A fin gripper utilizes the Fin Ray effect, a principle of passive compliance inspired by fish anatomy. When the outer edge of the gripper finger is pushed against an object, the internal cross-ribs force the finger to bend toward the applied force rather than away from it. This allows the gripper to automatically conform to irregular, fragile, or varying shapes without requiring complex sensors or independent finger joint actuation.
We swapped out the rigid jaws for a fin gripper so the cobot can handle both the spherical bearings and the flat brackets without a tool change.
Also heard as
- Fin Ray gripper
Related terms
Cobot
A collaborative robot designed to work safely alongside humans in a shared space.
Underactuate
To design or control a mechanical system so that it has fewer independent motors or actuators than its total degrees of freedom.
Gripster
An electric vacuum gripping device that lifts, holds, positions or moves materials by suction.