Development of Universal Robot Gripper Using MRα Fluid

Nishida, Toshirou; Okatani, Yuki; Tadakuma, Kenjiro

doi:10.1142/s0219843616500171

Cited by 63 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…This gripper demonstrated handling of various food items, such as, apples, tomatoes, carrots, and strawberries. Nishida et al also created a similar end‐effector composed of an electromagnet and an elastomeric bag filled with a reinforced MR fluid. They demonstrated handling of a plastic container, an eraser, a tape, and small sphere and cube.…”

Section: Gripping By Controlled Stiffnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soft Robotic Grippers

et al. 2018

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Advances in soft robotics, materials science, and stretchable electronics have enabled rapid progress in soft grippers. Here, a critical overview of soft robotic grippers is presented, covering different material sets, physical principles, and device architectures. Soft gripping can be categorized into three technologies, enabling grasping by: a) actuation, b) controlled stiffness, and c) controlled adhesion. A comprehensive review of each type is presented. Compared to rigid grippers, end-effectors fabricated from flexible and soft components can often grasp or manipulate a larger variety of objects. Such grippers are an example of morphological computation, where control complexity is greatly reduced by material softness and mechanical compliance. Advanced materials and soft components, in particular silicone elastomers, shape memory materials, and active polymers and gels, are increasingly investigated for the design of lighter, simpler, and more universal grippers, using the inherent functionality of the materials. Embedding stretchable distributed sensors in or on soft grippers greatly enhances the ways in which the grippers interact with objects. Challenges for soft grippers include miniaturization, robustness, speed, integration of sensing, and control. Improved materials, processing methods, and sensing play an important role in future research.

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Section: Gripping By Controlled Stiffnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soft Robotic Grippers

et al. 2018

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“…However, the stiffness range required for tele-palpation is higher than that considered herein. One of the possible methods to increase the stiffness range is the use of a MR α fluid (Nishida et al, 2016). The MR α fluid has two times higher solidification force than that of normal MR fluids.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stiffness-tunable device encapsulating magnetorheological fluids in a thin flexible polymer structure

Ishizuka

Miki

2018

Mechanical Engineering Journal

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We herein propose a liquid encapsulation method for a submillimeter-size polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane. We selected a magnetorheological (MR) fluid as the liquid to be encapsulated in the membrane, the stiffness of which is tuned by an external magnetic field. The proposed method consists of two steps. First, a PDMS bump was made to contact a MR fluid, and a MR fluid droplet was formed on top of the bump. Next, the droplet was dipped in a PDMS casting solution and fully covered with a PDMS casting solution layer. Finally, the droplet was encapsulated in the membrane after curing. We experimentally confirmed that the radius of the PDMS bump and the viscosity of the MR fluid were variable parameters that could determine the height of the structure. We also evaluated the stiffness characteristics of the structure. The calculated Young's modulus indicated that the stiffness varied from 70 kPa to 180 kPa in the presence of an external magnetic field. The results indicated that the structure could emulate relatively soft materials and could be applied to a tactile display used in palpation.

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“…In [33], the authors propose a gripper employing MR fluids to enable improved finger pad conformation to object geometries. However, the reliance on large and heavy electromagnets to achieve a sufficient magnetic flux density to solidify the MR fluid limits the applicability of such a structure [34]. Moreover, the presence of a magnetic field may affect the interaction of the device with certain objects (e.g., metallic objects and sensitive electronics), potentially damaging them.…”

Section: Design Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Hybrid, Wearable Exoskeleton Glove Equipped With Variable Stiffness Joints, Abduction Capabilities, and a Telescopic Thumb

et al. 2020

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Robotic hand exoskeletons have become a popular and efficient technological solution for assisting people that suffer from neurological conditions and for enhancing the capabilities of healthy individuals. This class of devices ranges from rigid and complex structures to soft, lightweight, wearable gloves. In this work, we propose a hybrid (tendon-driven and pneumatic), lightweight, affordable, easy-to-operate exoskeleton glove equipped with variable stiffness, laminar jamming structures, abduction/adduction capabilities, and a pneumatic telescopic extra thumb that increases grasp stability. The efficiency of the proposed device is experimentally validated through five different types of experiments: i) abduction/adduction tests, ii) force exertion experiments that capture the forces that can be exerted by the proposed device under different conditions, iii) bending profile experiments that evaluate the effect of the laminar jamming structures on the way the fingers bend, iv) grasp quality assessment experiments that focus on the effect of the inflatable thumb on enhancing grasp stability, and v) grasping experiments involving everyday objects and seven subjects. The hybrid assistive, exoskeleton glove considerably improves the grasping capabilities of the user, being able to exert the forces required to execute a plethora of activities of daily living. All files that allow the replication of the device are distributed in an open-source manner.

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Development of Universal Robot Gripper Using MRα Fluid

Cited by 63 publications

References 6 publications

Soft Robotic Grippers

Soft Robotic Grippers

Stiffness-tunable device encapsulating magnetorheological fluids in a thin flexible polymer structure

A Hybrid, Wearable Exoskeleton Glove Equipped With Variable Stiffness Joints, Abduction Capabilities, and a Telescopic Thumb

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