Multi-Contact Harvesting Hand for Agricultural Robot

This study focuses on the development of a harvesting end-effector for agricultural robots designed for ``SynecocultureTM,'' a sustainable farming method from Sony CSL. The primary objective is to create a small, versatile end-effector to efficiently harvest crops without damage, even in Synecoculture's dense growing environments. We developed a multi-point cushion with bellows-type modules made of a new TPU material. The design achieved successful gripping by enveloping crops without pneumatic systems. This allowed gripping tomatoes with diameters from 67[mm] to 50[mm] without requiring position control.