Adaptive gripper fingers with passively aligning articulated hemispherical pads

Klemenčič, Tilen (author), Munih, Marko (author), Mihelj, Matjaž (author), Podobnik, Janez (author)

Robotic grippers require both adaptability to diverse object shapes and sufficient strength for robust manipulation. This study presents adaptive gripper fingers that combine passively aligning articulated hemispherical pads with a compliant silicone layer to improve shape accommodation and force transmission during grasping. The structure features hemispherical pads embedded in low-friction grooves, allowing passive alignment to local object geometry during contact. A low-cost fabrication process involving 3D printing and silicone molding is employed, making the design suitable for various applications. Experimental validation was conducted using pull-off force tests on multiple 3D-printed objects selected to represent a range of characteristic object geometries, along with deformation measurements on a soft object. Results show that, for the tested objects and grasping conditions, the proposed design improves pull-off performance and reduces deformation of a soft test object relative to the evaluated reference finger designs.

• Language: English
• Keywords: grippers, grasping, compliant mechanism, adaptive gripper finger, robotic manipulation
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FE - Faculty of Electrical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 13 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 118, art. 103534
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-182428
• UDC: 007.52
• ISSN on article: 0957-4158
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mechatronics.2026.103534
• COBISS.SI-ID: 277742851
• Publication date in RUL: 11.05.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Mechatronics
• Shortened title: Mechatronics
• Publisher: Pergamon
• ISSN: 0957-4158
• COBISS.SI-ID: 169499

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: prijemala, prijemanje, prilagodljiv mehanizem, prilagodljivi prst prijemala, robotska manipulacija