Design and testing of the JPL‐Nautilus Gripper for deep‐ocean geological sampling

We present the design and experimental results for the JPL‐Nautilus Gripper, a 16‐finger highly underactuated microspine gripper for use in the deep ocean. The gripper can grasp objects from 10 to 30 cm in size and anchor to flat and curved rocky surfaces (i.e., cliff faces and seamounts). Laboratory results demonstrated an anchoring capability of greater than 450 N on rough rocks in both shear and normal loading directions. Deployment on the Hercules ROV (remotely operated vehicle) aboard the E/V Nautilus on three deep‐ocean dives verified performance at depths up to to 2,100 m with approximately 100 N loads applied through the ROV's thrusters, including moment loads. The gripper also serves as a development unit for future robotic tools that will include a coring drill in the center of the gripper, as previously demonstrated in non‐ocean environments with microspine grippers. Such a tool will facilitate the collection of geologic samples from the deep ocean using more agile and cost‐effective systems.     

Understanding the Effect of Oxygen on the Glass-Forming Ability of Zr55Cu55Al9Be9 Bulk Metallic Glass by ab initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Oxygen (O) is an inevitable impurity in bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) and its influence over the glass-forming ability (GFA) of BMGs is a longstanding controversy. The present ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations indicate that the GFA decreases upon introducing 0.78 at. pct O in the amorphous Zr₅₅Cu₅₅Al₉Be₉ (at. pct), while examining the evolution of atomic configurations and kinetic properties in BMGs. This study includes a comprehensive analysis using pair correlation function (PCF), bond pair analysis (BPA), and Voronoi polyhedra construction. It is concluded that the incorporation of O leads to a decline in the closely packed icosahedral polyhedrons, where the atom O is coordinated with Be and Zr in the first nearest shell to form the O-centered clusters with enhanced ordering. Mean square displacement (MSD) analysis also shows that the trace O could induce remarkable acceleration of atomic mobility, therefore increasing crystallization tendency of the Zr₅₅Cu₅₅Al₉Be₉ alloy. The present results illuminate the role of O in the metallic glass-forming process and reveal the underlying role of O in the GFA of the Zr-Cu amorphous alloys.