Abstract
A rigid in-plane matrix of suction cups is widely used in robotic end-effectors to grasp objects with flat surfaces. However, this grasping strategy fails with objects having different geometry e.g., spherical and cylindrical. Articulated rigid grippers equipped with suction cups are an underinvestigated solution to extend the ability of vacuum grippers to grasp heavy objects with various shapes. This paper extends previous work by the authors in the development of a novel underactuated vacuum gripper named Polypus by analyzing the impact of dynamic effects and grasping location on the vacuum force required during a manipulation cycle. An articulated gripper with suction cups, such as Polypus, can grasp objects by adhering to two adjacent faces, resulting in a decrease of the required suction action. Moreover, in the case of irregular objects, many possible grasping locations exist. The model explained in this work contributes to the choice of the most convenient grasping location that ensures the minimum vacuum force required to manipulate the object. Results obtained from an extensive set of simulations are included to support the validity of the proposed analytical approach.
Highlights
Robots are widely employed in many fields, from industrial to medical, and regardless of the specific application, all robots have an end-effector to interact with the environment.In factories or warehouses, common tasks such as grasping, holding, and manipulating objects are often performed by simple grippers with two fingers [1] able only to pinch with a small stroke
Multiple simulations have been performed varying the speed of the manipulation, the friction coefficient, and the grasping configuration of Polypus
The gripper holds the object from only one face, while in the second case, Polypus adheres to two faces of the object bending one finger
Summary
Robots are widely employed in many fields, from industrial to medical, and regardless of the specific application, all robots have an end-effector to interact with the environment. Common tasks such as grasping, holding, and manipulating objects are often performed by simple grippers with two fingers [1] able only to pinch with a small stroke. These grippers are simple and cheap, but they can grasp a narrow range of objects. The assessment of the minimum vacuum force (MVF) required to manipulate a given object thorough different types of grasping configurations, in terms of contact points, e.g., placing the gripper in different positions of the object even with bending fingers to enhance the potentiality of Polypus compared to a fix matrix of suction cups. This work ends with a section that draws the main relevant conclusions
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