Trefingergripare

Trefingergripare, meaning three‑finger gripper in Swedish, refers to a type of robotic gripper that uses three fingers arranged around a central palm or base. The three fingers enable both enveloping grasps on larger or irregular objects and pinching grasps on smaller items, providing versatility with a relatively simple mechanical arrangement compared to multi‑finger hands.

Design and actuation vary, but common implementations use three individually actuated fingers or an underactuated mechanism where a smaller number of actuators drive all fingers. Actuation methods include pneumatic or hydraulic actuators, electric motors with linkages, and tendon‑driven systems. Fingertips are often compliant or soft to accommodate delicate handling and reduce object damage, while position or force sensing can be integrated for control and feedback.

Applications for trefingergripare span manufacturing, packaging, and automation tasks that require reliable, simple grasping of diverse objects. They are valued for compact form factor, ease of control, and lower cost relative to more complex multi‑finger hands. In research and industry, variations emphasize adaptability to object shape through compliant or underactuated fingers, enabling robust performance with limited sensing.

Advantages of this gripper concept include a simple geometry that supports stable grasps of a range of shapes, potential for low actuation complexity, and easier integration into existing robotic arms. Limitations can include restricted dexterity for complex manipulation compared to multi‑finger hands and sensitivity to object geometry and stiffness.