MIGHTY: Multi-Functional Suction Cup for Object Gripping and Surface Attachment

Abstract

The spectrum of applications of robotic systems is constantly being expanded in the research, industrial and even the defense sectors, ranging from manipulation and assembly to critical infrastructure monitoring and post-disaster response. Nevertheless, contemporary robotic capabilities are significantly hindered when traversing through or interacting with complex, unstructured and dynamic environments. To alleviate for that, we introduce in the current work MIGHTY (Multi-functional Intelligent Gripping with High Tolerance), a novel, lightweight, sensor-enhanced vacuum suction cup providing not only enhanced attachment capabilities on a plethora of surfaces of varying roughness, but also robust and accurate contact and force estimation. Its unique design facilitates multiple functionalities, from acting as a gripper for object manipulation to operating as a foot for stable walking and steep surface climbing. The proposed suction cup was extensively assessed under varying experimental setups, in order to validate its capacity to sense the applied force and torque and the torque's axis, as well as its ability to attach on a variety of surfaces. In all cases remarkable results were demonstrated, attesting for its effectiveness and robustness.