Soft, lightweight robot gripper material able to lift 221 lbs

Wider applications using lightweight material

Therefore, researchers conducted a study to enhance the abilities of soft robotic grippers for a wider range of tasks and applications.

Dr. Song, Kahye of the Intelligent Robotics Research Center at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) collaborated with Professor Dae-Young Lee of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).  

They developed a soft gripper with a woven structure that can grip objects weighing more than 221 lbs (100 kg) with 4.6 oz (130 grams) of material, according to a statement by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. 

The team of researchers deployed a new structure inspired by woven textiles to increase the loading capacity of the soft robot gripper. They focused on tightly intertwining threads to form robust fabric, a technique employed for centuries in clothing, bags, and industrial textiles.

Design imitating the woven structure

The main material utilized was thin PET plastic to provide the grippers with the flexibility of intertwining and unwinding into a woven structure using strips.

The gripper can grip objects weighing more than 221 lbs (100 kg) with only 4.6 oz (130 grams) of material, a significant improvement in load capacity compared to conventional grippers. The researchers effectively enhanced the lifting capability concerning its own weight.

Since the innovators used plastic, it cost them a few thousand won per until of material, making it cost-effective. Additionally, the product was employed as a universal gripper, which has the ability to grasp objects of various shapes and weights. 

Furthermore, the manufacturing was completed in under 10 minutes, including assembling the soft robot gripper which involved securing a plastic strip. The product is easy to replace and maintain, enhancing efficiency.

The scientists also constructed grippers from materials like rubber and elastic compounds. This flexibility enabled tailored grippers for robust performance in industrial and logistics settings or to withstand challenging environments.

Dr. Song stated: "The woven structure gripper developed by KIST and KAIST has the strengths of a soft robot but can grasp heavy objects at the level of a rigid gripper." 

“It can be manufactured in a variety of sizes, from coins to cars, and can grip objects of various shapes and weights, from thin cards to flowers, so it is expected to be used in fields such as industry, logistics, and housework that require soft grippers."

The research was published on August 2 in the journal Nature Communications.