Watch: Skillful Robotic Gripper Uses Measuring Tape As Fingers

Steel measuring tape is a fascinating material: it can maintain its shape when extended, yet it’s flexible enough to bend under pressure. Researchers have harnessed this unique combination of stiffness and flexibility to create an innovative new robotic gripper, ideal for handling delicate objects.

The Birth of GRIP-tape

Associate Professor Nick Gravish and his team at the University of California, San Diego developed the device and, as a result, named it “GRIP-tape” — an acronym for Grasping and Rolling In-Plane. Furthermore, the gripper is capable of handling objects of varying shapes and sizes by using two triangular fingers that are both grippy and compliant.

The engineers construct each finger using two strips of measuring tape, placing them one on top of the other and securing them with adhesive tape. This process creates a double-layered ribbon that bends or buckles at the tip.Two motorized reels — one at each end of the tape — control the rolling and unrolling of the material as needed.

By adjusting the rotation direction of the four reels (two per finger), the gripper can extend or retract the fingers, rotate an object it’s holding, or move it in or out in a conveyor belt-like motion. Moreover, the entire gripper can tilt and roll from side to side, thanks to a flexible robotic wrist that enhances its range of motion and adaptability.

Potential for Real-World Applications

Researchers hope that, with further development, this technology will be used in fields like agriculture, enabling gentle and damage-free harvesting of fruits and vegetables. One current example is UCLA’s EEWOC robot, which already uses a tape-measure-based magnetic limb to climb metal structures.

We like to explore non-traditional, unexpected robot mechanisms,” says Gravish. “The tape measure is such a remarkable structure because it combines both softness and stiffness in one.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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