Design

In this guide, we have provided instructions for two varying gripper designs. The two designs, however, have very different material and time requirements and approach robotics differently.

The materials for the electronic gripper cost ~ $150 and can take about two hours to construct once all the materials are gathered. In this gripper option, students can observe the connections needed to make the system work such as the Arduino, motor, switches and batteries. Created to be repositionable, the number, angle, and position of the fingers are easily altered to test various designs. Observing the SDM fingers as a part of a robotic system being controlled by microcontroller helps students understand the parts of a robot and all the various aspects that can customized for specific applications.

Electronic Gripper

The manual gripper still allows for student led design decision however it calls for simple and inexpensive materials and assembly time is less than 15 minutes. This gripper allows students to experiment with the number and placement of the fingers on the handle and can be used as an intro into mechanical components of a gripper.

Manual Gripper