A flexible robotic gripper for automation of assembly tasks: A technology study on a gripper for operation in shared human environments

Abstract

This paper introduces a new gripper concept that is a cornerstone of an investigation how to close the gap between manual assembly and a fully automatic assembly. The proposed gripper is required to handle a wide range of parts that are today assembled manually. The solution needs to be easy to adapt to meet new product variant requirements for low batch production. The solution further aims to achieve a harmless gripping device to operate in shared human environments. To date, prototypes have been built to validate their functionality, and recently completed lifetime tests on key sub-systems have demonstrated their robustness. A number of third generation prototypes have been built and are currently used in pilot application testing. We expect important learnings from applying the prototypes in a production environment.