Gripper device for aerial vehicles

Passive Dynamic Gripper for Aerial Vehicles Converting Impact Energy into Gripping Force

This technology is a passive dynamic gripper for aerial vehicles that automatically closes its claws to grasp an object by transferring the impact energy generated upon collision through a linkage structure and tendon mechanism.

Existing aerial vehicles, such as drones, have struggled to efficiently utilize the impact energy generated when interacting with objects without static approach, and have faced difficulties in immediately stabilizing their posture after grasping.

This technology proposes a mechanism that converts impact energy into claw-actuating force via tendons, and uses a tendon locking module—an electro-adhesive clutch—to rapidly maintain the claw's state. This allows for rapid object grasping during flight without the need for additional actuators. It can be applied to drone delivery, aerial retrieval operations, and securing supplies in disaster zones. Since grasping is achieved solely through impact without requiring additional drive power, it significantly reduces the payload and power burden on the aerial vehicle.

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Key Features:

• A linkage comprising an upper plate and a lower plate connected to move toward and away from the upper plate, upon which an object collides.
• A locking module housing disposed on both sides of the linkage to accommodate tendons, and pulleys around which the tendons are looped.
• Claws disposed on both sides of the lower part of the linkage, connected to one end of the tendons, and operating between an open and a closed position.
• A tendon puller hinge-mounted to the lower plate and connected to the other end of the tendons, and a locking module powered by an external source.

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This invention was developed with support from the Human-Centered Soft Robotics Technology Research Center of the Ministry of Science and ICT.