This paper presents a versatile method to install a small machining robot onto a planar or slightly curved object. Normally, gripping\ntools provide a rigid connection between a robot and a target. However, if there is no graspable area on the target, the gripper\ncannot perform well. To overcome this problem, we proposed a deformable device that works as a universal suction pad and that\ncan hold an ungraspable target by utilizing the jamming transition phenomenon. We determined the effect of the type of grains\non the jamming transition phenomenon in terms of stability under jammed conditions. By comparing the four types of grains,\nwe found that the tetrahedral-shaped grains performed the best. Subsequently, we evaluated the performance of the device. The\nsuction force was 166-N when the proposed device was affixed to a curved target. Next, we evaluated the stiffness of the device. The\naverage deformations of the device were 0.10 mm, 0.35 mm, and 0.04 mm, respectively, when 50-N downward vertical, horizontal,\nand upward vertical directional loads were applied to the device, which was affixed to the curved target. The results suggest that the\nproposed device performed well in affixing a robot onto a target.
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