Compact robotic grippers made with shape memory alloy wires save 90% energy
Developed by Germany’s Saarland University, the grippers make use of ultra-fine shape memory alloy wires to act like artificial muscles while requiring no sensors.
Researchers from Saarland University in Germany have developed a new robotic gripping system that slashes energy consumption by 90%. Utilizing shape memory alloys (SMAs), the new robot is highly energy efficient, quiet, and lightweight.
Currently, most industrial robots consume large amounts of electricity and often run at length, rising production costs. Traditional robot grippers usually rely on compressed air (pneumatic systems), which use significant energy, are noisy, bulky, and not easily adaptable or safe for close interaction with people.
Such systems deployed in several tasks, including holding tools in position, inserting components, assembling printed circuit boards, and moving, loading, or unloading parts.
“They are often heavy, their moving parts wear out over time, and they tend to execute a constant, highly repetitive motion pattern. This existing technology limits the extent of miniaturization that can be achieved, and small-scale gripper systems with minor grip points are challenging to realize,” stated a press release by the university.
Smart, energy-efficient grippers
According to the university’s press statement, conventional robot arms are also stiff and difficult to reprogram quickly, making them unsafe for human workers involved on production lines. However, the robotic gripper developed by the team led by Professors Stefan Seelecke and Paul Motzki from Saarland University is set to offer a much-needed solution.