Mechanical Controllers for Robotic Grippers

Abstract

This thesis explores the definition, design, prototyping, testing, and analysis of a mechanical controller, which is a mechanical system designed to control a robotic gripper without the use of digital or electrical systems. The intention of developing such a system is to either 1) act in parallel with conventional digital systems that coordinate the movements of a robotic gripper to provide complementary control and safety features, or 2) serve as an alternative method for manipulation in scenarios where conventional systems may be limited. This task was accomplished through the development of a ”Force-Activated Clutch” that is able to simultaneously measure the forces acting on a gripper, monitor the gripper’s position, and manipulate the gripper’s degrees of freedom to achieve a desired movement. Two complete prototypes were developed over the course of this thesis, with the second prototype serving as the basis for all testing and verification. To accompany the second prototype, a computational optimization structure was built in MATLAB to constrain and define the mechanical system’s dimensions by processing 413,343 possible designs. In the end, the prototype did not meet the technical specifications; however, the theoretical design and the exercise of the mechanism in testing affirm the viability of a mechanical controller in robotic grippers.