While there are many food applications that require the picking of a uniform product such as meat and cheese, others involve products with more variable characteristics such as weight, size and shape. With a fresh produce application for example, there is variability in the size and shape of apples, peaches or tomatoes. These applications require additional attention to soft and gentle handling of products. Other similar delicate applications would include handling fresh baked items, enrobed chocolate, items with any sort of topping and fresh burger patties – just to name a few.
With developments by Soft Robotics, a single end-of-arm tool (EOAT) can now handle an unprecedented range of objects without the need for tool changes or software modifications between cycles. Soft Robotics has demonstrated the ability to grasp difficult-to-handle products with variable characteristics such as fresh produce or raw dough, all with a single device. This disruptive capability addresses unmet needs in existing markets and unlocks new markets for cost-effective automated solutions.