A Reconfigurable Four-Finger Gripper for Versatile Application in the Agri-Food Industry

Abstract

The growing demand for efficiency within the agri-food industry has driven the development of advanced robotic solutions. However, manipulating objects of different shapes, sizes, and weights, many of which are fragile, remains a challenge in the development of gripping devices. In fact, most designs on the market are task-specific, resulting in limited flexibility in terms of stroke and payload. Consequently, increasing interest is directed towards more versatile designs that can safely interact with one or several objects at a time, without causing damage. To fill this gap, this work introduces and validates, both virtually and experimentally, a four-finger sensorized gripper with a reconfigurable structure. The proposed design is capable of securely gripping objects of different shapes and weights using five reconfigurable grip configurations. It also enables multiobject handling by combining grip configurations with soft elements integrated into the palm. The sensing system that operates on the fingertips employs a multimodal approach to optimize accuracy through the incorporation of tactile sensors, an inertial measurement unit, and a dedicated connector for a time-of-flight proximity sensor module. Compared with the current state of the art, the developed gripper provides improved reconfigurability, versatility for multiobject grasping, and enhanced sensorization while maintaining competitive mechanical performance.