JPL’s Gecko Gripper explores controlled attachment and release, using directional adhesion to handle objects ordinary jaws struggle to grasp.
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An old satellite may have no handle, no gap for a gripper and a thin thermal blanket around its exterior. A robot cannot necessarily capture it by closing its fingers harder. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory investigated a Gecko Gripper that attaches by contacting a surface.
Its name refers to the gecko. Microscopic foot structures make close contact with surfaces, allowing intermolecular attraction to act. Synthetic materials borrow this principle. Rather than applying liquid glue, directional microstructures control attachment through the application and release of force.
JPL’s Phoenix Gecko Gripper research combined this adhesive with an adaptable capture mechanism from Altius Space Machines. The aim was to grasp objects such as rigid plates, irregular components and soft thermal coverings that conventional jaws find difficult. DARPA supported the work.
Switching adhesion on and off matters. Capturing something is not enough if the tool cannot release it where required. Controlling force parallel to the surface engages and disengages the adhesive, addressing both actions.
The gripper is part of research into recovering useful parts from retired satellites, rather than a device already deployed to dismantle them. Its goal is to grasp objects with no handle or gap by attaching to their surfaces. Like a gecko gripping a wall, it must also be able to release its hold before moving to another part.
Related video: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Gecko Gripper explainer. The lead image is the gecko shown in this official video’s preview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zasTmmR95E
Sources and editorial notes
NASA TechPort · Gecko gripper research
JPL · Gecko Grippers Moving On Up
Image source · NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Image use terms · Official video preview
Editorial note: Facts were checked against the linked material. Interpretations are MUADAILY’s editorial perspective. Image: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory · Official video preview · Gecko in NASA/JPL’s official explainer preview, not the robotic device.
Machine-translated from Korean. Read the original.
