Gripper device

A method of gripping an object in a confined space using a particle gripper, the method comprising:

• positioning the particle gripper relative to the object to be gripped, wherein:
• the particle gripper comprises a flexible surface membrane connected to a resiliently deformable neck portion which has a cavity filled with a phase change material, and at least one air tube, the flexible surface membrane and the phase change material are configured to deform around the object to be gripped,
• the at least one air tube is used for inflating and/or creating a vacuum within the cavity such that the cavity can be inflated so that the phase change material is forced against the flexible surface membrane to expand the flexible surface membrane, and a transition means which is applied to the phase change material in the cavity so that it changes phase of the material from a liquid to a solid so that object is gripped by the flexible surface membrane and the phase transition material, and
• the resiliently deformable neck portion extends in a plane along the length of the air tube such that the flexible surface membrane expands in a direction perpendicular to the length of the air tube such that a portion of the flexible surface membrane opposite the neck portion can grasp the object,
• inflating the flexible surface membrane using the air tube,
• positioning the gripper against the object to be gripped such that the flexible surface membrane and the phase change material surround a substantial portion of the object to be gripped,
• using the transitioning means to cause a phase change in the phase change material,
• and extracting the particle gripper from the confined space.