Suction grippers offer a distinct advantage in their ability to handle a wide range of items. However, attaching these grippers to irregular and rough surfaces presents an ongoing challenge. To address this obstacle, this study explores the integration of magnetic intelligence into a soft suction gripper design, enabling fast external magnetic actuation of the attachment process. Additionally, miniaturization options are enhanced by implementing a compliant deploying mechanism. The resulting design is the first-of-its-kind magnetically-actuated deployable suction gripper featuring a thin magnetic membrane (Ø 50 mm) composed of carbonyl iron particles embedded in a silicone matrix. This membrane is supported by a frame made of superelastic nitinol wires that facilitate deployment. During experiments, the proof-of-principle prototype demonstrates successful attachment on a diverse range of curved surfaces in both dry and wet environments. The gripper achieves attachment on curved surfaces with radii of 50-75 mm, exerting a maximum attachment force of 2.89 ± 0.54 N. The current gripper design achieves a folding percentage of 75%, enabling it to fit into a Ø 12.5 mm tube and access hard-to-reach areas while maintaining sufficient surface area for attachment forces. The proposed prototype serves as a foundational steppingstone for further research in the development of reliable and effective magnetically-actuated suction grippers across various configurations. By addressing the limitations of attachment to irregular surfaces and exploring possibilities for miniaturization and precise control, this study opens new avenues for the practical application of suction grippers in diverse industries and scenarios.

In the field of Additive Manufacturing, four-dimensional (4D) printing has emerged as a promising technique to fabricate smart structures capable of undergoing shape morphing in response to specific stimuli. Magnetic stimulation offers a safe, remote, and rapid actuation mechanism for magnetically responsive structures. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the various strategies and manufacturing approaches employed in the development of magnetically stimulated shape morphing 4D-printed structures, based on an extensive literature search. The review explores the use of magnetic stimulation either individually or in combination with other stimuli. While most of the literature focuses on single-stimulus responsive structures, a few examples of multistimuli responsive structures are also presented. We investigate the influence of the orientation of magnetic particles in smart material composites, which can be either random or programmed during or after printing. Finally, the similarities and differences among the different strategies and their impact on the resulting shapemorphing behavior are analyzed. This systematic overview functions as a guide for readers in selecting a manufacturing approach to achieve a specific magnetically actuated shape-morphing effect.