  This letter proposes a novel single-fingered reconfigurable robotic gripper
for grasping objects in narrow working spaces. The finger of the developed
gripper realizes two configurations, namely, the insertion and grasping modes,
using only a single motor. In the insertion mode, the finger assumes a thin
shape such that it can insert its tip into a narrow space. The grasping mode of
the finger is activated through a folding mechanism. Mode switching can be
achieved in two ways: switching the mode actively by a motor, or combining
passive rotation of the fingertip through contact with the support surface and
active motorized construction of the claw. The latter approach is effective
when it is unclear how much finger insertion is required for a specific task.
The structure provides a simple control scheme. The performance of the proposed
robotic gripper design and control methodology was experimentally evaluated.
The minimum width of the insertion space required to grasp an object is 4 mm (1
mm, when using a strategy).
