Multi-Fingered Hand with Flex Pneumatic Actuators for Agricultural Applications

In this work, the authors will report the studies about a grasping problem with the harvesting of radicchio in an agricultural application. The red radicchio that grows in South Italy presents relevant commercial value and is very delicate to preserve and store. It is necessary to cut its stem at the right depth under the ground level to avoid a fast degeneration of the product and to allow for better and longer storage. These difficulties in harvesting radicchio justifies the high starting costs due to the process automation. This work aims to put a first step towards the automation of the grasping of vegetables like radicchio. Two architectures of hand like effectors are studied and optimised with pneumatic flex muscle actuators in mind. New design solutions suitable for the application are illustrated. A 3 DOF robotic manipulator is used to move the grasping hand and the complete control schema is presented. A short presentation is included about the computer vision system employed to locate the plant position on the ground. The functional design of the complete system has been realized using modern methods of solid modelling and simulation, allowing for shorter times and lower costs in manufacturing the prototypes.