Coffee-filled robotic gripper becomes a commercial product

The Versaball grasps a shock absorber

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Back in 2010, we first heard about a clever device known as the robotic universal jamming gripper. With its business end composed of a party balloon filled with coffee grounds, it could form a secure grip around objects of varying sizes and shapes. Now, that device has been commercialized – although incorporating higher-tech materials than balloons and coffee.

Created in a collaboration between the University of Chicago and Cornell University, the new version of the gripper is called the Versaball, and it's being produced by spin-off company Empire Robotics.

It utilizes the "jamming transition" phenomenon, in which granular objects remain loose and almost liquid ordinarily, but jam together to form a solid when vacuum-packed. It's the same process by which a package of vacuum-packed coffee feels rock-hard when sealed, but becomes soft and pliable once opened.

In the case of the Versaball, a granular material is packed into a rubber ball on the head of the device. That ball has a bean bag-like consistency when initially pressed onto an object, letting it conform to the shape of that item. A vacuum is then applied inside the ball, drawing out the air and causing it to "harden" around the object. The Versaball can then pick the item up (as long as it weighs no more than 20 lb/9 kg), move it, then release it simply by releasing the vacuum.

Although the first version will be aimed at industrial applications, it is hoped that subsequent models could find use in assisted living devices, prostheses, and military robots.

The team that designed the initial prototype apparently had no plans to commercialize the technology, but changed their minds after receiving inquiries from a number of companies. Empire is now taking orders for the device, which should begin shipping later this month. It can be seen in action in the video below.

Sources: University of Chicago, Empire Robotics

自動翻譯僅供參考

咖啡夾持器逐漸商業(yè)化? Coffee填充機器人夾具變成一個商業(yè)product

的Versaball掌握減震器

圖片廊（3圖像）

回到2010，我們首先聽說了一個被稱為機器人通用干擾夾的智能裝置。它的商業(yè)終端由一個充滿咖啡渣的派對氣球組成，它可以圍繞不同大小和形狀的物體形成一個安全的抓地力。現在，這個裝置已經商業(yè)化了，盡管它包含了比氣球和咖啡更高的技術材料。

創(chuàng)立于芝加哥大學和康奈爾大學，被稱為Versaball夾持器的新版本之間的合作，而且它正在生產。分拆公司帝國機器人。

它利用了“干擾過渡”的現象，在這種顆粒狀物體保持松散和幾乎液體通常，但果醬在一起形成固體時真空包裝。這是相同的過程，其中一包真空包裝的咖啡感覺堅硬的密封時，卻變得柔軟，柔韌一旦被打開。

在Versaball的情況下，顆粒材料裝入一個橡皮球該裝置的頭部。該球具有當最初壓到一個對象，讓它符合該項目的形狀的豆袋狀稠度。的真空然后被球內施加，抽出空氣并使其“硬化”對象周圍。然后，Versaball可以選擇的項目了（只要它的重量不超過20磅

9千克），移動它，然后釋放真空釋放它根本。

雖然第一個版本將針對工業(yè)應用，它希望后續(xù)機型能找到生活輔助設備，假肢，和軍用機器人使用。

所設計的初始原型的團隊顯然沒有計劃將該技術商業(yè)化，但接受調查的多家企業(yè)后，改變了主意。帝國現已接受訂單的設備，它應該在本月晚些時候開始出貨。它可以在下面的視頻中可以看出在行動