abstract
- Although a compliant gripper is a type of compliant mechanism, existing analytical models rarely account for the real mechanical behavior of the flexible parts within the gripper. In this work, an in-plane motion flexure-based compliant gripper is presented, modeled, and analyzed. An analytical methodology based on the Compliance Matrix Method (CMM) is proposed to compute the relationship between input and output forces and displacements in two different coordinate frames using a single unified expression that represents the real mechanical behavior of the system. The analytical model is validated through Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations and experimental tests performed on additively manufactured prototypes. Additionally, the model is used to analyze output displacements resulting from variations in geometric parameters, with results validated through FEA simulations. This demonstrates the method¿s utility in optimizing gripper design during early development stages prior to fabrication. The proposed analytical model accurately estimates the compliant gripper¿s kinetostatic behavior, achieving less than 5% difference compared to FEA and experimental results. Furthermore, the model is adaptable and can be extended for the kinetostatic analysis of other compliant grippers with similar flexure-based architectures. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.