Bioinspiration and Biomimetic Art in Robotic Grippers

Abstract

The autonomous manipulation of objects by robotic grippers has made significant strides in enhancing both human daily life and various industries. Within a brief span, a multitude of research endeavours and gripper designs have emerged, drawing inspiration primarily from biological mechanisms. It is within this context that our study takes centre stage, with the aim of conducting a meticulous review of bioinspired grippers. This exploration involved a nuanced classification framework encompassing a range of parameters, including operating principles, material compositions, actuation methods, design intricacies, fabrication techniques, and the multifaceted applications into which these grippers seamlessly integrate. Our comprehensive investigation unveiled gripper designs that brim with a depth of intricacy, rendering them indispensable across a spectrum of real-world scenarios. These bioinspired grippers with a predominant emphasis on animal-inspired solutions have become pivotal tools that not only mirror nature’s genius but also significantly enrich various domains through their versatility.

Interacting with Obstacles Using a Bio-Inspired, Flexible, Underactuated Multilink Manipulator

“…Drawing inspiration from the elephant trunk in our design, we initiate our exploration by delving into various trunk models, such as the kinematic continuum model presented by Wilson [4] and the dynamic model articulated by Mishra [5]. Over the years, numerous robotic systems have been developed, all inspired by elephant trunks, ranging from shape memory, alloy-based systems [6] to more complex mechanisms like the one presented by Huang [7], and even different types of unique grippers [8]. These works collectively underscore the inherent advantages of the elephant trunk and demonstrate how a manipulator inspired by such principles can reap similar design benefits.…”

Picking food by robot hand with tree-frog like pad in various wet conditions

“…To this end, we aimed to develop soft robotic grippers with bio-inspired grasping efficiency. Authors in [1][2][3][4][5][6] reported many natural adhesion mechanisms with potential for application to robotic manipulation. Soft grippers proposed by other authors [7][8][9][10][11][12] could handle several food samples.…”

Soft octopus-inspired suction cups using dielectric elastomer actuators with sensing capabilities

“…The advantage of bioinspired soft grippers (compared to traditional rigid grippers) lies in their ability to handle delicate and irregularly shaped objects [20]. This makes them invaluable in applications like smart actuators, flexible electronics, robotic surgery, health care, and prosthetics-where precision and adaptability are essential [17,21,22].…”