Bloom 软体机器人抓手 by Bio-Inspired Robotics Design Lab

Bloom 软体机器人抓手 by Bio-Inspired Robotics Design Lab is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award 铁奖 in 机器人、自动装置与自动化设计 Competition Category.

铁机器人· 2022

Bloom 软体机器人抓手

by Bio-Inspired Robotics Design Lab

Client: Bio-inspired Robotics & Design Laboratory

A' Design Award 铁奖 Winner in 机器人 Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Bloom 软体机器人抓手

Bloom是一款专为自动化搬运与装配任务设计的软体机器人抓手。其设计灵感源自人类手部结构以及法国玫瑰周期性绽放的形态。Bloom采用硅胶材质制成,通过气压驱动。可伸缩的"指甲"能够精准抓取薄型物体;可折叠的"花瓣"则可实现颗粒状材料的兜取;柔性"手掌"可改变开口宽度以适应大尺寸物体。各抓取模式之间的切换仅需低压、安全的气压驱动。Bloom能够在贴近人类工作者的环境中安全地处理精细易损物品。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 铁奖

Bloom 软体机器人抓手是 A' Design Award 铁奖得主，这是授予满足人们对设计精良的创作所期待的专业与工业要求的优良设计的声望认可。铁奖得主展现出其创作者的高超技艺、高度专业化、专家级的理解力和创造能力。预计Bloom 软体机器人抓手将成为一件备受推崇、令人钦佩且被珍爱的创作，既实用又创新。这件赢得 A' Design Award 铁奖的设计整合了行业最佳实践，并拥有与专业知识和才华相结合的称职技术特性。Bloom 软体机器人抓手因其严谨而受到尊重，旨在提供有助于让世界变得更美好的生活品质改善。

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