{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]],"date-time":"2026-02-01T10:02:29Z","timestamp":1769940149388,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,3,21]],"date-time":"2019-03-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1553126400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IR"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,4,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This paper aims to present a soft closed-chain modular gripper for robotic pick-and-place applications. The proposed biomimetic gripper design is inspired by the Fin Ray effect, derived from fish fins physiology. It is composed of three axisymmetric fingers, actuated with a single actuator. Each finger has a modular under-actuated closed-chain structure. The finger structure is compliant in contact normal direction, with stiff crossbeams reorienting to help the finger structure conform around objects.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Starting with the design and development of the proposed gripper, a consequent mathematical representation consisting of closed-chain forward and inverse kinematics is detailed. The proposed mathematical framework is validated through the finite element modeling simulations. Additionally, a set of experiments was conducted to compare the simulated and prototype finger trajectories, as well as to assess qualitative grasping ability.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Key Findings are the presented mathematical model for closed-loop chain mechanisms, as well as design and optimization guidelines to develop controlled closed-chain grippers.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The proposed methodology and mathematical model could be taken as a fundamental modular base block to explore similar distributed degrees of freedom (DOF) closed-chain manipulators and grippers. The enhanced kinematic model contributes to optimized dynamics and control of soft closed-chain grasping mechanisms.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The approach is aimed to improve the development of soft grippers that are required to grasp complex objects found in human\u2013robot cooperation and collaborative robot (cobot) applications.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The proposed closed-chain mathematical framework is based on distributed DOFs instead of the conventional lumped joint approach. This is to better optimize and understand the kinematics of soft robotic mechanisms.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/ir-09-2018-0180","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,3,21]],"date-time":"2019-03-21T08:18:33Z","timestamp":1553156313000},"page":"135-145","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":23,"title":["Modeling and prototyping of a soft closed-chain modular gripper"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"46","author":[{"given":"Muddasar","family":"Anwar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Toufik 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