Bloom Grefier Robotic Flexibil by Bio-Inspired Robotics Design Lab

Bloom Grefier Robotic Flexibil by Bio-Inspired Robotics Design Lab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award de Fier in Robotică Competition Category.

FierRobotică· 2022

Bloom Grefier Robotic Flexibil

by Bio-Inspired Robotics Design Lab

Client: Bio-inspired Robotics & Design Laboratory

A' Design Award de Fier Winner in Robotică Category

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Verified Award Winner
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The Design

About Bloom Grefier Robotic Flexibil

Bloom este un grefier robotic flexibil conceput pentru sarcini automatizate de manipulare și asamblare. Grefierul este inspirat de mâna umană și de înflorirea ciclică a trandafirului galic. Bloom este realizat din silicon și este acționat prin presiune de aer. Unghiile retractabile permit prinderea precisă a obiectelor fine. Petalele pliabile permit colectarea materialelor granulare. O palmă flexibilă modifică lățimea de deschidere pentru obiecte de dimensiuni mari. Presiuni scăzute și sigure sunt utilizate pentru a comuta între modurile de prindere. Bloom poate manipula în siguranță obiecte delicate în apropierea lucrătorilor umani.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Fier

Bloom Grefier Robotic Flexibil a câștigat A' Design Award de Fier, o recunoaștere prestigioasă acordată designurilor bune care îndeplinesc cerințele profesionale și industriale așteptate de la creații bine concepute. Câștigătorii Fierului demonstrează mare pricepere, înaltă specializare, înțelegere de specialitate și capacitate creativă din partea creatorilor lor. Se așteaptă ca Bloom Grefier Robotic Flexibil să fie o creație foarte apreciată, admirată și prețuită, practică și inovatoare. Acest design câștigător al A' Design Award de Fier integrează cele mai bune practici din industrie și are caracteristici tehnice competente îmbinate cu know-how și talent. Pentru acuratețea sa, Bloom Grefier Robotic Flexibil merită respect și este conceput pentru a aduce îmbunătățiri ale calității vieții care ajută la facerea lumii un loc mai bun.

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