Polymer Actuators: Versatile Soft Grippers with Intrinsic Electroadhesion Based on Multifunctional Polymer Actuators (Adv. Mater. 2/2016)

Abstract

How can one make a robotic gripper delicate enough to pluck a strawberry, but strong enough to hold a can of oil? On page 231, H. Shea and co-workers demonstrate a soft, stretchable gripper combining electroadhesion and dielectric elastomer actuation. The compliance of the gripper allows automatic adaption to nearly any shape, while the combined electrostatic actuation methods allow the handling of very fragile and deformable objects.