© Festo

By rotating the ball by up to 180°, the gripping element can be positioned freely in all directions. The ball can not only grip an object from above, but also from a wide variety of angles.

The gripping element uses a wafer-thin film filled with helium to pick up objects of different shapes. The gripper retracts via a cable winch in the sphere and extends again automatically due to the pressure in the envelope. The holding process in between is energy-free.