Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris is me
Seems like an adaptation of the suction cup to better distribute vacuum force over objects with uneven surfaces. I want to play with it, and see how much better it holds various objects compared to suction cups. I wonder how feasible this is in FRC.
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I don't believe it is applying suction to the object in the traditional sense as with a suction cup. That would imply that the balloon material is porous, and that would leak vacuum all over. If I correctly interpret what is happening, the vacuum inside the balloon is causing the balloon material to constrict around the object, with the resulting friction causing it to "grip." Notice all objects are 3D, not flat, and that they force the balloon around the object before gripping it. Great example of an totally new idea.