International Journal of Social Sciences and Economic Management, 2026, 7(1); doi: 10.3807/IJSSEM.2026.070120.
Bin Zhou1, Tiesheng Liu1, Zongwang Cai1, Shufeng Zhang2
1Jingwei Systemtechnik Ltd., Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
2Ningbo City College of Vocational Technology, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
To address the issues of material damage, poor shape adaptability, and insufficient grasping stability during the automated transfer process of flexible materials, this paper designs a novel variable stiffness compliant gripper based on a project technical report. The gripper is based on a novel VSFPM (Variable Stiffness Flexible Parallel Mechanism) mechanism, achieving independent control of stiffness adjustment and opening/closing motion. The variable stiffness range is from 0.2064 N/mm to 13.0014 N/mm, with a stiffness ratio of 62. By detailing the gripper's configuration design, stiffness adjustment module, opening/closing motion module, and tooling support system, a corresponding control scheme is formulated. Experiments grasping 11 objects with different properties, including brittle, soft, and hard objects, were conducted, verifying the gripper's excellent compliance and grasping ability in its lowest stiffness state. Meanwhile, stiffness adjustment experiments demonstrated its continuity and stability in grasping fragile objects (such as peeled grapes) under low, medium, and high stiffness states. The results show that this variable stiffness compliant gripper effectively solves the grasping problems of flexible materials, providing a reliable solution for the end-effector design of high-speed precise transfer equipment.
Variable stiffness gripper, Compliant grasping, Flexible materials, VSFPM mechanism, Grasping experiments
Bin Zhou, Tiesheng Liu, Zongwang Cai, Shufeng Zhang. AI-Driven Transformation and Innovation of the Philosophy and Social Sciences Research Paradigm in Shenyang. International Journal of Social Sciences and Economic Management (2026), Vol. 7, Issue 1: 191-196. https://doi.doi.org/10.3807/IJSSEM..2026. 070120.
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