Omnigrasp electroadhesive technology

We reinvented the way robots grasp by replacing traditional vacuum suction cups with a soft gripper technology powered by electroadhesion. A fully electric, compact, silent and highly efficient system, designed to provide a delicate and adaptive grasping on objects with different shapes, sizes, weights and materials.

How it works

Grasping sequence

The gripper is put in contact with the object and charged electrostatically

It self-conforms and adheres to the object allowing very fast picking time

It releases quickly once voltage is removed

key ADVANTAGES

At its core, Omnigrasp grippers consists of a thin membrane with interdigitated electrodes embedded in it. Driven by electrostatic forces, the gripper self-conforms to the objects shape, establishing intimate surface contact. The result is a unique combination of electrostatic and mechanical forces that enable the gripper to grasps a wide variety of objects: from flat to curved, from flexible to rigid, from smooth to moderately rough, both conductors and insulators. Our technology is fully electric, compact, silent and extremely energy efficient. This offers key advantages over standard vacuum technology, which relies on vacuum infrastructures that are noisy, bulky and energy hungry.

Very low power consumption

< 0 W

Fast response and cycle time

< 0 s

Gentle grasping, high payload

> 0 kg

Silent operation, fully electric

0 dB

Grasping Intelligence

Monitoring grasping state without additional sensors

Our technology allows the grippers itself to act as a sensor. By leveraging the change in capacitance of the electroadhesive membrane, we are able to perform live monitoring of object proximity, successful grasping and releasing, and grasping state. This is crucial for industrial automation, as it allows grasping to be adjusted in real time, increasing reliability and reducing waste time caused by grasping failures and machine interruptions. Data monitoring also makes it possible to check the status of the gripper, anticipating failures through predictive maintenance.

Self-sensing technology

The grippers act as sensors by tracking changes in the capacitance of the electroadhesive membrane.

Live monitoring

This enables continuous tracking of object proximity, successful grasping/releasing, and grasping state.

Real-time adjustment

Grasping can be adjusted on the fly, improving reliability and cutting downtime from failed grasps or machine interruptions

Predictive maintenance

Ongoing data monitoring helps anticipate grippers failures before they happen, enabling predictive maintenance

Publications and Patents

Our scientific journey

Omnigrasp technology translates several years of research conducted at EPFL and Politecnico di Bari. The outcomes of our research have been published in leading journals and protected by patent applications. The innovations come from a combination of expertise in fabrication and modeling of electroactive polymers, high-voltage power electronics, and a thorough understanding of contact mechanics. Building on this knowledge, we understood that electroadhesive gripper performance strongly depends on the interplay between electrical and mechanical aspects, showing for the first time that electroadhesion is not limited to flat and smooth objects, but has the potential to become the new standard for robotic grasping across a wide range of applications.

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