Design and Experimental Validation of a 3D-Printed Hybrid Soft Robotic Gripper for Delicate Object Manipulation

This work presents a novel soft gripper concept featuring integrated force feedback and a compact, resource-efficient geometry. The gripper is designed to provide a low-cost, adaptable, and precise solution for manipulating delicate and irregularly shaped objects. By embedding force feedback directly into the structure, the system reliably detects contact and enables controlled, gentle gripping of fragile items. The design was developed for collaborative and assistive robotic applications, where safety and human–robot interaction are prioritized. The prototype is fabricated using consumer-grade 3D-printed components and employs a simple cable-driven actuation system. The hybrid soft–rigid architecture combines compliant fingers with a rigid, sensorized thumb, preserving the adaptive grasping characteristics of soft robotics while simplifying sensing integration and construction. A motor-based control mechanism synchronizes finger motion through cable traction, ensuring reliable and repeatable performance. Experimental evaluations demonstrate secure, damage-free handling across diverse object types, highlighting the gripper’s potential in assistive robotics, cobot environments, biomedical contexts, and other domains requiring safe and delicate manipulation.