Review of robotic grippers for high-speed handling of fragile foods
Yang Zhang, Zhongkui Wang
Abstract
Soft robotic grippers are increasingly exhibiting considerable potential in food handling tasks. However, introducing them into production lines for high-speed pick-and-place handling of fragile foods (e.g. tofu, oyster) constitutes a major challenge: sustaining required productivity while avoiding food damage. Preserving the structural integrity of these fragile foods is vital, yet high-speed handling impart additional inertial effect that may cause irreparable damage if robotic grippers are inadequately designed. Although soft robotic grippers have enabled initial applications, large-scale implementations in food production lines remains constrained. The main barriers are insufficient considerations of the fragility of food products and the inertial implications of high-speed handling. Addressing these issues demand developing robotic grippers adapted to requirements of high-speed, damage-free handling for fragile foods. In this review, we firstly analyze the physical properties of fragile foods to identify damage causes, then discuss the design demands imposed by food production lines. Despite limited availability of grippers conceived for such scenarios, this review provides recent advancements in damage-free design, variable-properties actuator, and cost-effective optimization. Finally, we illustrate commercial soft grippers for food handling, emphasizing future opportunities.