How to make a simple robot gripper?

My goal is to build something like what is shown in this video from the ~33rd second to ~60th second of it. I don’t need the gripper to be detailed like what is being shown in the video. For example, having two cubes getting closer to each other would do the job for me. The key thing for me is that the two sides of the gripper (cubes in my case) must somehow be connected to each other through some sort of structure so that they do not move independently when interacting with objects. So I wonder, how can I make such something like this using Armory? It would be great if someone can post a simple example on how I can make such a thing.

You can try a pre made animation and have two kinematic objects moving to catch other 3D objects.

Sorry I don’t know what you mean. Could you provide a simple example for this? I don’t know what a pre-made animation is but my impression is I animate the gripper somehow and then just play it in the game. Is that what you meant? Note that I need to have interactivity in the game. I need to press a couple of keys and move the gripper, bring the fingers closer etc.

you have the idea of what he means. Are you trying to make this happen with nodes or code? Have you tried to create this element at all yet? If you take a shot at making it and then ask what you can do to make it better or get stuck the community can help you a whole lot more.

There is no “simple” explanation on how to do this. There are several different option depending on what you what to accomplish in the end. You can use animation, nodes that move the objects with “translate” and attach that to keys or code to do either of the two. But how are you even going to get the “claw” into the right position. Have you figured out what physics it will take to actually pick something up with the claw? Animation probably won’t work if you actually want to pick up things of different sizes.

In the end you will need to figure out exactly what you want to do and then find the correct solution that does all of the things you need it to do.

I was just trying to give him ideas, i never had to make such gameplay.

You are the one who knows how it must be done, i let you solve it’s request :joy:

I wasn’t directing any of my comments to you @MagicLord

Okay, but i hink you are still the one who knows better nodes and able to give a better answer.

@Warrior
maybe you can use an IK rig to drive one of your cube. This will then drive the gripper.
Then using simple constraints (for example to copy the effect of right cube to the left cube) and then animate, using for example a single empty and the Play Action Node.
Theh condition of capture by the gripper of an object could be managed by a contact node detection or a distance from gripper for example.

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I am a little bit busy these days but will try the proposed solutions as soon as possible and let you know which one works better.
@Didier it seems to me that what you described here should do what I want. It would be great if you can build a simple version of what you just described here. I’ve never worked with bones and IK rig etc so I’m not sure if I can quickly put things together. But don’t worry if you’re busy and don’t have time for this; I already appreciate you.

@Warrior just another remark that may help you : when you will decide how things must go in your animation, see if you are in a “States Machine” case or a “IK” case … IK is really very limited in my opinion and I think that Lubos is working hard on it as it’s not trivial to make it ! Thanks again @lubos :slight_smile:

See for actual questions here Armory ignoring the Pose Mode? and here The role of Animation/Action in moving bones

IK must be a real time solver, not dependant on Blender.

I am trying to avoid using Armory for my project for now, until soft body physics becomes more stable at least. I am trying to make my gripper in no-Armory Blender. Could you please take a look at my question here and see if you can provide an answer using the method of using bones/IK bones and armatures that you described here? I tried doing it myself but I couldn’t do it.