Overview

Designed and developed for automated robotic sort & segregation in nuclear decommissioning, this gripper is capable of grasping and manipulating a wide range of objects of different shape, size, mass and deformability.

Key Features

Reliability: The gripper can handle any kind of object no matter what the shape, the surface characteristics or its deformability. The multiple gripper surfaces automatically move around the object, spreading forces and optimising the grip.

Biomimetic: Like the human hand the gripper can scoop objects up and draw them into a clasp-grip. It can also hold objects in a pinch-grip.

Ease of integration: The gripper makes no extra integration demands on the robotic system. A single actuation generates 78 degrees of freedom and no extra sensing or control is required. The gripper's movements are similar to those of the human hand's sophisticated grasping but are achieved by means of an automatic passive-adaptive process.

Robust: The geometries of the gripper are designed to withstand elevated loads making the gripper capable of grasping heavy objects.

Gentle touch: Deformable and easily damaged objects can be handled without risk of crushing or puncturing that might cause the release of liquids or gases. Objects can be categorised by the robotic system to make the gripper's closing power appropriate. By distributing forces through many grip-surfaces it is possible to handle objects as different as Styrofoam or a solid metal bar.

Secure hold: Once grasped objects are held securely in many places and do not fall out of the gripper.

Error tolerance: Unlike conventional grippers, objects can be successfully grasped and manipulated without the need for precise control of the gripper and arm. This makes handling of objects possible in challenging conditions where low light levels, dust or an obstructed view make accurate control difficult.

Scalable: The gripper can be manufactured larger and smaller to suit the specific mission requirements.

Actuation-type agnostic: Actuation of the gripper can be electromechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic for elevated grip forces and robust radiation hardening.

How It Works

Instead of using a range of specialised grippers which require tool-change, the new 3DG gimballing gripper uses an inventive, patent-pending principle: multi-scale, fractal, three-dimensional adaptation of multiple gripping surfaces to the shape and size of an object. By conforming the gripping surfaces around an object anything within the form-factor and mass capability of the gripper and of the robotic arm can be gripped and manipulated: cable, a sheet of asbestos, a length of scaffold tube or a block of concrete.

Automatic: Emulating the way a human hand gathers objects up or holds them in a pinch-grip, the gripper has scoops that do the same. A saw blade lying flat on the ground can be picked up by using a pinch grip. Cylindrical and spherical objects are drawn deep into a secure clench grip. Soft deformable objects such as cloth, insulation fibre and plastic bottles can be held securely using only minimal force to prevent damage or perforation and leakage. The grip-type is found automatically by the way the gripper interacts with the object.

Robust and low-mass: Depending on the application and on the operational environment the gripper can be manufactured in aluminum, stainless steel or in carbon-reinforced composites to provide extra low mass with no sacrifice of dimensional stability and robustness. The grip-surfaces of the gimballing grippers are available in a range of formats and can be customised.

Tested and demonstrated: The 3DG gripper has been tested and exploited on the Barrnon BLISSS sort & seg. robotic system handling a wide range of objects with a zero-failure rate.

Key Points

• Automatically adapts the grip
• Different grip types from clench to pinch
• Robust and capable of handling heavy objects
• Handling of delicate objects without causing damage
• Error tolerance for object manipulation in challenging environments
• Easy integration with no special technical requirements
• Low mass carbon composite version for optimised performance
• Scalable to meet specific mission requirements
• Electromechanically, pneumatically or hydraulically actuated