Researchers create gripping arm with ‘feel’ for fragile materials

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have built a robot that can lift fragile objects using electro-adhesion. By using electro-adhesion, the robot can pick up things without having to be preprogrammed what it is.

This makes it possible for the robot to pick up an egg without any problems, according to the research. The robot does this by using electro-adhesion, in which two surfaces are connected by means of electric fields. If there is voltage between the electrodes, the electrodes in the soft arm bend towards the object and the arm can gently pick it up regardless of its shape.

According to researcher Jun Shintake, this is the first time that electro-adhesion and ‘sensitive’ robotics have been combined. Typically, gripping arms use pneumatics or are unable to pick up fragile objects without pre-programming. He foresees that the technology could be used in drones. Co-researcher Herbert Shea says: “We envision it could be used in robotic artificial hands, in the food industry or even in space, to capture debris.”

The electrode flaps consist of five layers. When the tension is off, the difference in thickness of the outer layers causes the flaps to curl outward. When the voltage is applied, the attractive force between the two layers of electrodes causes the membranes to be straightened. It does something similar to tensing muscles. On the ends of the flaps are electrodes that have been developed for optimal electrostatic grip.