Advances in soft grasping in agriculture (2312.00175v1)

Abstract: Agricultural robotics and automation are facing some challenges rooted in the high variability 9 of products, task complexity, crop quality requirement, and dense vegetation. Such a set of 10 challenges demands a more versatile and safe robotic system. Soft robotics is a young yet 11 promising field of research aimed to enhance these aspects of current rigid robots which 12 makes it a good candidate solution for that challenge. In general, it aimed to provide robots 13 and machines with adaptive locomotion (Ansari et al., 2015), safe and adaptive manipulation 14 (Arleo et al., 2020) and versatile grasping (Langowski et al., 2020). But in agriculture, soft 15 robots have been mainly used in harvesting tasks and more specifically in grasping. In this 16 chapter, we review a candidate group of soft grippers that were used for handling and 17 harvesting crops regarding agricultural challenges i.e. safety in handling and adaptability to 18 the high variation of crops. The review is aimed to show why and to what extent soft grippers 19 have been successful in handling agricultural tasks. The analysis carried out on the results 20 provides future directions for the systematic design of soft robots in agricultural tasks.

• The paper demonstrates innovative soft gripper designs that safely manipulate diverse, fragile crops in agricultural settings.
• It details adaptable mechanisms combining controlled stiffness, adhesion, and electrostatic actuation for enhanced harvesting.
• The study highlights the potential for sustainable farming by automating complex tasks through hybrid soft robotic systems.

Overview of Soft Robotics in Agriculture

Soft robotics is a progressing field, seeking to provide more versatility and safety in robotic systems. This branch of robotics is particularly useful in agriculture, where it answers the need for handling diverse, delicate, and irregularly shaped crops. Soft robotics emphasizes using materials that can adapt their shape and offer a gentle touch, distinguishing them from the traditional rigid robots.

Challenges in Agricultural Robotics

Agricultural settings present unique challenges to robotic systems. These include the vast diversity of crop types and conditions, which calls for a highly adaptable mechanism that can handle fragile and varied plant shapes without causing damage. Complex tasks, like harvesting, involve nuanced actions—grasping, cutting, and pulling—that must be performed without harming the produce. Furthermore, operations must be carried out in densely vegetated environments, where maneuverability is critical and collisions with plants must be avoided.

Soft Gripping Solutions

Soft robotic grippers are at the forefront of this endeavor. Researchers have been exploring soft grippers that can adapt to the variety of crop shapes and densities found in agricultural settings. These grippers need to be strong enough to grasp and lift produce effectively but remain lightweight and delicate enough to navigate tight spaces without damaging crops. Soft grippers have shown promise in harvesting applications because of their inherent safety and adaptability to crop variation.

The Future of Soft Robotics in Agri-food Tasks

Despite the progress, current soft robotic technologies have not yet met all the requirements for complex agricultural tasks. Overcoming these challenges may require hybrid robotic systems that couple various soft grasping technologies, drawing inspiration from natural systems. These would combine the strengths of different approaches, such as controlled stiffness, controlled adhesion, and electrostatic actuation, to create a gripper capable of addressing the full spectrum of farming conditions.

Implications and Further Research

The integration of soft robotic technologies into agricultural practices holds the potential to automate tasks previously unmanageable by rigid robots. This could lead to more sustainable farming practices, lowering manual labor costs and improving crop handling efficiency. Continued research, such as projects exploring soft robotic harvesters for mixed-cropping systems, will be essential to realize the practical applications and benefits of soft robotics in agriculture.