Development of a Variable-Structure Soft Gripper for Controlling Grasping Characteristics

Abstract

This paper focuses on developing the Fin Ray Effect® based soft gripper, which changes the internal structure and controls the grasping characteristics. The proposed design has movable joints with magnet sheets, and the joint positions are controlled with wire-driven motor system. As results, the proposed soft gripper demonstrated controlling the internal structure. Moreover, the grasping experiments indicated that three different internal structures, which characterizes different grasping conditions.