UC San Diego Robotic Gripper Air Grasp Objects
A team of researchers from UC San Diego have developed a 3D-printed robotic gripper that doesn’t require electronics to grasp objects, just air. The gripper uses gravity, along with various touch sensors, to pick up, hold, as well as release objects. Special functions programmed for the valves enable the gripper to grab on contact and release at the correct time.



To overcome the issue that most soft robots have with stiffness, the team developed a new 3D-printing method that involves the printer nozzle tracing a continuous path throughout the entire pattern of each layer printed. This reduces the occurrence of leaks and defects in the printed object, which are quite common when dealing with soft materials. It also allows for printing of thing walls that measure just 0.5mm thick and along with the curved shapes, enable a higher range of deformation, resulting in a softer structure.

UC San Diego Robotic Gripper Air Grasp Objects

We designed functions so that a series of valves would allow the gripper to both grip on contact and release at the right time. It’s the first time such a gripper can both grip and release. All you have to do is turn the gripper horizontally. This triggers a change in the airflow in the valves, making the two fingers of the gripper release,” said Yichen Zhai, a postdoctoral researcher in the Bioinspired Robotics and Design Lab at the University of California San Diego.