TechniaHQRobot logoTechniaHQRobot

Industrial automation and robot arms

Robotic Grippers and End Effectors

An end effector is the tool mounted at a robot's working end. Grippers hold objects; other tools weld, dispense, cut or inspect. Finger grippers, suction cups and soft fingers suit different shapes and surfaces.

How these robots work

The tool must acquire the part, retain it during motion and release it at the destination. Robotiq's adaptive gripper range provides one documented finger-gripper example. A grasp succeeds only when the full handling sequence meets the task requirements.

Examples and applications

  • Parallel and adaptive finger grippers
  • Vacuum end effectors
  • Soft fingers and process tools

What to check for the intended task

  • Check part geometry, surface condition and the allowed contact force.
  • Include tool mass and workpiece offset in the arm load.
  • Test drops, double picks, failed releases and loss of power or vacuum.

Sources and further reading

Reference updated .

Related reporting

IROS 2026 in Pittsburgh runs September 27 through October 1UBTECH's Liuzhou factory targets one humanoid robot every 10 minutesUnitree appeared in one third of China's August embodied-robot tendersChina is scrutinizing humanoid robot IPOs more closelyInside Beijing's Shijingshan robot school for real-world humanoid trainingZhicheng TR6 targets sorting and inspection with multimodal perceptionRecent Chinese dexterous-hand showcases put tactile sensing and force control in focusAgiBot's 20,000th robot puts production speed under the microscope

Related robot categories

Industrial Robotic ArmsCollaborative Robots / CobotsWarehouse Picking RobotsSwarm RoboticsCartesian / Gantry RobotsHumanoid Robots
Evidence reviewReviewed 2026-07-23

Choose the end effector from the object and process

Two-finger grippers, vacuum tools, magnetic tools, soft grippers and dexterous hands solve different problems. Selection depends on object geometry, surface, porosity, mass, tolerance to contact, required orientation, cycle time and changeover. The tool, wrist adapter, cables and object all count against the robot’s payload and dynamic limits.

Verified context

  • Robotiq publishes adaptive grippers intended for common collaborative-robot handling tasks.
  • Shadow Robot’s dexterous hands target research where many joints and human-like manipulation are required.
  • Soft gripper designs require material, pressure and cycle testing.

What the available evidence does not prove

  • Maximum grip force is not the only measure of grasp reliability.
  • A dexterous hand is not automatically better than a simple gripper for repetitive production.

Sources