Control of grasping force by detecting stick/slip distribution at the curved surface of an elastic finger

A method for controlling the grasping force when an object is grasped by artificial elastic fingers is proposed. First, the relationship between the stick area and the internal strain distribution of the finger is calculated using FE (finite element) analysis. Based on this relationship, a method is proposed for controlling the grasping force by decreasing the increasing ratio of the tangential force when the stick area is decreasing. Finally, the grasping force is controlled using an actual elastic finger, which is made of silicone rubber and in which strain gages are incorporated. It is confirmed that objects can be grasped using adequate grasping force without complete slippage, even when the weight and the friction coefficient of the objects are unknown