1 Introduction to Prehension Technology.

1.1 Grippers for Mechanization and Automation.

1.2 Definitions and Conceptual Basics.

1.3 Grasping in Natural Systems.

1.4 Historical Overview of Technical Hands.

2 Automatic Prehension.

2.1 Active Pair MatingPair Mating.

2.2 Strategy and Procedures.

2.2.1 Prehension Strategy.

Example of a prehension strategy.

2.2.2 Gripping Procedure, Conditions and Force.

2.2.3 Gripper Flexibility.

2.3 Gripper Classification.

2.4 Requirements and Gripper Characteristics.

2.5 Planning and Selection of Grippers.

3 Impactive Mechanical Grippers.

3.1 Gripper DrivesDrives.

3.1.1 Electromechanical Drives.

3.1.2 Pneumatic Drives.

3.1.3 Electrostrictive and Piezoelectric Actuation.

3.2 Design of Impactive Grippers.

3.2.1 Systematics and Kinematics.

3.2.1.1 Parallel Impactive Grippers.

3.2.2 Angular Impactive Grippers.

3.2.3 Radial Impactive Grippers (Centring Grippers).

3.2.4 Internal Grippers.

3.2.5 Gripper with Self-blocking Capability.

3.2.6 Rotatable Jaw Grippers.

3.2.7 Gripper Finger and Jaw Design.

3.2.8 Self Securing Grippers.

3.2.8.1 Securing Through Spring Forces.

3.2.8.2 Securing Through Object Mass.

3.2.9 Three-finger Grippers.

3.2.10 Four-finger Grippers and Four-point Prehension.

4 Ingressive Grippers.

4.1 Flexible Materials.

4.1.1 Pinch Mechanisms.

4.1.2 Intrusive Mechanisms.

4.1.3 Non-Intrusive Mechanisms.

5 Astrictive Prehension.

5.1 Vacuum Suction.

5.1.1 Vacuum Production.

5.1.2 Vacuum Suckers.

5.1.3 Passive Suction Caps.

5.1.4 Air Jet Grippers.

5.2 Magnetoadhesion.

5.2.1 Permanent Magnet Grippers.

5.2.2 Electromagnetic Grippers.

5.2.3 Hybrid Electromagnetic Grippers.

5.4 Electroadhesion.

5.4.1 Electroadhesive Prehension of Electrical Conductors.

5.4.2 Electroadhesive Prehension of Electrical Insulators.

6 Contigutive Prehension.

6.1 Chemoadhesion.

6.2 Thermoadhesion.

7 Miniature Grippers and Microgrippers.

7.1 Impactive Microgrippers.

7.1.1 Electromechanically Driven Impactive Microgrippers.

7.1.2 Thermally Driven Impactive Microgrippers.

7.1.3 Electrostatically Driven Impactive Microgrippers.

7.2 Astrictive Microgrippers.

7.2.1 Vacuum Microgrippers.

7.2.2 Electroadhesive Microgrippers.

7.3 Contigutive Microgrippers.

8 Special Designs.

8.1 Clasping (Embracing) Grippers.

8.2 Anthropomorphic Grippers.

8.2.1 Jointed finger Grippers.

8.2.2 Jointless Finger Grippers.

8.3 Dextrous Hands.

9 Hand Axes and Kinematics.

9.1 Kinematic Necessities and Design.

9.2 Rotary and Pivot Units.

10 Separation.

10.1 Separation of Randomly Mixed Materials.

10.2 Separation of Rigid Three Dimensional Objects.

10.3 Separation of Rigid Sheet Materials.

10.3.1 Gripping of Thin Blanks from a Magazine.

10.3.2 Air Flow Grippers.

10.4 Separation of Non-Rigid Sheet Materials.

10.4.1 Roller Grippers.

11 Instrumentation and Control.

11.1 Gripper Sensor Technology.

11.2 Perception Types.

11.2.1 Tactile Sensors.

11.2.2 Proximity Sensors.

11.2.3 Measurement sensors.

11.2.4 Finger Position Measurement.

11.2.5 Measuring Procedures in the Gripper.

11.3 Sensory Integration.

11.3.1 Discrete and Continuous Sensing.

11.3.2 Software and Hardware Interrupts.

11.3.3 Sensor FusionSensor Fusion.

11.4 Gripper Control.

11.4.1 Control of Pneumatically Driven Grippers.

11.4.2 Control of Electrically Driven Grippers.

12 Tool Exchange and Reconfigurability.

12.1 Multiple Grippers.

12.1.1 Double and Multiple Grippers.

12.1.2 Multiple Gripper Transfer Rails.

12.1.3 Turrets.

12.2 Specialized Grippers.

12.2.1 Composite Grippers.

12.2.2 Reconfigurable Grippers.

12.2.3 Modular Gripper Systems.

12.3 Gripper Exchange Systems.

12.3.1 Tool Exchange.

12.3.2 Task, Functions and Coupling Elements.

12.3.3 Joining Techniques and Process Media Connection.

12.3.4 Manual Exchange Systems.

12.3.5 Automatic Exchange Systems.

12.3.6 Finger Exchange Systems.

12.4 Integrated Processing.

13 Compliance.

13.1 Remote Centre Compliance (RCC).

13.2 Instrumented Remote Centre Compliance (IRCC).

13.3 Near Collet Compliance (NCC).

13.4 Parts Feeding.

13.5 Mechanical Compliance.

13.6 Pneumatic Compliance.

13.6.1 Internal Prehension Through Membrane Expansion.

13.6.2 External Prehension Through Membrane Expansion.

13.7 Shape Adaptive Grippers.

13.7.1 Partially Ccompliant Shape Adaptive Grippers.

13.7.2 Totally Compliant Shape Adaptive Grippers.

13.8 Collision Protection and Safety.

13.8.1 Safety Requirements.

13.8.2 Collision Protection Systems.

13.8.3 Failure Safety.

14 Selected Case Studies.

14.1 Simple Telemanipulation.

14.2 Grippers for Sheet and Plate Components.

14.2.1 Impactive Grippers for Sheet Metal Handling.

14.2.2 Astrictive Grippers for Sheet Metal.

14.2.3 Astrictive Grippers for Glass Sheet.

14.2.4 Astrictive Grippers for Composite Material Handling.

14.3 Prehension of Cuboid Objects.

14.4 Prehension of Cylindrical Objects.

14.4.1 Serial Prehension of Tubes.

14.4.2 Prehension of Wound Coils.

14.4.3 Prehension of Slit Coils.

14.5 Prehension of Objects with Irregular Topology.

14.5.1 Handling of Castings.

14.5.2 Mounting of Dashboards for Automobiles.

14.5.3 Prehension of Water Pumps.

14.5.4 Astrictive Prehension of Irregular Surfaces.

14.6 Multiple Object Prehension.

14.6.1 Packaging of Candies.

14.6.2 Bottle Palletization.

14.6.3 Multiple Irregular Shaped Objects.

14.7 Prehension of Flexible Objects.

14.7.1 Bag and Sack Grippers.

14.7.2 Gripping and Mounting of Outside O-rings.

14.8 Medical Applications.

References.

Subject Index.