Soft yet Secure: Exploring Membrane Buckling for Achieving a Versatile Grasp with a Rotation-driven Squeezing Gripper

Khoi Thanh Nguyen (1, +), Nhan Huu Nguyen (1, +), and Van Anh Ho (1, *)

1 is with the Soft Haptics Lab, Japan Advanced Insititute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, 923-1202 Japan.

+ is equally contributing.

* is Corresponding author: Van Anh Ho, Soft Haptics Laboratory, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST). Email: van-ho@jaist.ac.jp

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Abstract

The new soft gripper ROSE (ROtation-based Squeezing GrippEr) has been developed to adapt to different objects with varying shapes, sizes, and mechanical properties. Using a rotational motion, ROSE can dynamically accommodate various objects without a complicated controller. ROSE has substantial gripping force, remarkable payload-to-weight ratio, and can maintain mechanical integrity through 400,000 open-close operation cycles. Nonlinear simulations indicate a significant correlation between morphological features and grasping performance, leading to the development of a reliable version of ROSE. This refined version has been successfully tested in crop harvesting tasks, where it demonstrated high success rates in picking both individual and clustered crops, regardless of their soft or stiff characteristics.

ROSE Design, Simulation and Fabrication

ROSE Geometric Design

ROSE Simulation

ROSE grip a cylindrical object from the ground (gravity added)

Simulation and real ROSE comparation

Comparing the similarity between the simulation and the real ROSE

ROSE Fabrication method

There are two methods to fabricate ROSE:

I) Pouring many layers of silicon on an open mold

II) Compressing molding

ROSE mechanical properties testing

Durability Testing

Repetitive grasping test

observed ROSE can endure 400,000 gripping times continuously

Critical damage test

after being cut into 4 petals, ROSE still keeps its gripping function

ROSE Capabilities Demonstration

Gripping Object Demonstration

Demonstration of ROSE on UR5 grasping objects with various sizes and shapes

Gripping Demonstration

Testing with various object

Plural gripping capacity

Olive oil covered peelded egg gripping

Strawberry Harvesting

Strawberry farming demands heavy labor during harvest season. We use the ROSE to detach the fruit without damage. We tested it using freshly picked fruit from a natural orchard.

STRATEGY: Bending in different directions until breaking the stem.

STRATEGY: Bending in the opposite direction of the stem.

Mushroom Harvesting

We used a cultivation kit to grow Shiitake mushrooms for experiments. ROSE's grasping motion can remove the mushroom from its root by a single actuation.

Single grip

Plural grip

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