ForteGrip
A compact robotic gripper designed to handle both fragile and heavy objects while remaining highly backdrivable.
Co-author · Experimental setup · Manuscript review · Figure preparation
- Build a compact gripper that stays strong without becoming rigid when something pushes back.
- Use a folding rail mechanism so the fingers can open wider than the folded body width, while sharing load through crank arms and bearings.
- Competitive force and stroke among compact grippers, with unusually high backdrivability — shown in plots and object demos.
What I worked on
- Helped set up and run the experimental evaluation
- Reviewed the manuscript and provided technical/editing feedback
- Prepared figures and visual material for the paper
The trade-off
Compact grippers usually force a compromise between size, how wide they open, how hard they can grip, and how easily they give when pushed from outside.
Backdrivability means an external force can move the gripper mechanism instead of fighting a rigid transmission — useful for safer, more compliant interaction.
Why this shape matters
The guide rails collapse into the body, so the fingers can open wider than the gripper’s folded width. A crank-slider linkage with roller bearings takes load off the linear guide.
How does it compare with existing compact grippers?
ForteGrip combines competitive force and stroke with unusually high backdrivability.
Across a ten-gripper comparison set, ForteGrip ranks among the best on backdrivability and weight while staying competitive on stroke-to-width and force density.
Testing on real objects
The same gripper needs a light touch for fragile snacks, control for a soft cup, and enough continuous force for a heavy book.
Technical details
Structure checked with FEA for stresses and deflections under worst-case loading. Bench tests covered backdrivability and grasp force.