Soft robotic grippers have gained popularity for their ability to handle delicate objects using soft and flexible materials like cloth, paper, and silicone, mimicking a robot's hand. While these grippers excel in gentle tasks, their limited load capacity and poor grasping stability hinder their performance with heavier items and under mild external impact.

Addressing these limitations, researchers Dr Song Kahye from the Intelligent Robotics Research Centre at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Professor Lee Dae-Young from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at KAIST collaborated on an innovative solution. They developed a soft robotic gripper using a weaving technique inspired by textiles. By tightly intertwining individual threads made of thin PET plastic, they created a strong fabric structure capable of supporting heavy objects.

This woven gripper, weighing a mere 130 grams, can securely grasp objects weighing up to 100 kilograms. In comparison, traditional grippers of similar weight can lift only around 20 kilograms. Remarkably, this achievement translates to an impressive increase in the gripper's load capacity relative to its weight. The technique leverages materials like plastic, which are both cost-effective and easily adaptable, making the gripper suitable for various industrial and logistics applications.

The woven gripper's versatility extends beyond its load-bearing capacity; it can be tailored to grip objects of different shapes and weights, from thin cards to flowers. The manufacturing process is incredibly simple, taking less than 10 minutes to complete by fastening a plastic strip. Moreover, the gripper can be constructed from different materials, including rubber and elastic compounds, enabling customisation for specific industrial and environmental requirements.

Dr Song highlighted the significance of this development, stating that the woven structure gripper combines the softness of a soft robot with the ability to grasp heavy objects comparable to rigid grippers. Its potential applications span diverse fields such as industry, logistics, and household tasks, where soft grippers are essential.

Source: inceptivemind.com