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Intelligent and Integrated Gripper using Multi-sensors and Actuators
Generally speaking, robotic arms and grippers are inseparable when carrying out automatic tasks (e.g. pick and place tasks). Robotic arms are electro-mechanical structures and are programmable to perform repeatable movements/motions (e.g. moving forth and back between point A and B), whilst robotic grippers are usually attached to the tips of robotic arms, which is the “end-effectors”. They could provide accurate locations and orientations to approach the objects that are going to be grasped. Hence, robotic grippers can enhance and enable a high degree of freedom to the manipulation of robotic arms.
There are many types of grippers currently, such as magnetic, pneumatic, and motorised fingers to improve the dexterity, manipulability and flexibility of robotic arms. Motorised grippers (or fingers) are the most common. They are able to grasp the objects with regular and irregular shapes regardless of the object material characteristics/contents. The more the fingers, the higher the dexterity. However, there are different limitations and problems when they perform the object picking tasks.
In this project, LSCM has developed an intelligent and integrated gripper with multiple sensors and actuators for automatic sorting applications. The gripper is able to pick up moving objects and detect its material characteristics (e.g. plastics, paper, etc.), and also pick up objects of irregular shapes. Machine intelligence techniques have been researched and developed to identify the object shapes and orientations for the grasping tasks.
The application of LSCM’s grippers in the object picking and sorting tasks in warehouses and factories, etc. could definitely help to enhance the operation efficiency and cost effectiveness.
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