Versatile aerial grasping using self-sealing suction

Abstract

This paper addresses the challenge of versatile aerial grasping utilizing suction while considering the limitations of an on-board vacuum pump. It builds upon our patented self-sealing suction cup technology, which allows the exertion of local pulling contact forces for grasping a wide range of objects. The novel self-sealing nature of the cups enables the gripper to be versatile, employing just one, several, or all of the cups for the grasp in a passively actuated manner. We begin by describing the design of the system and its components. Because aerial applications are typically sensitive to weight constraints, we used a micro-pump vacuum generator, which introduced new challenges for our system. To investigate and overcome those challenges, we tested the relationship between the cup's design and its leakage, activation force, and maximum holding force. In addition, we tested the performance of the individual gripper components, the aerial vehicle's ability to transfer force to the cups, the system's ability to grip inclined surfaces, and finally the vehicle's ability to grasp a multitude of objects using various numbers of cups. This included the grasping of one object, followed by the grasping of a second object while still holding the first object.