ジャミンググリッパは簡単な制御で様々な形状の物体を把持できる。しかし、押付の過程で必要以上の力を加えると把持対象を破壊してしまうため壊れやすい物体を扱うことが難しい。そこで、対象の変形を検出することで必要以上の押付を避けることが重要である。本研究では、ジャミンググリッパの膜を永久磁石エラストマ (PME) で作製し、磁場の変化を監視することで対象の変形開始点を検出する手法を提案し、ロールケーキやポテトチップスなどの壊れやすい物体を破壊せずに把持できることを示した。

Jamming grippers can grasp objects of various shapes with simple control. However, grasping fragile objects is challenging, as a secure grasp requires firm pressing, which can potentially damage delicate objects. Thus, it is important to achieve an appropriate pressing distance for damage-free grasping. Consequently, the detection of the deformation of objects during grasping is required. In this study, we introduced a tactile sensing method using a Permanent Magnet Elastomer (PME) membrane to detect the initial deformation of grasping objects. The initial deformation can be detected from the inflection point in magnetic field data, and delicate objects, such as roll cakes or potato chips, can be grasped without being damaged. This study enables jamming grippers to delicately grasp fragile objects without damaging them, thus extending their use in sectors, such as the food industry.

Ho Enomoto, Matthew Ishige, Takuya Umedachi, Mitsuhiro Kamezaki, Yoshihiro Kawahara

Contact: enomoto@akg.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp