Angle-programmed tendril-like trajectories enable a multifunctional gripper with ultradelicacy, ultrastrength, and ultraprecision

Yaoye Hong, Yao Zhao, Joseph Berman, Yinding Chi, Yanbin Li, He (Helen) Huang and Jie Yin ()
Additional contact information
Yaoye Hong: North Carolina State University
Yao Zhao: North Carolina State University
Joseph Berman: North Carolina State University
Yinding Chi: North Carolina State University
Yanbin Li: North Carolina State University
He (Helen) Huang: North Carolina State University
Jie Yin: North Carolina State University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Achieving multicapability in a single soft gripper for handling ultrasoft, ultrathin, and ultraheavy objects is challenging due to the tradeoff between compliance, strength, and precision. Here, combining experiments, theory, and simulation, we report utilizing angle-programmed tendril-like grasping trajectories for an ultragentle yet ultrastrong and ultraprecise gripper. The single gripper can delicately grasp fragile liquids with minimal contact pressure (0.05 kPa), lift objects 16,000 times its own weight, and precisely grasp ultrathin, flexible objects like 4-μm-thick sheets and 2-μm-diameter microfibers on flat surfaces, all with a high success rate. Its scalable and material-independent design allows for biodegradable noninvasive grippers made from natural leaves. Explicitly controlled trajectories facilitate its integration with robotic arms and prostheses for challenging tasks, including picking grapes, opening zippers, folding clothes, and turning pages. This work showcases soft grippers excelling in extreme scenarios with potential applications in agriculture, food processing, prosthesis, biomedicine, minimally invasive surgeries, and deep-sea exploration.

Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-39741-6 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-39741-6

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39741-6

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().