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Aerospace
Volume 13
Issue 5
10.3390/aerospace13050449
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Design and Analysis of a Grasping Mechanism with an Actuated Palm for On-Orbit Servicing

by
Zeyuan Yin
1,2,
Bin Hu
1,
Yuchen Cai
1,2,
Guorui Ren
1,2,
Chuang Li
1,* and
Hui Zhao
1,*
1
Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710119, China
2
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Aerospace 2026, 13(5), 449; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13050449
Submission received: 10 April 2026 / Revised: 1 May 2026 / Accepted: 8 May 2026 / Published: 10 May 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Versions Notes

Abstract

To address the inability of existing space grasping mechanisms to adapt to the varying shapes and sizes of space objects, we propose a novel three-fingered space robotic hand composed of an actuated palm and deployable fingers with the aim of successfully grasping a wider variety of space objects. We begin by elaborating on the design concept of the robotic hand. Compared to traditional robotic palms, the actuated palm possesses deployment and metamorphic functions, allowing it to adjust its dimensions to actively adapt to different items. The modular deployable fingers are designed based on a parallel scissor mechanism featuring folding and deployment functions. Next, a kinematic analysis and performance evaluation are performed. The force closure and contact force distribution are also analyzed. After that, a physical prototype is fabricated, and basic motion and grasping tests are performed. The proposed three-fingered robotic hand exhibits excellent adaptability. Finally, the design trade-offs are discussed, along with an analysis of the model’s limitations and future prospects, and it is demonstrated that the proposed novel robotic hand has broad application prospects in future on-orbit missions.
Keywords: space robotic hand; actuated palm; deployable mechanism; on-orbit garsping space robotic hand; actuated palm; deployable mechanism; on-orbit garsping

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MDPI and ACS Style

Yin, Z.; Hu, B.; Cai, Y.; Ren, G.; Li, C.; Zhao, H. Design and Analysis of a Grasping Mechanism with an Actuated Palm for On-Orbit Servicing. Aerospace 2026, 13, 449. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13050449

AMA Style

Yin Z, Hu B, Cai Y, Ren G, Li C, Zhao H. Design and Analysis of a Grasping Mechanism with an Actuated Palm for On-Orbit Servicing. Aerospace. 2026; 13(5):449. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13050449

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yin, Zeyuan, Bin Hu, Yuchen Cai, Guorui Ren, Chuang Li, and Hui Zhao. 2026. "Design and Analysis of a Grasping Mechanism with an Actuated Palm for On-Orbit Servicing" Aerospace 13, no. 5: 449. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13050449

APA Style

Yin, Z., Hu, B., Cai, Y., Ren, G., Li, C., & Zhao, H. (2026). Design and Analysis of a Grasping Mechanism with an Actuated Palm for On-Orbit Servicing. Aerospace, 13(5), 449. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13050449

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