Curvature Adaptable Robotic End-Effectors

Abstract

Flexible robotic manipulators are rapidly gaining traction in automotive assembly to boost productivity and adaptability. Conventional end-effector systems depend heavily on custom tooling engineered for individual curved parts, a strategy that drives up reconfiguration costs, limits interoperability across different product lines, and increases downtime between production runs. We propose an underactuated endeffector that integrates a metasheet of dome-shaped bistable units interconnected into actuation groups, individually addressable via a pneumatic inflation. This arrangement permits transitions between multiple stable configurations, each corresponding to a distinct curvature profile, allowing the manipulator to accommodate different objects found on assembly lines. By tuning the geometry of the proposed endeffector, the system triggers transitions in targeted groups, reconfiguring the system’s overall shape to conform to diverse part geometries. This flexibility enables a single manipulator platform to handle a broad family of components without the expense and downtime associated with bespoke tooling changes. By leveraging intrinsic compliance and multistability, the proposed approach strikes an effective balance between mechanical complexity and operational simplicity.