Development of an Anthropometric Soft Pneumatic Gripper with Reconfigurable Fingers for Assistive Robotics

This study presents the development of a prototype anthropomorphic soft robotic gripper intended for applications in rehabilitation and assistive robotics, where safe and adaptive interaction with humans is required. The device consists of three elastomeric fingers, fabricated in TPU via FFF 3D printing and actuated through pneumatic soft actuators that ensure compliant contact with both biological tissue and rigid objects. A custom 3D-printed pneumatic rotary actuator enables finger reconfiguration, thereby extending the range of grasping modalities. The actuation system comprises six 2/2 solenoid valves controlled by an Arduino Uno and integrated into a dedicated pneumatic circuit. Experimental characterization demonstrated a peak grasping force exceeding 17 N on rigid targets, while functional tests in table-picking scenarios confirmed adaptability to objects of varying shapes and sizes. Owing to its anthropomorphic configuration, mechanical compliance, and ease of fabrication and control, the proposed gripper represents a versatile solution for rehabilitation-oriented devices as well as assistive robotic end-effectors in pick-and-place tasks.