Glossary · Robotics
Soft pneumatic gripper
Also known as: Soft gripper, Soft robotic gripper
German: Soft Pneumatic Gripper
In handling and robotics, a soft pneumatic gripper is a gripper with flexible fingers made of elastomer that bend when pressurized, conforming to the shape of the object. It is used for delicate, irregular or varying items such as food, fruit or packaged goods.
- Robotics
In one sentence
A soft pneumatic gripper uses elastomer fingers that bend under air pressure to wrap around delicate or irregular objects.
Example
A soft pneumatic gripper picks cupcakes of varying sizes from a conveyor without crushing the frosting.
How it applies
- Engineering: Grip force is set by pressure and finger design; the fingers adapt to shape, which reduces the need for part-specific jaws. Position accuracy of the gripped part is lower than with rigid grippers.
- Operation and maintenance: Elastomer fingers wear, can be cut by sharp edges and must be compatible with cleaning agents; food applications require suitable materials.
- Documentation: The documentation team should document pressure settings, finger replacement, cleaning and material compatibility, and the behavior on loss of air (the part may drop or remain held depending on the design).
Soft pneumatic gripper vs. vacuum gripper
A soft gripper holds by wrapping around the object; a Vacuum gripper holds by suction on a surface. Soft grippers handle porous or uneven items that vacuum cannot seal on.