Feature: Sensor Technology


Reaching for a better grip with robots


Enhanced sensors essential for improved robotic grippers


By Ross Turnbull, Director of Business Development and Product Engineering, Swindon Silicon Systems


T


he industrial robotics sector continues to experience strong growth, with operational stock at approximately four million robots according to statistics from the International Federation of Robotics. Improvements in robotic grippers have helped accelerate industrial robot uptake, but is


there room for further development? Here, Ross Turnbull, Director of Business Development and Product Engineering at ASIC design and supply company Swindon Silicon Systems, explores. Whether it’s moving large, heavy goods from point A to point B or assembling something small and fragile, industrial robots can


16 February 2025 www.electronicsworld.co.uk


be useful for a wide range of tasks. To give them the ability to hold and manipulate objects on their own, many robots will feature one or more grippers. But it isn’t as simple as directing the gripper to just open or


close. Tese robots must be able to work with objects of all shapes and sizes and materials of different hardnesses — and adapt accordingly. Tis can be a challenge. Te gripper needs to be able to sense


the object to pick it up quickly and accurately, holding it securely to prevent it from being dropped. But it cannot close too tightly, as this could impair the gripper jaws themselves or damage fragile products. It’s also important to consider the electronics assembly. Tin connector wires in small electronic components can be easily bent and damaged through poor handling. It’s these kinds of problems that gripper manufacturers are keen to avoid. To prevent damage while ensuring proper operation, robotic


grippers need to have at least one sensor. It’s imperative that these sensors have both accuracy and precision to move, hold and assemble objects efficiently. So, how can we build sensors capable of this?


Ensuring proper position For the gripper to be able to move accurately, it needs to know its exact position to the same level of precision. Tis is where position sensors come into play. Tere are a couple of different types available: inductive and


optical. Inductive position sensors rely on electromagnetic induction for non-contact detection of metallic objects. Conductive targets cause disturbances in the magnetic field, which can then be detected by the sensing element. Optical position sensors, in contrast, make use of an LED and photodetector, with an optical scale to measure linear displacement at very high accuracy.


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