Geometry and Material Optimization of a Soft Pneumatic Gripper for Handling Deformable Object

Handling deformable object by a soft robotic gripper presents a challenging task due to the complex interaction between the gripper and the object. This paper focuses on investigating optimal design of a soft pneumatic gripper for handling deformable object. Two geometrical parameters of the soft finger were investigated and minimizing the deformation of the grasping target was considered as the objective. Finite element (FE) simulation was iterated until the optimal parameters were found. The optimized geometry of the soft finger was then used to investigate the optimal material property following the same process. Soft fingers with different designs and different materials were fabricated and experimentally tested to validate the optimization results. Finally, results suggested that optimal design could reduce the deformation on the target and softer material is more preferable and energy efficient for handling deformable objects.