Cylindrical worm drive robotic gripper

A method, comprising:

• driving, by a motor contained within a robotic wrist, a drive shaft that rotates about a primary axis;
• rotating, by the drive shaft, a cylindrical worm gear, wherein the cylindrical worm gear encircles the motor and rotates about the primary axis;
• rotating, by the cylindrical worm gear, two or more spur gears, corresponding to two or more robotic fingers, about two or more respective axes, wherein each of the robotic fingers has a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein each spur gear is attached to the proximal end of the corresponding robotic finger;
• and
• rotating, by the two or more spur gears, the two or more corresponding robotic fingers about the two or more respective axes.

A robot comprising a robotic gripping apparatus, wherein the robotic gripping apparatus comprises:

• a robotic wrist;
• a motor contained within the robotic wrist, wherein the motor comprises a drive shaft that is configured to rotate about a primary axis during motor operation;
• a cylindrical worm gear, connected to the drive shaft, wherein the cylindrical worm gear encircles the motor and is configured to rotate about the primary axis during motor operation;
• two or more robotic fingers, each having a proximal end and a distal end;
• and
• two or more spur gears corresponding to the two or more robotic fingers, each spur gear attached to the proximal end of the corresponding robotic finger, wherein each spur gear engages the cylindrical worm gear and is configured to rotate the corresponding robotic finger about a respective axis when the cylindrical worm gear rotates about the primary axis.