Everything-Grasping (EG) Gripper: A Universal Gripper with Synergistic Suction-Grasping Capabilities for Cross-Scale and Cross-State Manipulation

Abstract

Grasping objects across vastly different sizes and physical states-including both solids and liquids-with a single robotic gripper remains a fundamental challenge in soft robotics. We present the Everything-Grasping (EG) Gripper, a soft end-effector that synergistically integrates distributed surface suction with internal granular jamming, enabling cross-scale and cross-state manipulation without requiring airtight sealing at the contact interface with target objects. The EG Gripper can handle objects with surface areas ranging from sub-millimeter scale 0.2 mm2 (glass bead) to over 62,000 mm2 (A4 sized paper and woven bag), enabling manipulation of objects nearly 3,500X smaller and 88X larger than its own contact area (approximated at 707 mm2 for a 30 mm-diameter base). We further introduce a tactile sensing framework that combines liquid detection and pressure-based suction feedback, enabling real-time differentiation between solid and liquid targets. Guided by the actile-Inferred Grasping Mode Selection (TIGMS) algorithm, the gripper autonomously selects grasping modes based on distributed pressure and voltage signals. Experiments across diverse tasks-including underwater grasping, fragile object handling, and liquid capture-demonstrate robust and repeatable performance. To our knowledge, this is the first soft gripper to reliably grasp both solid and liquid objects across scales using a unified compliant architecture.

Figures (10)

• Figure 1: Grasping range of the EG gripper compared to existing cross-scale grasping solutions.
• Figure 2: Overall design of the proprioceptive Everything-Grasping (EG) gripper and its cross-scale and cross-state manipulation capabilities, demonstrating adaptability to complex object geometries.
• Figure 3: Pneumatic control system and liquid detection module of the EG gripper. (a) Schematic of the overall pneumatic control system integrating suction and jamming control. (b) Detailed setup for a single micro-adhesion element and the silicone membrane interface. (c) Liquid detection module for conductive liquids, featuring a vertically placed floating foam with a brass film that closes the circuit upon contact with the sidewall electrodes when buoyant force exceeds gravity.
• Figure 4: Grasping modes and Tactile-Inferred Grasping Mode Selection (TIGMS) logic of the EG gripper. (a) Gripper structure with suction cup radius $R_1 = 2.5\,\text{mm}$ and capillary diameter $d_{\text{in}} = 0.3\,\text{mm}$. (b–d) Three synthetic solid-object grasping modes based on the inferred object dimension $d$.: Mode 1 ($0.3 < d < 0.8\,\text{mm}$) – capillary-only suction; Mode 2 ($0.8 < d < 5\,\text{mm}$) – suction with friction and jamming; Mode 3 ($d > 5\,\text{mm}$) – multi-DSE suction with shell jamming. (e) Logic illustration of Tactile-Inferred Grasping Mode Selection (TIGMS) using $\Delta P$ and $V$.
• Figure 5: Grasping force evaluation of the EG gripper. (a) Experimental setup. (b) Measured maximum grasping forces for spherical (left) and planar (right) objects. Synergistic, suction-only, and jamming-only modes are represented in blue, green, and pink, respectively.