Robotic Integration of Pneumatic Grasping Systems for Deformable Textile Handling: Automated Characterization Approach

The integration of automated systems for the manipulation of deformable objects in manufacturing remains a time-consuming process. This challenge arises primarily from the absence of standardized grasping parameters applicable to the full range of manufactured products and materials. This paper presents a method for automating the study of the lifting parameters of deformable objects using a robotic manipulator with a pneumatic grasping system. A detailed description of the design, implementation, and evaluation of a custom pneumatic gripper integrated with a robot arm is provided. Through experiments utilizing various gripping surfaces and materials, the influence of surface patterns, material properties, and pneumatic pressures on lifting performance was investigated. The results demonstrate significant correlations between material type, surface design, and supply pressure in the context of gripping porous objects. The proposed method enables rapid characterization of the interaction between materials and pneumatic grasping systems. This approach facilitates the integration of pneumatic gripping systems into fully automated manufacturing lines handling deformable objects.