Experimental evaluation for gripping performance of micro-gripper using functional fluid

Gripping and holding mechanisms of automated systems in manufacturing and distribution industries are required to flexibly accommodate various product shapes. The gripping and holding mechanisms using jamming transition have been attracting attention because they can grasp objects of various shapes. We have proposed and prototyped a new type of small gripping and holding mechanism that uses the jet flow generated by an electro-conjugate fluid (ECF) and the jamming of granular material. Gripping performance depends on the thickness of the thin film for the small jamming gripper. In this paper we experimentally investigate gripping performance of a micro-gripper using the functional fluid ECF.