A silicone gripper actuated by low pressure works in space, according to research conducted by Wrocław University of Science and Technology students. The MACKI project was selected for the European Space Agency programme, allowing to test it in a state of weightlessness.
Officially, the acronym MACKI stands for Microgravity Actuated Capturing Kinetic Instrument. The name also refers to the appearance of the gripper, which is equipped with silicone filaments.
'We colloquially call them tentacles (Polish: macki). Silicone filaments have a hole. When we introduce low pressure of about 1 to 1.5 bar, these tentacles actually wrap around a bit like octopus arms and are able to wrap around the tested object and, for example, lift or pull it', explains Wiktoria Mrowiec, a member of the MACKI project team.
A group of students from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology is working on the innovative gripper. The inspiration was a scientific paper from Harvard University. The Wrocław researchers decided to test their prototype in a state of weightlessness. They managed to do this with the support of the European Space Agency, which organised parabolic flights in France.
'During the flight, the pilot performed a parabola manoeuvre - climbed the plane at a large angle, and at a high speed, after which the plane went into free fall. This was when microgravity occurred, it lasted about 22 seconds', says Wiktoria Mrowiec.
31 parabolas were performed during each of three flights. This gave about half an hour in conditions similar to those in space. This is important, because according to the Wrocław team, in the future, the gripper may be used to manipulate delicate objects on space stations, among other things.
'Our goal was to check whether such a gripper would have any chance of working in microgravity, because we haven't really seen it. The gripper works, and it works correctly. There are no major deviations in terms of effectiveness compared to working in normal gravity', the researcher says.
Eight students from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology took part in the tests, all of them members of the 'in Space' scientific group. They are currently conducting a detailed analysis of the test results. The researchers plan to continue developing the project. (PAP)
Michał Torz
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