Capturing dynamic targets is particularly challenging for either rigid or soft grippers, as impact buffering should be completed in a short time to ensure the reliability of the robotic system. At collision onset, to deal with relatively low contact forces, adopting low stiffness and damping can effectively mitigate the rebound of the dynamic targets. As the contact area and forces increase, employing high stiffness and damping becomes necessary for absorbing high energy. This paper proposed a novel robotic gripper whose stiffness and damping follow a predefined profile “low stiffness and damping for low impact and high stiffness and damping for high impact.” The variable effects of impact buffering and energy dissipation in a collision process were modeled and analyzed. Then, a passive variable stiffness and damping regulator (P-VSDR) was developed where tendons and pulleys are used to generate a nonlinear motion from a linear spring-damper unit. The contact dynamics model of the robotic gripper equipped with P-VSDR was established. Simulated and experimental results show that this gripper enables reliable capture of dynamic targets with different velocities.

The effectiveness of robotic grippers is critical for the secure and damage-free manipulation of objects with diverse geometries and material properties. This paper presents the design, analysis, and experimental evaluation of a novel reconfigurable four-finger robotic gripper. The proposed design incorporates two stationary fingers fixed to a circular base and two movable fingers repositioned and reoriented via a face gear mechanism, enabling multiple finger configurations to enhance adaptability. A single geared motor drives the opening and closing motions of all four fingers, simplifying the actuation mechanism. The robotic gripper was fabricated using 3D printing technology, ensuring cost-effective and precise manufacturing. Experimental tests were conducted to evaluate the robotic gripper’s reconfigurability and grasping performance across a range of objects, demonstrating its effectiveness in various configurations. Additionally, a closed-loop force control system was implemented to assess the grasping performance of a soft reconfigurable variant. Grasping force measurements were performed on three distinct objects, yielding a grasping curve that confirmed successful adaptation and secure handling. While the results validate the robotic gripper’s performance, further refinement of the control algorithm is recommended to optimize its capabilities. Compared to conventional three-finger designs, the proposed robotic gripper offers superior reconfigurability and adaptability, making it suitable for a broader range of industrial and research applications. The innovative face gear mechanism and modular design expand the robotic gripper’s functionality, positioning it as a versatile tool for advanced robotic manipulation tasks.

Manufacturing industries are looking for efficient assembly planners that can swiftly develop a practically feasible assembly sequence while keeping costs and time to a minimum. Most assembly sequence planners rely on part relations in the virtual environment. Nowadays, tools and robotic grippers perform most of the assembly tasks. Ignoring the critical aspect renders solutions practically infeasible. Additionally, it is vital to test the feasibility of positioning and assembling components while employing robotic grippers and tools prior to their implementation. This paper presents a novel concept named by considering both part and tool geometry to propose “tool integrated assembly interference matrices” (TIAIMs) and a “tool integrated axis-aligned bounding box” (TIAABB) to generate practically feasible assembly sequence plans. Furthermore, the part-concatenation technique is used to determine the best assembly sequence plans for an actual mechanical component. The results show that the proposed approach effectively and efficiently deals with real-life industrial problems.

This paper describes the development of a gecko-inspired robotic gripper for grasping flat objects using Scott–Russell mechanisms. Compared to previously reported grippers that utilize gecko-like adhesives, the one presented here produces higher normal adhesion and has robustness and controllability advantages. To verify the applicability of proposed gripper, a mechanical model and experimental results on a variety of substrates are presented. The experimental results demonstrated a 19.6% and 50% increase in normal adhesion using a preload of <15 and <30 N, respectively, compared to previously reported results under similar testing parameters and conditions.

In the present paper, a model of an underactuated robotic hand with tendon driven fingers is proposed. The aim of the project was to study the feasibility of building a mechanical hand with four or five fingers, the movement of which is achieved using a single linear actuator. The mechanism was first modelled in order to study the possible improvement in the ability of a “robotic hand” powered with a single actuator in regard to grasping objects with complex shapes and also in achieving a strong grip on objects. Next, a model of the finger was studied in order to optimize of its parameters. Finally, a five-fingered robotic hand was modelled for potential application as a human hand prosthesis. Our studies on the dynamic and kinematic behaviour of a single finger mechanism permitted us to make the first prototypes of the mechanism. In addition to modelling studies, we also present a prototype of the modelled robotic hand that was developed in order to optimize functionality and simplicity of construction.

This paper approaches the design problem of suitable grippers for a robotic armto pick up horticulture products. General considerations have been pointed out and main concepts and mechanical designs have been discussed and proposed by sketches and drawings for an easy understanding of “on-field” problems and feasible solutions. Pneumatic actuation has been proposed with suitable grasp force control by using commercial components. Specific attention has been focused on tomato horticulture for a practical design and prototyping of a device for laboratory experiments.