Pneumatic Shape-shifting Fingers to Reorient and Grasp

Shape-shifting fingers may enable parallel-jaw gripper to re-grasp objects. In some embodiments, a gripper includes two fingers each having a flexible membrane which is moveable between an extended state and a retracted state in response to pressure applied to a cavity at least partially formed by the membrane. In the extended and retracted state the shape of the flexible membrane may change based on the pressure and/or a force applied to the membrane and may attain two distinct geometric forms to facilitate distinct manipulation functionalities. In some embodiments, the flexible membrane switches between a wedge- shaped geometry in the extended state and a V-shaped geometry in the retracted state. The wedge-shaped geometry may provide a point contact on a cylindrical object so that the object may pivot to a vertical position under the effect of gravity. The V-shaped geometry may localize the object in a vertical position and securely hold it.