Robust capture of unknown objects with a highly under-actuated gripper

Capturing large objects of unknown shape and orientation remains a challenge for most robotic grippers. This problem is especially important for potential satellite servicing missions in space where targets can be large, delicate, and in uncontrolled orbits. Prior work shows two primary limitations to these highly under-actuated grippers: the grip force of each link tends to decrease as the number of links increases, and the stability of an under-actuated linkage depends on the grasp configuration. In this