Gripping devices help patients carry out everyday tasks and increase their independence. However, there seems to be a lack of bionic gripping technologies that can fully adapt to any possible shape, as the use of artificial fingers and predetermined grip settings limits the operating space. The development of a more agile device, which is operated by a simple control paradigm, could greatly benefit users. An electrorheological (ER) fluid system should be able to adapt to the shape of an object and then hold that configuration. The aim of this study was to explore if a conceptual prototype of an ER system could hold a geometric shape when it is activated. A test rig was constructed with a moving part (set in different silicone oils) that could be displaced using a tensometer. Silica particles were dispersed in the silicone oils, and a field with a voltage of 4 kV mm⁻¹ was generated to activate the fluid. The results show that the developed system can support an increased force when activated and hold a simple geometric position without any noticeable delay. This outcome provides an initial proof of concept for a possible new (gravity-assisted) gripping approach using smart fluids, which could be developed with materials that are biocompatible and widely available.

中文翻译：

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基于重力辅助流变流体的辅助技术夹持方法的概念探索

抓紧装置可帮助患者执行日常任务并增强其独立性。但是，似乎缺少能够完全适应任何可能形状的仿生抓握技术，因为使用人造手指和预定抓握设置限制了操作空间。通过简单的控制范例进行操作的更加敏捷的设备的开发可以极大地使用户受益。电流变（ER）流体系统应该能够适应物体的形状，然后保持该构造。这项研究的目的是探索ER系统的概念原型在激活时是否可以保持几何形状。建造了一个带有活动部件的试验台（安装在不同的硅油中），可以使用张力计进行移动。二氧化硅颗粒分散在硅油中，生成^-1以激活流体。结果表明，开发的系统在激活时可以支撑增加的力，并保持简单的几何位置而没有任何明显的延迟。这一结果为使用智能流体的一种新的（重力辅助）抓握方法提供了初步的概念验证，该方法可以用具有生物相容性且广泛使用的材料开发。