A Gripper System With Soft Dielectric Elastomer Functional Units for Actuation, Sensing, and Signal Processing
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
This paper presents a soft gripper system in which actuation, sensing, and signal processing are all realized using soft dielectric elastomer (DE) devices. The platform integrates three functional units: a multilayer dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) module that drives a compliant two-finger gripper, two tactile sensors mounted on the fingertips for contact detection and coarse shape recognition, and a dielectric elastomer switch (DES) that enables soft electronics control. The DEA module consists of eight parallel multilayer actuators, each comprising four active layers and a nonlinear biasing spring to amplify stroke, and is powered by an embedded high-voltage supply operated at 3 kV. The DES operates by mechanically modulating the resistance of a stretchable piezoresistive electrode, providing reliable switching behavior under high voltage. Grasping tests demonstrate that the system achieves a maximum opening angle of 38° and can safely manipulate delicate objects, including cherries and eggs, without damage. These results demonstrate the feasibility of advancing toward fully soft robotic systems by integrating DE-based components for actuation, sensing, and signal processing.
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3598-3605 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2026 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
| Scopus | 105029943146 |
|---|---|
| ORCID | /0000-0002-7062-9598/work/213145483 |
| ORCID | /0000-0002-8588-9755/work/213147636 |