Industrial robots are used in factories worldwide, helping assemble products, move parts, and hold items in place.
But most of these robots use a lot of energy, making production more expensive and contributing to climate change.
Many also rely on compressed air, which can be loud, heavy, and inefficient.
Now, engineers at Saarland University in Germany have developed a new type of robot gripper that uses 90% less electricity than traditional systems.
Instead of relying on pneumatic (air-powered) systems, these new grippers use shape memory alloy (SMA) wires, which act like tiny muscles.
The research team, led by Professors Paul Motzki and Stefan Seelecke, will showcase this groundbreaking technology at Hannover Messe 2025, one of the world’s largest industrial trade fairs.
How the new robot grippers work
Traditional robot grippers constantly consume energy while holding or moving objects. But the Saarbrücken grippers only need a short pulse of electricity to operate.
Once they grip an object, they hold it in place without using any extra power.
These grippers are made from ultrafine wires composed of nickel-titanium shape memory alloy (SMA). The wires act like muscles, contracting when heated and returning to their original shape when cooled. This special material can “remember” its shape, making the grippers both powerful and energy-efficient.
To explain their strength, a single 0.5mm-thick wire can pull 10kg (about 22 pounds). The researchers bundle together even thinner wires to create grippers that move quickly and generate strong, stable force. The team even holds a world record for using these wire bundles to generate 5 newtons of force at an incredible 200 movements per second.
Smart and self-sensing technology
Unlike traditional robot grippers, which need separate sensors to track movement, these new grippers have built-in sensing abilities. The SMA wires automatically detect their own position and force by measuring electrical resistance. A small AI-powered chip processes this data in real time, ensuring precise and accurate movements.
This means the grippers can be quickly reprogrammed to handle different objects, making them more flexible and adaptable than current industrial robots. They are also safer for humans to work alongside, as they respond naturally to objects and forces, just like human muscles do.
Different types of energy-saving grippers
At Hannover Messe, the research team will present two types of smart grippers:
- Jaw Grippers – These act like pincers, securely holding objects while robot arms move them into place. They can be customized in size, strength, and movement speed for different tasks.
- Vacuum Grippers – These use tiny suction cups at the fingertips. A short electrical pulse pulls a thin metal disk inside, creating a strong vacuum to lift objects. Once the object is gripped, no extra energy is needed to hold it—even if it’s heavy and positioned at an angle.
Why this innovation matters
Industrial robots consume massive amounts of electricity, often requiring constant power to function.
The Saarbrücken grippers could change that by significantly reducing energy use and production costs, while also helping the environment.
By eliminating the need for pneumatic air systems, the new grippers are lighter, quieter, and more compact. They can also be used in clean environments like pharmaceutical or electronics factories.
With over 90% energy savings, self-sensing abilities, and AI-powered precision, these grippers could revolutionize the future of industrial robotics—making factories smarter, greener, and more efficient than ever before.
