Modeling and analysis of electrostatic force for robot handling of fabric materials

Electrostatic force has received considerable interest in recent years for handling small objects in microsystems and microengineering applications, but little work has been carried out to study its use in handling large-size objects. This paper discusses the principles of a robotic electrostatic gripping device for the handling of large-size fabric plies. A theory is derived to describe the dynamic behavior of the charging/discharging processes of the gripping surface. Mathematical equations are developed to relate the dynamic performance of the gripping force to the device's design parameters and the properties of materials being handled. An automated experimental process is employed to validate the theory. The theoretical modeling and analysis of the gripping force has allowed optimization of the gripper's design parameters for practical materials handling applications. The design and construction of an electrostatic gripper for fabric handling in aerospace applications are discussed.