Grasping objects with diverse mechanical properties, such as heavy, slippery, or fragile items, remains a significant challenge in robotics. Conventional grippers often rely on applying high normal forces, which can cause damage to objects. To address this limitation, we present a hybrid gripper finger that combines a rigid structural shell with a soft, inflatable silicone pocket. The gripper finger can actively modulate its surface friction by controlling the internal air pressure of the silicone pocket. Results from fundamental experiments indicate that increasing the internal pressure results in a proportional increase in the effective coefficient of friction. This enables the gripper to stably lift heavy and slippery objects without increasing the gripping force and to handle fragile or deformable objects, such as eggs, fruits, and paper cups, with minimal damage by increasing friction rather than applying excessive force. The experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid gripper finger with adaptable friction provides a robust and safer alternative to relying solely on high normal forces, thereby enhancing the gripper flexibility in handling delicate, fragile, and diverse objects.

翻译：抓取具有不同机械特性的物体，例如重物、易滑物品或易碎物品，仍然是机器人技术中的一个重要挑战。传统夹持器通常依赖施加高法向力，这可能对物体造成损伤。为解决这一局限性，我们提出了一种混合夹持器手指，它结合了刚性结构外壳与柔软的可充气硅胶囊。该夹持器手指可通过控制硅胶囊的内部气压主动调节其表面摩擦。基础实验结果表明，增加内部压力会导致有效摩擦系数成比例增加。这使得夹持器能够在不增加夹持力的情况下稳定提起重物和易滑物体，并通过增加摩擦而非施加过大力量来处理易碎或可变形物体，如鸡蛋、水果和纸杯，从而将损伤降至最低。实验结果表明，具有可调摩擦的混合夹持器手指为仅依赖高法向力的方法提供了更稳健且更安全的替代方案，从而增强了夹持器在处理精细、易碎及多样化物体时的灵活性。