The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) announced that it has developed the world's first gripper capable of all gripping movements, inspired by elephant trunks. Specifically, it mimics how elephants pick up small objects by pinching them with the tip of their trunks or grip the large objects by sucking in air deeply through their trunks.

The research team led by Dr. Sung-Hyuk Song, a senior researcher at the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics in the KIMM AI Robot Research Division, developed an elephant trunk-mimetic gripper that can grip object with pinch-suction fusion mechanism using its soft structure, stretchable-thin wall, and wires that allow the gripper to change its shape. The team expects this new technology to be applicable to various fields, for it is not only able to effectively transport various size of objects, but also is capable of gripping and assembling objects in a stable manner, without the use of any complicated mechanical devices or sensors.

The soft structure of the gripper has several micro-channels that create a vacuum inside, helping it attach to an object. Since each of these micro-channels is flexible, it can modify its shape to match that of objects it comes into contact with. Therefore, the soft structure itself functions as a suction gripper by generating adhesive force to surface of objects.

In addition, by pulling the wires that control the shape of the gripper, located in the center of the soft structure, the gripper can fold in half on itself, which allows for it to be used like a claw gripper, pinching and grasping the objects. When used in this way, the stretchable-thin wall located outside the gripper wraps around and seals the target object. By creating a vacuum inside the gripper after pinching and wrapping around the object, the gripping force can be greatly increased as needed.