Robot hand could harvest blackberries better than humans
9 months ago
- #agriculture
- #innovation
- #robotics
- A robotic gripper for harvesting blackberries has been developed at the University of Arkansas, addressing labor shortages in the berry industry.
- The gripper, inspired by the movement of tulips, uses soft robotics and biomimicry to gently pick berries without damage.
- Force sensors on the gripper's fingers ensure berries are plucked with the right amount of force to prevent damage or red drupelet reversion.
- The device was tested with various objects, showing potential for picking other soft fruits and aiding people with limited mobility.
- Before deployment, further development is needed in computer vision and positioning technologies for the robot to locate and reach berries.
- The robotic gripper could outperform human pickers in consistency and task-specific efficiency, improving berry quality for consumers.