A dual-mode soft gripper for food packaging
A dual-mode soft gripper for food packaging
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DOI：
10.1016/j.robot.2020.103427
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发表时间：
2020-03-01
影响因子：
4.3
通讯作者：
Hirai, Shinichi
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Wang, Zhongkui;Or, Keung;Hirai, Shinichi
食品工业中的机器人和自动化并不像汽车和电气工业等其他行业那样广泛应用，因为食品材料的形状和性质变化很大，而且食品产品的变化也很频繁。能够适应这些变化并处理多种类型的食品材料的机器人末端执行器的需求很高。因此，我们提出了一种由橡胶材料制成的双模式软夹持器，可以抓取和吸取不同类型的物体。夹持器由四个柔软的手指组成，使用橡胶材料通过铸造工艺制成，每个手指都设计为PenuNet弯曲致动器和位于指尖的吸盘的组合。我们介绍了一种新的设计的空气路径，发挥了重要作用，在适当的功能的软手指。进行有限元（FE）模拟以确认手指设计。进行了实验测试，以评估单手指弯曲，夹持器提升力，和抓取和吸吮各种类型的食物材料的行动。结果表明，软夹持器可以在抓取模式下举起273.97-g的热狗，以及在抽吸模式下举起512.62-g的袋装玉米和1072.65-g的Macbook Air。当柔软的手指处于垂直配置时，它可以适应近似圆形和方形的目标，例如一块炸鸡和橙子。当在平行配置中时，夹持器可以成功地处理细长的目标，例如热狗。最后，以一个日本便当为例，提出一个自动包装的实验，此实验需要同时使用抓取和抽吸两种方式。(C)2020 Elsevier B. V.保留所有权利。
Robotics and automation in the food industry is not as widely applied as in other industries, such as automotive and electrical industries, due to the large variations in the shape and properties of food materials and the frequent alterations of food products. Robotic end effectors that can adapt to these variations and handle multiple types of food materials are in high demand. Therefore, we propose a dual-mode soft gripper made of rubber material that can grasp and suck different types of objects. The gripper consists of four soft fingers, fabricated with rubber material using casting process, each of which is designed as a combination of a PenuNet bending actuator and a suction pad located at the fingertip. We introduce a new design for the air paths, which play an important role in the proper function of the soft finger. Finite element (FE) simulations were performed to confirm the finger design. Experimental tests were conducted to evaluate single finger bending, gripper lifting force, and grasping and sucking actions for various types of food materials. Results show that the soft gripper can lift a 273.97-g hot dog in the grasping mode, as well as a 512.62-g bagged Kernel corn and a 1072.65-g Macbook Air in the suction mode. It can adapt to approximately circular and square targets, such as a piece of fried chicken and an orange, when the soft fingers are in a perpendicular configuration. While in a parallel configuration, the gripper can successfully handle elongated targets, such as a hot dog. An experiment is also presented to demonstrate the automatic packaging of a Japanese boxed lunch, which requires both grasping and suction modes to be employed. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.