An Inflatable Deployable Origami Grasper for Adaptive and High-Load Grasping

Abstract

Robotic graspers are essential for enhancing the efficiency and versatility of robots in grasping tasks. In this paper, we propose a novel inflatable deployable origami grasper with a rigid-flexible coupling structure. The proposed grasper can achieve multiple deployment configurations under a single pneumatic actuation, enabling both deployment and grasping operations while also allowing for passive self-folding during deflation. The design and fabrication of the grasper are presented. Then, the stiffness model for the inflatable deployable origami unit is developed based on the equivalent truss method. Experimental results show that the grasper successfully grasps objects of various shapes and sizes in both enveloping and fingertip grasping modes, using either two or four fingers. With its simple mechanical system and high deploy/fold ratio, the proposed grasper holds significant potential for applications in industrial automation and space exploration.