🤖 Robotic Grippers & End Effectors

An end effector is the tool attached to the end of a robotic arm — it is the part that actually touches and interacts with the world. A gripper is the most common type of end effector. Think of it as the robot's "hand."

📰 Case Study: Amazon Warehouse Robots

Amazon's fulfilment centres use Sparrow — a robotic arm with a suction cup gripper and computer vision. Sparrow can identify, pick up, and sort over 65% of the millions of different products in Amazon's inventory. It uses cameras (sensors) to identify an item, an AI controller to plan the grip, and a vacuum end effector to gently pick it up without damage. Amazon is also developing soft grippers for delicate items like fruit and electronics. The choice of gripper depends on the product: hard boxes get suction cups, odd shapes get mechanical fingers, and fragile items get soft grippers.