Gripping module and gripper including the same

Grip Module

This technology features a mechanism that maintains contact with objects and secures gripping force by filling an elastic body with a variable-viscosity fluid (magnetorheological fluid) and controlling the attraction and repulsion between permanent magnets to adjust the fluid's viscosity.

Conventional grippers require custom fabrication to handle objects of various shapes, which reduces operational efficiency and limits the ability to achieve a secure fit based on the object's geometry.

This technology consists of a module that conforms a body containing magnetorheological (MR) fluid to an object, then uses a motor to control the relative positions of first and second permanent magnets. This generates a magnetic field through repulsive force, increasing the fluid's viscosity to lock the body's shape in place. Applicable to logistics picking, service robots, and manufacturing automation, it enhances operational stability and performance by maintaining grip strength and improving the viscosity response of the fluid section.

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Key Features:

• A grip module provided on the robot hand of a gripper that picks up and moves objects, comprising a body portion provided on the gripping surface of the robot hand with an internal space.
• A fluid portion provided inside the body portion capable of changing viscosity.
• A motor that drives at least one of the connected first and second permanent magnets to generate attraction or repulsion relative to at least one other of the first and second permanent magnets.
• A second permanent magnet facing the first permanent magnet, with N and S poles each provided in at least one divided pair.

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the development of a gripper system for high-mix production processes capable of securely gripping unspecified objects of various shapes, weights, and strengths.