grippers

Robots Getting a Grip with Electroadhesive Fingers

Robots Getting a Grip with Electroadhesive Fingers

A new technology allows robots to manipulate varied and delicate objects

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How-To: Build a Room-Sized Skill Crane

How-To: Build a Room-Sized Skill Crane

In the latest version of his DIY skill crane, Marc has added a third dimension, expanded the crane’s envelope to cover an entire room, and upgraded the business end with a SparkFun robotic claw. A universal TV remote serves as controller, communicating by IR with Arduinos in each of the two big motor housings.

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Print-and-Fold Robot Parts

Print-and-Fold Robot Parts

This video has been released to promote a new university research initiative between MIT, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania aiming to develop a rapid manufacturing system for one-off problem-solving robots. Seems like an ambitious program, to me, but I like the idea of using fold-up papercraft chassis parts for prototyping or short operational life designs.

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Balloon Gripper with Positive Pressure Mode Can “Shoot” as Well as Grab

Balloon Gripper with Positive Pressure Mode Can “Shoot” as Well as Grab

Last March, roboticist Eric Brown and co-workers at the University of Chicago made headlines with their new, unconventional robot gripper design: a balloon filled with coffee grounds or other grainy material and fitted with a vacuum line. At atmospheric pressure, the balloon is squishy and can be “mushed” around an object—even traditionally hard-to-grip stuff like […]

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Printable Tentacle Parts

Printable Tentacle Parts

The printable ball-and-socket unit that makes up this tentacle is really just a prototype in the early development of Thingiverse user Misguided’s not-so-misguided (if we may offer a bit of encouragement) project to develop a printable tentacle actuator. Everything about his description makes me happy, so I’ll just quote it entirely…

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