Underwater Adaptive End Effector Based on Biomimetic Grasping Mechanism of Soft-Rigid Gripper

ZHONG Shuqiao; SONG Chaoyang; ZHOU Zhiyuan; WAN Fang; LIN Jian

doi:10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2025-0092

Volume 33 Issue 5

Oct 2025

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ZHONG Shuqiao, SONG Chaoyang, ZHOU Zhiyuan, WAN Fang, LIN Jian. Underwater Adaptive End Effector Based on Biomimetic Grasping Mechanism of Soft-Rigid Gripper[J]. Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems, 2025, 33(5): 818-825. doi: 10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2025-0092

Citation:

ZHONG Shuqiao, SONG Chaoyang, ZHOU Zhiyuan, WAN Fang, LIN Jian. Underwater Adaptive End Effector Based on Biomimetic Grasping Mechanism of Soft-Rigid Gripper[J]. Journal of Unmanned Undersea Systems, 2025, 33(5): 818-825. doi: 10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2025-0092

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Underwater Adaptive End Effector Based on Biomimetic Grasping Mechanism of Soft-Rigid Gripper

doi: 10.11993/j.issn.2096-3920.2025-0092

ZHONG Shuqiao^1
,,
SONG Chaoyang^2
,,
ZHOU Zhiyuan^{1, 3
,},
WAN Fang^4
,,
LIN Jian^{1, 3
,
,}

1.
Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
2.
Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
3.
SUSTech’s Advanced Institute for Ocean Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
4.
School of Design, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China

Received Date: 2025-07-23
Accepted Date: 2025-09-10
Rev Recd Date: 2025-09-09

Available Online: 2025-09-23

Abstract

Abstract

The underwater gripper serves as the end effector of underwater unmanned equipment, and its performance directly determines the effectiveness of the mission. Currently, commercial grippers are difficult to simultaneously meet the requirements of high load capacity and high adaptability, and it is hard to balance the dual demands of “non-destructive grasping” and “firm holding”. Inspired by lobster claws, this study proposed a novel biomimetic rigid-soft gripper, the “LobSTER Gripper”. It used a biomimetic reversed structure of soft fingers coated with rigid fingers: The soft fingers with passive compliance provided gentle initial contact, while internal rigid fingers ensured firm holding, enabling phased stiffness adaptation without complex drive control, it can also integrate visuo-tactile sensing at the base of the fingers to achieve precise perception and stable grasping of underwater targets. Experimental verification shows that the gripper achieves a 100% success rate in grasping in the pose disturbance scenario, significantly outperforming the traditional rigid gripper, which has an 80% success rate. The design offers a low-cost, reliable, and easily transferable solution for adaptive underwater grasping with significant engineering application value and promising promotion prospects.
- underwater grasping,
- underwater gripper,
- biomimetic design,
- tactile sensing,
- soft-rigid gripper

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References(41)

References

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