A reconfigurable gripper for dexterous manipulation in flexible assembly

Abstract

In this paper, a high-speed multi-fingered reconfigurable gripper is presented. The aim is to create a robotic end effector that is capable of handling parts of different geometries and weight. It consists of three fingers, accounting for a total of eight Degrees of Freedom (DoFs). The paper discusses the design, control, and reconfiguration aspects of the gripper, and demonstrates its applicability to different manipulation tasks. The gripper has the ability of high-force movement and its high number of DoFs enables it to grasp a large variety of geometries, while retaining the design simplicity. The preliminary grasping experiments highlight its potential in robotic handling applications in both research and production environments.