This work presents the design, development, and validation of a soft robotic gripper based on the Kresling origami pattern as a promising solution for advanced manufacturing applications. To achieve purely linear motion and eliminate the intrinsic twist of a single Kresling unit, two modules with opposite folding directions are mechanically coupled, forming the wrist of the gripper. This configuration concentrates deformation and adaptability in the wrist rather than in the fingers, providing safer interaction with the manipulated object. The tendon-driven actuation is controlled using both integer and fractional order controllers to enhance motion accuracy and robustness. The complete system is integrated into a real robot, where the gripper operates as a fully functional end-effector. Experimental results demonstrate its ability to handle objects with diverse stiffness and shapes, confirming the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed origami-based architecture. Overall, the findings highlight the strong potential of origami-inspired metamaterials for developing versatile and efficient soft robotic tools for modern manufacturing environments.
Mena et al. (Fri,) studied this question.