A Benchmarking Framework for Systematic Evaluation of Compliant Under-Actuated Soft End Effectors in an Industrial Context

摘要

This paper presents an approach for systematic evaluation of robotic end effectors for an industrial use case that handles delicate, deformable, non-regular objects such as fruits and vegetables. To handle these objects, soft under-actuated hands are the most promising technology so far. However, the approach directions suitable for grasping objects are not usually easy to establish due to the under-actuation effect; therefore, we propose an experimental protocol to serve as framework for data collection, which aims to assess the best directions for grasping using a particular end effector. This protocol, focused on reproducibility and comparability, allows for a better understanding of how a particular hand embodiment influences grasping success for individual products. The protocol can also be used as an effective tool for redesign, and it was applied to evaluate two well-known soft hands (RBO Hand and Pisa/IIT SoftHand) for handling groceries.