Compliant Parallel Asymmetrical Gripper System

Abstract

The paper presents an innovative soft gripper system designed for automated assembling operations. The novel robotic soft gripper utilizes a linear pneumatic muscle as its motor, due to its inherently compliant behavior. This renders redundant the deployment of sensors or complex controllers, due to its mechanical system that ensures the desired adaptive behavior. Adaptivity is attained by adjusting the air pressure in the pneumatic muscle, monitored and controlled in a closed loop by means of a proportional pressure regulator. The kinematic diagram and the functional and constructive models of the gripper system are presented. The developed forces were measured followed by the calculation of stiffness and compliance. The paper concludes with recommendations for the operation of the gripper.