Deformation Constraint Member Arrangement for Passive Deformation Control of Elastic Fingers of a Robot Gripper

This paper discusses a passive deformation control of elastic fingers of a robot gripper. The passive deformation control is performed using deformation constraint members arranged outside the elastic fingers that are largely deflected outward after gripping the object. After the contact of the fingers with the deformation constraint members, the elastic deformation behavior of the fingers is changed. The effect of the passive deformation control on gripping force was examined through simulations for a wide range of locations where the deformation constraint members can be arranged. The maximum gripping force was largely different depending on the deformation constraint member arrangement and ranged from 0.828 to 2.51 times that without the passive deformation control.