Team 68

Team Members

Faculty Advisor

Estefany Toribio Castillo

Mihai Duduta

Sponsor

UConn School of Engineering

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Fabrication of collapsible grippers for space applications

This project focuses on the development of innovative collapsible grippers tailored for space applications. These grippers harness the cutting-edge technology of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), enabling them to withstand the rigors of extreme space environments while offering unparalleled gripping versatility. Engineered for deployment from satellites, our grippers empower precise manipulation and handling of objects in the challenging conditions of outer space. Unlike conventional grippers, our solid-state dielectric elastomer proprioceptive gripper transcends many limitations posed by space environments. Its unique advantages include the ability to operate across a wide temperature range from -150°C to 500°C, resistance to compression, collapsibility into a compact form factor for deployment, and the adaptability of additive manufacturing to create custom gripper designs tailored to specific applications.