APPLICATION OF A BIPHASIC ACTUATOR IN THE DESIGN OF A ROBOT GRIPPER FOR GARMENT HANDLING

The paper describes a novel robot gripper for garment handling. The device has been designed, developed, prototyped, and tested within the CloPeMa European Project creating a robot system for automated manipulation of clothing and other textile items. The gripper has two degrees of freedom and includes both rigid and flexible elements. A variable-stiffness actuator has been implemented to add controlled compliance in the grip per's operation allowing the combining of various grasping and manipulation tasks. First, we analyze the specific application determined task requirements, focusing on the need for adaptive flexibility and the role of compliant elements in the design. The chosen solution is a simple planar mechanism, equipped with one standard and one variable-stiffness actuator. The mechanical design of the gripper, including the hydraulic system used in the biphasic actuator is outlined, and the control architecture, using sensor feedback, is described.