Getting to grips with natural principles
Motion control specialist Festo has developed a mechanical gripping device that is able to handle irregular objects with a complicated shape.
The 'FinGripper' is able to adapt to the outer shape of what it is handling, working in a similar fashion to the human hand. Three of the grippers have been arranged in a tripod and is being role out for use in automations applications under the name the Bionic Tripod.
Mechanical gripping devices can cause damage to delicate products, as they tend to apply a concentrated compression force to enable it to grip an item. And because the device is lightweight, it is more energy efficient and versatile than a vacuum device, which are often used to pick and place objects.
The mechanism exploits the natural 'Fin Ray Effect' and will grip objects regardless of the their contour. At the recent Motek show in Stuttgart, Germany, the device was demonstrated changing light bulbs.
It is one of the first commercial examples of using biomechatronic technology in motion control and automation applications. The company say it has systematically applied bionic design principles to allow efficient and flexible automation. The gripper will become a stanard catalogue item from early next year.
The device comes out of development of its AquaPenguin and AirJelly, which used standard catalogue components to mimic the natural motion of both animals. Although this can be dismissed as a marketing gimmick, the work has yielded some interesting motion control technologies.
The company has been keen to promote its philosophy of using modular components that can be put together to form a system that will carry out virtually any motion control application.
As a result, the system on display was controlled using the robot control software, CMXR, which has also been developed by the company. It combines mechanical and electrical drive technology and control components to form what it describes as 'a complete kinematic solution'.
The CMXR robotic controller interpolates and positions all the axes that can trace contours on a centre line often required in bonding, laser welding or water-jet cutting applications. Applications with moving objects can also be implemented with the additional use of a vision camera and conveyor system.
