Many of us enjoyed playing with measuring tapes during our childhood—or perhaps well into adulthood—by pulling them out to their maximum length until they bent. However, engineers from the University of California San Diego saw potential in this playful activity. They realized that measuring tape could be transformed into an excellent component for designing a robotic arm.
The gripping mechanisms would be especially well-suited for agricultural uses because their ends are gentle enough to handle delicate produce like fruits and veggies, according to the research team. Additionally, these gadgets are inexpensive and pose minimal risk to people nearby.
The team published Their methodology and layout within the journal Science Advances They refer to their robot as GRIP-tape, where GRIP stands for Grasping and Rolling In-Plane.
Creating the perfect robotic gripper remains an ongoing challenge. Current expanding grippers tend to be large due to the extra components required for their appendages to extend. However, the gripper designed by the UC San Diego research team addresses this issue effectively.
This is due to the tape being strong yet pliable; capable of fitting into a compact space when pulled back; and extending long distances when stretched out. Following numerous attempts and revisions, the engineers concluded that the optimal design for a gripping tool consists of two layers of these tapes bonded together using an adhesive.
"We enjoy exploring unconventional and counterintuitive robotic designs. The tape measure exemplifies an excellent mechanism due to its simultaneous flexibility and rigidity," explained Nick Gravish, who authored the study and is a professor in the UC San Diego Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
The gripper consists of two "fingers" created from two spools, where each spool comprises two rolls of measuring tape fastened together. The spools are tightly wound into a condensed arrangement, leaving just a minor section protruding outward in a triangular formation to serve as fingers. Four motors manage these triangular segments, dictating the movement of each finger.
Every digit has the ability to operate autonomously. The triangular segments have the capability to extend for grasping items at greater distances. Additionally, these segments can contract to draw objects nearer to the robotic limb where the clamp is attached.
The scientists had previously utilized measuring tapes under a grant provided by the National Science Foundation to study flexible materials capable of bending yet maintaining their form.
The measuring tape is flexible—it can be bent however you like and will return to its initial shape. Additionally, being crafted from steel makes it strong and long-lasting, yet it remains slender enough not to cause harm upon touching surfaces. Interestingly, it possesses the same suppleness as the silicone commonly utilized in many soft robotic devices.
The uniqueness of this gripper lies in utilizing the entire length of the tape for effective gripping. Additionally, the tape has the capability to rotate items or function like a conveyor belt. This versatile tool can securely grasp various objects with differing forms and rigidities, such as a soft rubber ball, an individual tomato, an entire tomato plant, or even a lemon. Thanks to the tape’s ability to serve as a conveyance mechanism, the gripper can effortlessly release these held items into receptacles when needed.
Since the tape is flexible, it can easily maneuver around the obstructions the gripper may come across when attempting to grasp an item.
The experiments demonstrated that the gripper was capable of effortlessly lifting sizable fruits such as fresh lemons.
Future iterations of the gripper might enhance the initial design through the inclusion of sophisticated sensors and AI-powered data analytics, enabling the device to function independently.
More information: Zhe Geng et al., Handling and Rotating Planar Manipulations Utilizing Extendable Tape Spring Attachments, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adt5905 . www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt5905
Furnished by University of California - San Diego
This tale was initially released on Tech Xplore . Subscribe to our newsletter For the most recent updates on science and technology.