workspace for their actuated fingers to curl around the objects of interest, limiting their performance in clutter. This article presents a three-dimensional structure that exhibits negative stiffness in every bending direction used as fingers in a class of soft robotic grippers. Our approach exploits a compliant mechanism in a conical shape such that a transverse external contact force causes the fingers to bend toward the contact, enabling passive conformation for an adaptive grasp, even in clutter. We show analytically and experimentally that the proposed fingers have a negative bending response and that they conform to objects of various diameters. We demonstrate a soft robotic gripper with three self-conforming fingers performing the following: (1) fingertip grasping, (2) power grasping, and (3) semipassive grasping in clutter. Grasping experiments focus on picking fruits, which exemplify delicate objects with unmodeled shapes with significant variation. The experimental results reveal the ability of the self-conforming structure to smoothly envelope a broad range of objects and demonstrate a 100% grasp success rate in the experiments performed. The proposed passively conforming fingers enable picking of complex and unknown geometries without disturbing nearby objects in clutter and without the need for complex grasping algorithms. The proposed structures can be tailored to deform in desired ways, enabling a robust strategy for the engineering of physical compliance for adaptive soft structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley H Chu
- WPI Soft Robotics Laboratory, Robotics Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tianyu Cheng
- WPI Soft Robotics Laboratory, Robotics Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Arnold Muralt
- WPI Soft Robotics Laboratory, Robotics Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cagdas D Onal
- WPI Soft Robotics Laboratory, Robotics Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wang Z, Hirai S, Kawamura S. Challenges and Opportunities in Robotic Food Handling: A Review. Front Robot AI 2022; 8:789107. [PMID: 35096983 PMCID: PMC8794010 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.789107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite developments in robotics and automation technologies, several challenges need to be addressed to fulfill the high demand for automating various manufacturing processes in the food industry. In our opinion, these challenges can be classified as: the development of robotic end-effectors to cope with large variations of food products with high practicality and low cost, recognition of food products and materials in 3D scenario, better understanding of fundamental information of food products including food categorization and physical properties from the viewpoint of robotic handling. In this review, we first introduce the challenges in robotic food handling and then highlight the advances in robotic end-effectors, food recognition, and fundamental information of food products related to robotic food handling. Finally, future research directions and opportunities are discussed based on an analysis of the challenges and state-of-the-art developments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongkui Wang
- Research Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Japan
- *Correspondence: Zhongkui Wang,
| | - Shinichi Hirai
- Department of Robotics, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Japan
| | - Sadao Kawamura
- Department of Robotics, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Liu Z, Chen Y, Song H, Xing Z, Tian H, Shan X. High-Speed Handling Robot with Bionic End-Effector for Large Glass Substrate in Clean Environment. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 22:149. [PMID: 35009693 PMCID: PMC8747698 DOI: 10.3390/s22010149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The development of "large display, high performance and low cost" in the FPD industry demands glass substrates to be "larger and thinner". Therefore, the requirements of handling robots are developing in the direction of large scale, high speed, and high precision. This paper presents a novel construction of a glass substrate handling robot, which has a 2.5 m/s travelling speed. It innovatively adopts bionic end-suction technology to grasp the glass substrate more firmly. The structure design is divided into the following three parts: a travel track, a robot body, and an end-effector. The manipulator can be smoothly and rapidly extended by adjusting the transmission ratio of the reducer to 1:2:1, using only one motor to drive two sections of the arm. This robot can transfer two pieces of glass substrate at one time, and improves the working efficiency. The kinematic and dynamic models of the robot are built based on the DH coordinate. Through the positioning accuracy experiment and vibration experiment of the end-effector, it is found that the robot has high precision during handling. The robots developed in this study can be used in large-scale glass substrate handling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyong Liu
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China;
- Hefei Sineva Intelligent Machine Co., Ltd., Hefei 230013, China
| | - Youdong Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China;
| | - Henan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (H.S.); (Z.X.); (X.S.)
| | - Zhenming Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (H.S.); (Z.X.); (X.S.)
| | - Hongmiao Tian
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China;
| | - Xiaobiao Shan
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; (H.S.); (Z.X.); (X.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Joymungul K, Mitros Z, da Cruz L, Bergeles C, Sadati SMH. Gripe-Needle: A Sticky Suction Cup Gripper Equipped Needle for Targeted Therapeutics Delivery. Front Robot AI 2021; 8:752290. [PMID: 34869614 PMCID: PMC8640244 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.752290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper presents a multi-purpose gripping and incision tool-set to reduce the number of required manipulators for targeted therapeutics delivery in Minimally Invasive Surgery. We have recently proposed the use of multi-arm Concentric Tube Robots (CTR) consisting of an incision, a camera, and a gripper manipulator for deep orbital interventions, with a focus on Optic Nerve Sheath Fenestration (ONSF). The proposed prototype in this research, called Gripe-Needle, is a needle equipped with a sticky suction cup gripper capable of performing both gripping of target tissue and incision tasks in the optic nerve area by exploiting the multi-tube arrangement of a CTR for actuation of the different tool-set units. As a result, there will be no need for an independent gripper arm for an incision task. The CTR innermost tube is equipped with a needle, providing the pathway for drug delivery, and the immediate outer tube is attached to the suction cup, providing the suction pathway. Based on experiments on various materials, we observed that adding a sticky surface with bio-inspired grooves to a normal suction cup gripper has many advantages such as, 1) enhanced adhesion through material stickiness and by air-tightening the contact surface, 2) maintained adhesion despite internal pressure variations, e.g. due to the needle motion, and 3) sliding resistance. Simple Finite Element and theoretical modeling frameworks are proposed, based on which a miniature tool-set is designed to achieve the required gripping forces during ONSF. The final designs were successfully tested for accessing the optic nerve of a realistic eye phantom in a skull eye orbit, robust gripping and incision on units of a plastic bubble wrap sample, and manipulating different tissue types of porcine eye samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kieran Joymungul
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zisos Mitros
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lyndon da Cruz
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christos Bergeles
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - S M Hadi Sadati
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhang C, Liu L, Xu K, Dong Z, Ding Y, Li Q, Li P. Hydraulically Coupled Dielectric Elastomer Actuators for a Bioinspired Suction Cup. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13203481. [PMID: 34685240 PMCID: PMC8538296 DOI: 10.3390/polym13203481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Suction cups of cephalopods show a preeminent performance when absorbing irregular or flat objects. In this paper, an octopi-inspired suction cup, driven by hydraulically coupled dielectric elastomer actuators (HCDEAs), is proposed, which is considered to be controlled easily and have compact structure. To investigate the performance of suction cups, experiments have been conducted to clarify the effect of the pre-stretch ratio and chamber angle on suction forces. It could be seen that both factors have a complicated influence on suction forces, and the best performance obtained was a reasonable combination of the pre-stretch ratio and chamber angle. Here, we achieved a maximum suction force of 175 mN with λp = 1.2, α = 23° under a DC voltage of 3500 V. To enhance the capacity and adaptation of the suction cup, flat objects of various types of materials were introduced as targets. Experimental results displayed that for tested materials, including a dry/wet acrylic plate, CD, ceramic wafer, and aluminum plate, the suction cup showed outstanding performance of absorbing and lifting the target without any damage or scratch to them. Our research may serve as a guide to the optimal design and provide insights into the performance of the HCDEAs-actuated suction cup.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Expressway Construction Machinery of Shaanxi Province, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China; (C.Z.); (Z.D.)
| | - Lei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Expressway Construction Machinery of Shaanxi Province, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China; (C.Z.); (Z.D.)
- School of Mechanical and Precision Instrument Engineering, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China; (K.X.); (Y.D.); (P.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Kanghui Xu
- School of Mechanical and Precision Instrument Engineering, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China; (K.X.); (Y.D.); (P.L.)
| | - Zhonghong Dong
- Key Laboratory of Expressway Construction Machinery of Shaanxi Province, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China; (C.Z.); (Z.D.)
| | - Yuxi Ding
- School of Mechanical and Precision Instrument Engineering, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China; (K.X.); (Y.D.); (P.L.)
| | - Qi Li
- Highway School, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China;
| | - Pengfei Li
- School of Mechanical and Precision Instrument Engineering, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China; (K.X.); (Y.D.); (P.L.)
| |
Collapse
|