Applied Robotics Unveils Smart Gripper...From The Future?!

Grippers are devices that allow the holding or manipulation of various objects. If you still cannot picture one, just think that it does the job of a human hand. But, besides that, they are important components of many automated systems.

Notably, grippers get attached to the great majority of the robots released on the market, from industrial to humanoid ones, as most of them are developed to mimic the human body. Which means that, unavoidably, they need fingers.

Applied Robotics has just announced its new Smart Gripper model. The device comes with built-in controller, encoder and powerful programming interface. The SCI-FI Smart Gripper, version 2.1, features a precise robotic finger positioning system, adjustable grip force and requires easy installation and no external controller.

"Our newest gripper offers unique performance advantages to our customers. It offers varying levels of force able to take on any application where efficiency and flexibility are a concern", Jim Fitzgerald, vice president of Applied Robotics, added.

Most important, the Applied Robotics Smart Gripper is the only small direct-drive gripper available that can be used as integral part for most of the commercially robots. Using an universal operating platform and closed-loop encoder-based positioning of robotic fingers, the new gripper should bring a higher precision and flexibility level to all sort of applications.

The gripper's fingers can be either designed by users or provided by Applied Robotics. This version is operated using 24Vdc discrete signals for use with any robot controller. Most of the grippers can be driven hydraulically, pneumatically and electrically.

However, this one uses pre-programs motions inserted into the Smart Gripper's non-volatile memory for later recall triggered by the robot controller's discrete output lines. There are up to 32 programs that can be selected using the gripper's five discrete input lines.

But hey, it is not really a Terminator thing without Arnie! But it could be...

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