Jamming Transition Used as Robotic Gripper

Cornell University decided that the best way to design robotic hands would be by using "jamming transition," the theory being that densely packed particles act like a solid while loose ones behave like a liquid. They used a latex party balloon, filled it with coffee grounds and attached it to a robotic arm. The team, funded by DARPA, proceeded to test their theory by lifting a raw egg, shock absorber and various other items. The balloon deforms around the object, then a vacuum sucks all its air out. If you can make it through the entire video, we figure a robotic fist bump is in order.

Via Cornell

Read More in: Robot Science/Medicine | Robot Videos

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