Geometrico-Static Modelling of a FRE Finger

This article presents a discrete geometrico-static model for a Fin-Ray Effect (FRE) finger capable of predicting both deformation and contact forces during grasping. The finger is modeled as two Cosserat rods interconnected by rigid lamellae and flexible hinges, the latter being modeled as Cosserat rods as well. The equilibrium configuration is obtained by minimizing the potential energy subject to nonlinear loopclosure and contact constraints. Validation against finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments shows that the proposed model provides comparable accuracy to FEA in terms of predicted geometry and contact forces, while requiring significantly less computation time. The approach thus offers an efficient alternative to FEA for the analysis and design optimization of FRE fingers.