Snap Gripper: Flexible Mechanisms for Flapping Robot Gripping, Jumping, and Landing

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been the focus of much research in recent years due to their extended reach. However, most UAVs have fixed wings and multicopters, which limit their envelope. Recently, flapping has been attracting attention due to its energy efficiency, ease of takeoff and landing, and agility. On the other hand, there are still many technical limitations, and there has been little research on legs that can support multiple functions, especially takeoff. Few mechanisms have yet been developed that can support takeoff, gripping, and landing by flapping. In this study, we will develop a flexible mechanism that can support jumping, gripping, and landing. Through evaluation experiments, we found that objects between 4.5 cm and 9.8 cm in size can be grasped and that the maximum holding force in the experiments was 10.22 N. The success rate of gripping was high at angles from -15 to 10 degrees.