Robotic gripper with sensory skin for efficient fruit harvesting

AI Quick Summary

Switzerland's low self-sufficiency rate in fruit production has led to a growing reliance on imports. Despite favorable growing conditions in the country, challenges such as labor shortages, high costs, and post-harvest losses hinder the efficiency and sustainability of local fruit production. Traditional harvesting methods, coupled with a lack of automation, result in unharvested crops, increased waste, and reduced quality. To address these issues, Inveel, in collaboration with FHNW is developing soft robotic grippers enhanced with force feedback sensory skin to enable gentle fruit picking without causing bruising or damage. This cutting-edge technology assesses fruit ripeness in real time, ensuring that only ripe fruits are harvested, thus reducing waste caused by premature picking. It also significantly reduces reliance on seasonal labor and minimizes post-harvest spoilage, thereby lowering production costs, leading to a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient Swiss food system. Switzerland faces a low self-sufficiency rate in fruit production, relying heavily on imports to meet domestic demand. This dependence weakens the resilience of the Swiss food system and increases environmental costs associated with transportation. Despite favorable conditions for growing various fruits, several key challenges hinder the efficiency and sustainability of local production. Fruit harvesting is labor-intensive, requiring careful handling to avoid damage. However, Swiss farmers increasingly struggle to find seasonal labor, leading to unharvested crops and financial losses. Compared to imported fruits, Swiss-grown produce often carries higher labor and operational costs. Manual harvesting, storage, and transportation require significant resources, making it difficult for local farmers to compete with lower-cost imports. Without automation and efficiency improvements, domestic production remains economically challenging. Additionally, even after harvesting, a significant portion of locally grown fruit is lost due to improper handling. Rough or inefficient picking methods lead to surface damage and bruising, which shorten shelf life and reduce market value. Also, when unripe fruit is being picked too early, it leads to lower yields and reduced quality and leading to waste.To enhance food security, sustainability, and economic viability, Switzerland must improve its fruit harvesting systems. By increasing efficiency, reducing waste, and maintaining high-quality standards, the country can strengthen local food production and align with the Planetary Health Diet—which promotes sustainable, plant-rich diets with minimal environmental impact.Inveel together with FHNW (FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland) integrates robotic harvesting with a sensory skin technology with force feedback which offers a transformative solution to increase Swiss fruit self-sufficiency. The sensory skin technology enables the robotic grippers to gently and precisely pick fruits like apples, strawberries and raspberries without causing bruising or damage, which is a common issue with both traditional and current robotic methods. The system can assess the ripeness of fruits in real time, ensuring that only perfectly ripe fruits are harvested while preventing premature picking, which often leads to waste. By reducing the need for expensive seasonal labor and cutting down on post-harvest spoilage, this solution significantly lowers production costs for farmers. Ultimately, this robotic system makes locally grown fruits more cost-competitive, contributing to food sovereignty in Switzerland. With less reliance on imports, the system helps to build a more resilient and sustainable Swiss food system, aligning with global sustainability goals.Objective: Build the initial prototype of the robotic gripper that integrates soft sensory technology for gentle and efficient harvesting.WP1. Material compatibility tests (FHNW/Inveel): Identify and develop the optimal polymer material combination for the gripper's skin. The material will need to:Ensure good sensitivity for precise grip control over a wide pressure range. Allowing the integration of sensory elements and electrical wires to be able to sense force feedback. Comply with food contact regulations to ensure the materials are safe for direct interaction with edible fruits.Offer high wear resistance to withstand the repeated actions of picking without deteriorating over time.Prototyping and Material Testing: Collaborate with FHNW to test different material combinations for the soft sensory skin to optimize performance in mechanical properties, sensory feedback and durability.WP2. Integrate Sensor Technology (Inveel):Integrate tactile sensors into the gripper to assess critical fruit characteristics such as ripeness and firmness in real-time.Utilize sensor data to adjust the gripper's force dynamically to prevent over-compression, ensuring the fruit is picked gently and at the ideal stage of ripeness.WP3 Field Trials and Real-World Testing (Inveel):Conduct field trials in controlled environments to evaluate the prototype’s effectiveness in harvesting a variety of fruits.

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: Robotic gripper with sensory skin for efficient fruit harvesting
• Date: 3/28/2025 10:44:47 AM
• Administrators:
  • Barbara Horvath

Project Idea Description

Switzerland faces a low self-sufficiency rate in fruit production, relying heavily on imports to meet domestic demand. This dependence weakens the resilience of the Swiss food system and increases environmental costs associated with transportation. Despite favorable conditions for growing various fruits, several key challenges hinder the efficiency and sustainability of local production. Fruit harvesting is labor-intensive, requiring careful handling to avoid damage. However, Swiss farmers increasingly struggle to find seasonal labor, leading to unharvested crops and financial losses. Compared to imported fruits, Swiss-grown produce often carries higher labor and operational costs. Manual harvesting, storage, and transportation require significant resources, making it difficult for local farmers to compete with lower-cost imports. Without automation and efficiency improvements, domestic production remains economically challenging. Additionally, even after harvesting, a significant portion of locally grown fruit is lost due to improper handling. Rough or inefficient picking methods lead to surface damage and bruising, which shorten shelf life and reduce market value. Also, when unripe fruit is being picked too early, it leads to lower yields and reduced quality and leading to waste.

To enhance food security, sustainability, and economic viability, Switzerland must improve its fruit harvesting systems. By increasing efficiency, reducing waste, and maintaining high-quality standards, the country can strengthen local food production and align with the Planetary Health Diet—which promotes sustainable, plant-rich diets with minimal environmental impact.

Inveel together with FHNW (FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland) integrates robotic harvesting with a sensory skin technology with force feedback which offers a transformative solution to increase Swiss fruit self-sufficiency. The sensory skin technology enables the robotic grippers to gently and precisely pick fruits like apples, strawberries and raspberries without causing bruising or damage, which is a common issue with both traditional and current robotic methods. The system can assess the ripeness of fruits in real time, ensuring that only perfectly ripe fruits are harvested while preventing premature picking, which often leads to waste. By reducing the need for expensive seasonal labor and cutting down on post-harvest spoilage, this solution significantly lowers production costs for farmers. Ultimately, this robotic system makes locally grown fruits more cost-competitive, contributing to food sovereignty in Switzerland. With less reliance on imports, the system helps to build a more resilient and sustainable Swiss food system, aligning with global sustainability goals.

Objective: Build the initial prototype of the robotic gripper that integrates soft sensory technology for gentle and efficient harvesting.

WP1. Material compatibility tests (FHNW/Inveel):

• Identify and develop the optimal polymer material combination for the gripper's skin. The material will need to:
  • Ensure good sensitivity for precise grip control over a wide pressure range. Allowing the integration of sensory elements and electrical wires to be able to sense force feedback.
  • Comply with food contact regulations to ensure the materials are safe for direct interaction with edible fruits.
  • Offer high wear resistance to withstand the repeated actions of picking without deteriorating over time.
• Prototyping and Material Testing: Collaborate with FHNW to test different material combinations for the soft sensory skin to optimize performance in mechanical properties, sensory feedback and durability.

WP2. Integrate Sensor Technology (Inveel):

• Integrate tactile sensors into the gripper to assess critical fruit characteristics such as ripeness and firmness in real-time.
• Utilize sensor data to adjust the gripper's force dynamically to prevent over-compression, ensuring the fruit is picked gently and at the ideal stage of ripeness.

WP3 Field Trials and Real-World Testing (Inveel):

• Conduct field trials in controlled environments to evaluate the prototype’s effectiveness in harvesting a variety of fruits.

Switzerland's low self-sufficiency rate in fruit production has led to a growing reliance on imports. Despite favorable growing conditions in the country, challenges such as labor shortages, high costs, and post-harvest losses hinder the efficiency and sustainability of local fruit production. Traditional harvesting methods, coupled with a lack of automation, result in unharvested crops, increased waste, and reduced quality. To address these issues, Inveel, in collaboration with FHNW is developing soft robotic grippers enhanced with force feedback sensory skin to enable gentle fruit picking without causing bruising or damage. This cutting-edge technology assesses fruit ripeness in real time, ensuring that only ripe fruits are harvested, thus reducing waste caused by premature picking. It also significantly reduces reliance on seasonal labor and minimizes post-harvest spoilage, thereby lowering production costs, leading to a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient Swiss food system.