Design and additive manufacturing of a scalable, low-cost educational robotic gripper

This paper presents the development and prototyping of an educational robotic gripper designed for a professional mechatronics study program. The research connects key learning outcomes of the mechatronics curriculum with the design, prototyping, testing, and integration of the gripper system into robotic applications. Key parameters and components were selected during the design phase, followed by the construction of system assembly parts. A parametric design for the mechanism, suitable for additive manufacturing, is outlined in alignment with educational objectives. The scalable design and cost-effectiveness of fused deposition modeling (FDM) make the presented gripper adaptable to various robotic systems. The prototyping process includes selecting printing parameters in the case of FDM and executing the manufacturing process. Three different sizes of robotic grippers are manufactured, with plans for integration into robotic systems to support hands-on engineering education.