Shape-Adaptive Electro-Adhesive Gripper for Grasping Arbitrary Shaped Objects

Funded by: MOTIE
Period: 2018 – 2019
Keywords: Electro-adhesion, Variable friction, Adaptive grasping

Overview

This project developed a shape-adaptive gripper based on Electro-Adhesion (EA) capable of grasping objects of arbitrary shape. By applying voltage to the EA film, electrostatic attraction generates variable friction force — enabling stable grasping regardless of object surface geometry.

Key Contributions

Characterized EA-based grasping principle and modeled friction variation as a function of voltage, surface material, and curvature
Designed a systematic experiment matrix covering surface material / curvature / load combinations
Iteratively tuned design and control parameters to improve grasp stability and repeatability

Mechanism

Electro-Adhesion Principle

Gripper Structure

Experiments & Results

Grasping Force Measurement

Repeatability Evaluation

Bongsub Song, et al., “Sensorless Control for Atypical Object Gripper,” AsiaHaptics, 2018.
Jeongseok Kim, Bongsub Song, et al., “Design of an Electric Adhesive Gripper,” ETME, 2018.
Jeongseok Kim, Bongsub Song, et al., “Development of a Prototype of Two-Fingered Gripper,” ICMT, 2018.
Bongsub Song, Younghun Su, Jingon Yoon, Baek-Jin Kim*, Dongwon Yun*, “A Hybrid Gripper with Electro-adhesive Film for Variable Friction,” Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 2024.
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Last updated: April 2026