Stacked Variable Structure Gripper Based on Dielectric Elastomer Minimum Energy Structures

ABSTRACT To address the insufficient clamping force and narrow adjustable opening range of existing flexible grippers, we propose a stacked variable structure gripper based on dielectric elastomer minimum energy structures (SVSDEG, DEMES). Through modular stacked of variable structure and clamping dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), functional decoupling of caliber adjustment and force output is achieved. The symmetric structure adopts double‐layer very high bond (VHB) films as the core driving layer and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) rigid frames for structural stability. Experimental results show that under 0–7 kV driving voltage, SVS‐DEG realizes 0–25 mm continuous opening adjustment, stably clamping 0.465–8.452 g objects of diverse shapes non‐destructively. It exhibits excellent reliability with 7.5% clamping force attenuation and 4% opening recovery rate decrease after 100 cycles. Integrated with an automated control system, it completes precise “variable structure‐positioning‐clamping‐transfer‐release” operations. This structural design improves mechanical adaptability and reliability under the tested conditions, providing a feasible solution for soft robotics, automated manufacturing, and biomedical manipulation.