The automatic charging of electric vehicles is an important but challenging problem. Recently, various charging robots are proposed for electric vehicles. Most previous researches do not pay enough attention to the robots’ load capacities. Actually, providing the charging connector with adequate pushing and/or pulling forces is vital to guarantee a reliable electrical connection, which is a key issue for charging robot design. In this paper, we present a novel serial-parallel robot for the automatic charging of electric vehicles. This robot is based on the 3 universal-prismatic-universal (3UPU) parallel mechanism and featured by high-load capacity. We firstly address the kinematic and static models of the proposed robot, then analyze its load capacity. It is shown that the robot’s maximum load capacity depends not only on the driving ability of the prismatic joints, but also on the robot’s structural parameters and the robot’s configuration. Finally, optimizations are made and results show that the robot’s load capacity along the desired trajectory has more than doubled. Results of this paper could be useful for the development of automatic electric-vehicle-charging devices.

End-effectors are becoming increasingly vital in orbital space missions, performing increasingly complex operational tasks. Current on-orbit missions primarily utilize net systems and rigid grippers as manipulators. However, the dynamic analysis of the net system is complicated, and its reliability is insufficient. Moreover, rigid grippers are not impact-resistant, which can lead to the target either rebounding or sustaining damage. This paper designs an adaptive gripper for rapid passive grasping. Adjusting the initial setup of the gripper by altering the cables allows for different degrees of trigger sensitivity to be achieved. The gripper presented in this paper integrates a bistable mechanism with a dual-mode actuation system, achieving performance metrics such as a $16.7\mathrm{ms}$ activation time and a $5.42\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}$ capture speed. This combination of rapid passive and controllable active grasping demonstrates a novel and effective solution with significant potential for dynamic on-orbit service and debris removal missions.