What are the most common robot grippers and how do they affect programming?

this is a good article. I will list few grippers, describe them and theirs programming impact.. or Parallel grippers consist of two parallel jaws that move towards each other to grasp an object. - Programming Impact: Programming parallel grippers is relatively straightforward, as the control involves opening and closing the jaws. Gripper position and force are crucial parameters to consider.

We've seen an increase in interest in plastic materials for mechanical grippers. They are easy to fabricate, relatively lightweight, and easy to maintain and replace. Because plastics have more "give" than metals, they frequently provide better results for sensor feedback and are a softer contact surface that reduces the likelihood of surface damage to the product it's gripping.

I have used this gripper for my robotics arm which classifies materials. It was very useful for flat surfaces, but I changed the gripper to soft gripper type so as to generalise the arm for uneven surfaces. So this gripper does good job for flat ones.

You can actually handle partial covered layers with flow restriction or check valves. This manages the vacuum leakage in the system. We have smart vacuum generators with air savings mode that shuts off compressed air usage when you reach a specified vacuum level on a smooth non-porous part. When vacuum drops past a set level air is momentarily turned on until the specified vacuum level is reached. When dealing with contaminated environments you can also use a vacuum pump or blower instead of a Venturi. A pump or blower will require less maintenance and cleaning and compensates for leakage in the system better typically.

Description: Vacuum grippers use a vacuum system to hold objects securely. - Programming Impact: Programming vacuum grippers involves managing the vacuum pressure and ensuring a proper seal with the object's surface. Gripper position and orientation are crucial for effective manipulation.

In the delta robot space, we see these types of grippers used most predominantly. They have the following benefits for applications: high speed actuation (ie: more time allocated for something else in the process) and lightweight - the gripper itself and ancillary components are light compared to the other options.

Description: Magnetic grippers use magnets to attract and hold ferrous objects. - Programming Impact: Programming magnetic grippers involves controlling the magnetic force and ensuring proper alignment for successful grasping and release.

We use magnetic grippers at the end of our vibratory bowl feeders we supply to the fastener industry. They help cover a range of bolts with similar head diameter but different lengths

I really enjoy seeing applications for Soft Grippers because they are being highlighted and adopted as an EOAT used in Food applications. Solutions like Soft Robotics are making it so we can pick products that was not possible with older-style pneumatic or electric grippers. Picking chicken wings or breasts are a tough application when you don't have the right gripper.

Description: Soft grippers use compliant materials to grasp and conform to the shape of the object. - Programming Impact: Programming soft grippers requires considering the compliance of the materials. This may involve adjusting the grip force based on the object's characteristics and ensuring a secure grasp without damaging delicate items.

Soft grippers have the potential to become one of the most widely used grippers in industries that handle delicate and small objects. From a learner's point of view, you can always make your own soft grippers using silicone rubber and some commonly available materials. There are many resources available for reference on how to make silicone rubber grippers. It is an interesting procedure, and you may discover new possibilities to create the next gripper.

I'm not sure where this article is pulling data that using certain grippers requires programming in C, while other grippers need Python. That is just plain wrong. Instead you need to understand how the gripper is actuated: is it via digital I/O, a more sophisticated industrial communication protocol like Ethernet/IP, or by triggering a pneumatic valve bank? The method will typically dictate how you interface with the gripper. You'll need to run control of the gripper through the robot controller (and program it there), or more likely via a PLC (or industrial PC) and program the logic in that interface, which may require vendor-specific expertise. Furthermore, ROS does not provide broad support for programming grippers.

Welcome to the new world where AI is creating articles and no one with any real understanding of the content is reviewing the article before it is published.

Well yeah there are some things in this article that are inaccurate. I agree completely with the other comment about how grippers are programmed. Most of the grippers I have seen over the years are either controlled via discrete IO signals, or some analog scheme if they allow variable force or force with feedback. There are some grippers out there which use higher level languages, the designer should weigh supportability and ease of engineering against special capabilities and if no special capabilities are really needed then choose the easiest gripper to control which performs to the level needed.

Some gripper actuators are tough to set proximity sensor position. In these situations, the program will only be able to detect either if the gripper is open or if the gripper is closed on a part or if the gripper is closed without a part.

Ben, I agree. The question indicates a lack of understanding. Good points made.

The choice of gripper affects programming in several ways: 1. Precision and Control: More precise grippers like servo-electric ones require detailed control commands, while simpler grippers like pneumatic ones may only need basic open/close commands. 2.Feedback and Sensing: Some grippers, especially adaptive and soft grippers, may incorporate sensors requiring programming for feedback loops and responsive actions. 3. Speed and Strength: The programming must balance the speed and strength of the gripper’s action, which is particularly important for hydraulic and pneumatic grippers. 4.Safety and Compliance: Programming must consider safety protocols, especially when dealing with delicate objects or in human-robot collaborative environments.

still we have suction, angular grippers and 3-fingered grippers. the consideration as follows: 1)controlling the suction force and managing the attachment and detachment process. 2)setting the angular position and ensuring proper force for object manipulation 3)Programming three-fingered grippers can be more intricate due to the additional degrees of freedom. Control involves finger positioning, force adjustment, and coordination between the fingers.