SBIR Phase I: Robotic Gripper for Fragile Produce

该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于，它将使草莓等易碎农产品的自动收获成为可能，以帮助抵消劳动力减少和劳动力成本增加的影响。到2100年，世界人口预计将从73亿增长到112亿，人口增长和中产阶级的崛起将对农业产生更大的需求。目前，农业产业完全依靠体力劳动来收获其脆弱的农产品。目前还没有一种机械化方法可以可靠而经济地收获这些作物。因此，该行业正在努力收获作物，保持质量并控制成本。只有使用机器人收割机才能保持高质量和低成本，因为机器人收割机可以采摘易碎的农产品而不会损坏。自动收割机的关键部件之一是抓手，它可以抓取和采摘产品而不会损坏。一种可靠、低成本的机器人抓手是有市场的，它可以轻轻地采摘和处理草莓和其他易碎的农产品。这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目涉及开发一种机器人末端执行器，可用于收获和处理易碎农产品。机器视觉和机器人技术的进步使商业收获草莓等易碎农产品成为可能，然而，仍需要开发的关键部件是一种末端执行器，它可以在不损坏的情况下采摘水果，并且可靠且具有成本效益。该末端执行器的设计和开发将采用一种新颖的方法来抓取草莓，在设计、材料和驱动方面都有进步。拟议的研发计划将包括重复测试果实和末端执行器之间的相互作用。使用安装在末端执行器上的一系列薄膜负载传感器进行分析研究，将提供实时负载分布，可用于优化末端执行器的设计和性能。水果的保质期测试将用于评估终端执行器在正确采摘和处理水果而不损坏方面的成功。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that it will enable the automated harvesting of fragile produce such as strawberries to help offset a shrinking workforce and increased labor costs. The world population is expected to grow from 7.3 billion to 11.2 billion by 2100, this population growth and a rising middle class will place more demand on the agricultural industry. Presently, the agricultural industry relies solely on manual labor to harvest its fragile produce. There is no mechanized option that can reliably and cost effectively harvest these crops. Consequently, the industry is struggling to harvest its crop, maintain quality and control its costs. High quality and lower costs can only be maintained if robotic harvesters are utilized that can pick fragile produce without damage. One of the key elements on the automated harvester is a gripper that can grab and pick the produce without damage. There is a market for a reliable and low cost robotic gripper that can gently pick and handle strawberries and other fragile produce.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project involves the development of a robotic end effector that can be used to harvest and handle fragile produce. Advances in machine vision and robotics has made it possible to commercially harvest fragile produce such as strawberries, however, the key component that still needs to be developed is an end effector that can pick the fruit without damage and be reliable and cost effective. Design and development of this end effector will use a new and novel method for grabbing the strawberry with advances in design, materials and actuation. The proposed R&D plan will involve repeated testing of the interaction between the fruit and the end effector. Analytical studies using a series of thin film load sensors mounted on the end effector will provide real time load profiles that can be used to optimize the design and performance of the end effector. Shelf life testing of the fruit will be used to assess the success of the end effector in properly picking and handling the fruit without damage.