Soft robotic jamming gripper design II

Abstract

The increasing population density has been taking its toll on the agricultural sector as farms are under pressure to increase production to meet the growing demand while also facing labour shortages as people are less willing to dedicate their livelihoods to farmwork. To overcome these challenges, the agricultural sector has turned to technological innovations to optimise the harvesting process of fruits and vegetables, and effectively expediting a labour-intensive and time-consuming process. The development of the soft jamming gripper is an additional enhancement to the robotic arm, and it is specifically designed to optimise the fruit harvesting process by minimising fruit damage. The objective of this project was to develop an improved jamming gripper by modifying the jamming membrane material and replacing the soft silicone skin with fabric. The performance of the jamming gripper was compared to that of a conventional gripper without a jamming membrane. The new jamming membrane material, consisting of 50% rice and four-layered cloth with a vacuum bag, was tested for its characteristics through three-point bending, feasibility, and strength tests.