STUDY OF GRIPPERS WITH MULTIPLE DEGREES OF MOBILITY.

Abstract

The number and dimensional synthesis of mechanical grippers with multiple degrees of mobility are presented systematically. Several types of contacts of fingers with a grasped body are considered as kinematic pairs, and number conditions for grasping a body are derived by applying Gruebler's mobility equation to the gripper-body kinematic system. A number synthesis of a gripper with one input and three degrees of mobility, as an example, is carried out, and dimensions of parameters of such a gripper are determined by considering action forces and transmissibilities. Moreover, the graspable size of a circular cylinder by such a gripper is obtained, and is compared numerically to that with the use of a conventional parallel-two-finger-type gripper. Also, characteristics such as shapes, sizes, and masses of the bodies are obtained with respect to a circular cylinder, a regular square prism, and a hexagonal prism. (Author absrtact)