Grasping and rolling in-plane manipulation using deployable tape spring appendages

Rigid robot arms face a tradeoff between their overall reach distance and how compactly they can be collapsed. However, the tradeoff between long reach and small storage volume can be resolved using deployable structures such as tape springs. We developed bidirectional tape spring “fingers” that have large buckling strength compared to single tape springs and that can be spooled into a compact state or unspooled to manipulate objects. We integrate fingers into a robot manipulator that allows for object Grasping and Rolling In Planar configurations (called GRIP-tape). The continuum kinematics of the fingers enables a multitude of manipulation capabilities such as translation, rotation, twisting, and multi-object conveyance. Furthermore, the dual mechanical properties of stiffness and softness in the fingers endow the gripper with inherent safety from collisions and enables soft-contact with objects. Deployable structures such as tape springs offer opportunities for manipulation in cluttered or remote environments.