Soft Robotic End-Effectors in the Wild: A Case Study of a Soft Manipulator for Green Bell Pepper Harvesting

Dominik Bauer, Cornelia Bauer, Nancy S. Pollard

Keywords: Agriculture Robotics, Robotic Harvesting, End-Effector Design, Soft Gripper

TL;DR: Case study about using a custom soft end-effector for harvesting green bell peppers in an open field under real-world conditions.

Abstract: In this case study we present a proof of concept design of a soft robotic end-effector for green pepper harvesting. We test our robotic system in a standard double-row cropping system under real world conditions without making modifications to the pepper plants or the environment. We show that soft manipulators can reliably grasp peppers without bruising the fruit and provide an in-depth analysis of common types of failures we observe. Finally, we discuss future improvements to our robotic system.