Soft actuators

The integration of soft actuators into robotic systems is crucial for enhancing adaptability and flexibility in handling various tasks, particularly in complex domains like electronic waste recycling. Unlike traditional rigid grippers, soft actuators offer superior adaptiveness and robustness, enabling them to accommodate the diverse shapes and sizes of electronic devices.

The qbSoftHand is used in various grasping tasks. Please refer to the qbSoftHand and qbSoftHand 2 Research general user manuals. Version 6 of qbdevice-api package contains the API-level library for qbSoftHand. Version 7 targets the upgraded qbSoftHand 2. The compatible ROS drivers are documented in a ROS Wiki entry on qbhand package.

To meet the requirements of specific tasks involved in disassembly, an upgraded VSA gripper has been developed. For installation and usage information, please refer to the general user manual for qb SoftClaw. The API is documented in the linked git repository and on the ROS Wiki: http://wiki.ros.org/Robots/qbmove.