Beans and other climbing plants use their touch-sensitive shoots to wrap themselves around
“We tried different designs, butthe results did not satisfy us. Then I remembered the beans that I grew a few years ago, says Mabel Fock, assistant professor and lead author of the study. - This plant can hold firmly to other plants or support. I did a little research on climbing plants and decided that this design of nature will be useful for robots too. "
In a new study published in the journalOptics expressThe researchers report that their soft spiral robotic gripper offers several advantages over existing devices.
“Our robot only needs onepneumatic control. This makes it easier to operate by eliminating the need for complex coordination between multiple controls, explains Fock. "Because we use a unique rotational motion, the soft robotic gripper works well in tight spaces; only a little is required."
Researchers believe their softThe robotic gripper, just under 8cm long, made of silicone, will be useful in many fields, including agriculture, medicine and scientific work. The development will also be useful for packaging agricultural products that require a soft touch (plants and flowers); as surgical robotics or when collecting and storing research samples in fragile glass tubes during scientific experiments.
In their study, the scientific team claimsthat the spiral gripper was effective in gripping objects such as pencils and brushes, and even small objects such as the thin wire of a straightened paper clip.
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