Exploring Robots That Bend : Origami Inspired Grippers & Complaint Mechanisms

Submitter and Co-author information

Dora L. Strelkova, University of WindsorFollow

Standing

Undergraduate

Type of Proposal

Media/Film Presentation

YouTube Video

Faculty

Faculty of Engineering

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Jill Urbanic

Proposal

Through the use of living hinges and compliant mechanisms, simple yet effective origami grippers can be parametrically designed, bringing high flexibility and adaptability to the world of end-effectors. The unison of paper art and robotics allows for unique designs, in which traditional origami folds are replaced by living hinges within the gripper model. Creased regions act as actuated hinges or spring elements, allowing for controlled movements and uncreased regions provide structure and rigidity to the gripper. Compliant mechanisms are flexible, precisely transmitting force and motion through elastic body deformation and shape memory. These characteristics are ideal for making grippers with fewer parts that maintain strong robotic dexterity. This project explores reconfigurable design, the use of origami in robotics, and the feasibility of living hinges and mechanism compliance in end-effectors. Rapid prototyping processes (i.e., Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)) are also discussed to showcase the low-cost fabrication of this gripper solution and its overall accessibility. As design features can easily be modified through its parametric model, these origami grippers are tunable and can offer substantial grasping solutions for applications in the automotive and aerospace domains (placing flexible composite fiber mats into molds), as well the agricultural domains for grasping produce without damage.

Availability

Please play this video in my slot, as I am currently on a co-op work term, I would not be able to attend an oral presentation on these dates.

Special Considerations

I am the sole presenter, Dora Strelkova.

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Exploring Robots That Bend : Origami Inspired Grippers & Complaint Mechanisms

Through the use of living hinges and compliant mechanisms, simple yet effective origami grippers can be parametrically designed, bringing high flexibility and adaptability to the world of end-effectors. The unison of paper art and robotics allows for unique designs, in which traditional origami folds are replaced by living hinges within the gripper model. Creased regions act as actuated hinges or spring elements, allowing for controlled movements and uncreased regions provide structure and rigidity to the gripper. Compliant mechanisms are flexible, precisely transmitting force and motion through elastic body deformation and shape memory. These characteristics are ideal for making grippers with fewer parts that maintain strong robotic dexterity. This project explores reconfigurable design, the use of origami in robotics, and the feasibility of living hinges and mechanism compliance in end-effectors. Rapid prototyping processes (i.e., Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)) are also discussed to showcase the low-cost fabrication of this gripper solution and its overall accessibility. As design features can easily be modified through its parametric model, these origami grippers are tunable and can offer substantial grasping solutions for applications in the automotive and aerospace domains (placing flexible composite fiber mats into molds), as well the agricultural domains for grasping produce without damage.