Design and analysis of a parallel-type gripping and micro-positioning mechanism

In this work, a parallel-type gripping and micro-positioning mechanism is proposed. This device has a parallelogrammatic platform which can be flexibly folded. Therefore, this mechanism not only can be used to grasp an object having irregular shape or large volume, but also can be utilized as a micro-positioning device after grasping the object. Configuration parameter for configuration control of the proposed gripping mechanism is defined. Grasping force and isotropic characteristic of the mechanism are considered as design indices for optimal design of the gripping mechanism. The proposed mechanism is expected to be used as an adaptable gripping and micro-positioning device by attaching it at the end-point of a robot.