Bloom ソフトロボティックグリッパー by Bio-Inspired Robotics Design Lab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award 鉄賞 in ロボティクス・オートマトン・オートメーションデザイン Competition Category.
鉄ロボティクス· 2022
Bloom ソフトロボティックグリッパー
by Bio-Inspired Robotics Design Lab
Client: Bio-inspired Robotics & Design Laboratory
A' Design Award 鉄賞 Winner in ロボティクス Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #137335The Design
About Bloom ソフトロボティックグリッパー
Bloomは、自動化されたハンドリングおよび組立作業のために設計されたソフトロボティックグリッパーである。このグリッパーは、人間の手と、ガリカローズが周期的に開花する様子から着想を得ている。Bloomはシリコーン製で、空気圧によって駆動する。収納可能な爪により、薄い対象物も精密に把持できる。折り畳み可能な花弁状の構造により、粒状材料をすくい取ることが可能である。柔軟な手のひら部分は、大きな対象物に合わせて開口幅を変化させる。把持モードの切り替えには、低く安全な圧力が用いられる。Bloomは、人間の作業者のすぐそばでも、繊細な物品を安全に取り扱うことができる。
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award 鉄賞
Bloom ソフトロボティックグリッパーは、よく設計された創造物に期待される専門的・産業的要件を満たす優れたデザインに授与される、権威ある評価である A' Design Award 鉄賞の受賞作品です。鉄賞の受賞作品は、制作者の高い技量、高度な専門性、専門家としての理解、創造的な能力を示しています。Bloom ソフトロボティックグリッパーは、高く評価され、称賛され、愛される、実用的で革新的な創造物であることが期待されます。この A' Design Award 鉄賞を受賞したデザインは、業界のベストプラクティスを統合し、ノウハウと才能に結びついた有能な技術的特性を備えています。Bloom ソフトロボティックグリッパーは、その徹底ぶりで尊敬され、世界をより良い場所にするための生活の質の向上をもたらすよう設計されています。
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Bloom is a bio-inspired, pneumatically actuated, shape morphing soft robotic gripper that is capable of on-site rapid workspace reconfigurability. It features passive retractable nails, bi-directional foldable petals, and a flexible palm to adapt to various grasping and manipulation tasks. The ability to rapidly reconfigure grasping workspace on-the-fly allows Bloom to perform assembly tasks consisting of highly varying subtasks, a feat previously not possible using conventional rigid or existing soft grippers.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 115 x 115 x 152mm
- Tags
- Soft Robotics, Soft Robots, Bio-Inspired Design, Biomimicry, Robotics, Material Science
- Production Technology
- Design Optimization using FEA, 3D Printing, Silicone Moulding & Casting
- Design Challenge
- Consumer goods, logistics, and food industries have been benefiting from robotic intervention to meet evolving demands. In such industries, reliable robotic handling of food rely on versatile gripper interfaces with comprehensive and adaptive capabilities. Compared to traditional rigid grippers, Bloom, a state-of-the-art soft gripper utilizes compliant soft actuators made using functional hyperelastic materials, allowing it to grasp a wider range of geometries safely and reliably.
- Research
- Silicone and air are both soft materials and are the main components in this soft gripper. Because of this, Bloom is able to interface with soft objects safely and effectively.
Bloom can be used in many circumstances including food preparation and healthcare. Because of its material compliance, it is able to work closely with delicate objects and human coworkers. Thus, narrowing the gap between robots and humans. - Inspiration
- A product of the Bio-Inspired Robotics Design (BRD) Lab at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Bloom was inspired by both the dexterity of the human hand and the intentional cyclic blooming of the Rosa gallica (Gallic Rose). Mimicking the function of the corpus unguis, (human fingernail) Bloom, can grasp objects as thin as 300 microns, large objects as heavy as 1.4kgs, while being able to scoop objects as small as 1.5 millimeters in radius.
- Project Duration
- The project concluded in February 2021, at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)
- Operation Flow
- Bloom features retractable nails to help in precision grasping of small and thin objects. An optimized bi-directional flap design allows for scooping actions for granular objects such as grains, jelly or scrambled eggs. A multi-material palm design allows for changing Bloom’s aperture for wide objects. Bloom utilizes low, safe pressures (-80kPa to 60kPa) to switch between and operate the various grasping modes.
- Team Members
- Snehal Jain
Saikrishna Dontu
Joanne Ee Mei Teoh. - Image Credits
- Snehal Jain
Saikrishna Dontu
Joanne Ee Mei Teoh
Aaron Chooi
Pablo Valdivia Y Alvarado
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