Imagine crafting a robotic hand using materials as simple as duct tape and measuring tape. That’s exactly what a group of talented students from UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering have done. They’ve developed a novel robotic gripper, affectionately named “GRIP-tape”—short for Grasping and Rolling in Plane. This innovative tool can handle tasks like picking fruit and changing light bulbs, all thanks to its unique design.
The team, which includes Gengzhi He, Curtis Sparks, and Nicholas Gravish, has engineered this gripper with two “fingers” made by looping measuring tape and securing it with duct tape. It might look like a DIY project, but don’t be fooled—it’s a sophisticated piece of technology. The gripper works with four motors that adjust the tape’s length, allowing it to extend and manipulate various objects.
Think of it like a conveyor belt for tasks such as rotating objects and screwing in light bulbs. It can even open jars or pour liquids. One of the most impressive demonstrations shows it gently picking and twisting lemons from trees without causing any damage.
Currently, the gripper is controlled remotely, but the team is working on integrating sensors and AI to make it more autonomous. Nick Gravish, the project’s senior author, explains, “We like to explore non-traditional, non-intuitive robot mechanisms. The tape measure is such a wonderful structure because of its combined softness and stiffness.”
Previous projects funded by the National Science Foundation have explored using measuring tape in soft materials that can bend while holding their shape. The steel construction of the tape provides both strength and durability, yet it’s gentle enough to avoid damage.
As development progresses, this gripper could transform industries like agriculture by offering a cost-effective and safe alternative for harvesting fruits and vegetables. Its affordability and safety features make it especially appealing for economically disadvantaged regions.
