Robot tongues in space: continuum surfaces for robotic grasping and manipulation

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce a novel, continuously bending “robot tongue.” The tongue replaces the existing parallel jaw gripper at the end of a KUKA industrial robot manipulator. The resulting system augments the precise positioning of the KUKA with unique capabilities for adaptive grasping afforded by the new robot tongue. We demonstrate the ability of the system to grasp and manipulate objects over a wide range of scales and geometries and evaluate the potential for use of such tongues in various applications.