Nondestructive Dimension Sorting by Soft Robotic Grippers Integrated with Triboelectric Sensor

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Automation
• Materials Science
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Traditional logistics sorting methods are limited by rigid manipulators, causing goods damage and hindering warehousing development.
• Existing systems lack the dexterity required for handling delicate or breakable items.
• There is a need for advanced sorting solutions that ensure object integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and implement a novel nondestructive sorting method for smart logistics.
• To develop a system utilizing soft robotics and advanced sensors for object handling and size classification.
• To demonstrate the system's efficacy in sorting breakable objects, such as fruits.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a soft robotic gripper (SRG) using silicon rubber with a Young's modulus of 600.91 kPa.
• Integration of a triboelectric sensor (TES) with 3 mm resolution for object size sorting.
• Development of a signal processing module to interpret TES data for quantifying SRG bending and object size.

Main Results:

• The SRG demonstrated a maximum input pressure of 71.4 kPa, suitable for grasping breakable objects.
• The TES exhibited a linear relationship between pulse number and sliding displacement, enabling accurate size measurement.
• The developed system achieved a sorting range of 70-120 mm with up to 95% sorting accuracy for fruits.

Conclusions:

• The proposed bionic soft finger-based sorting method offers a nondestructive alternative to traditional systems.
• The integration of SRG and TES provides a viable solution for automated, accurate, and gentle object sorting.
• This research paves the way for broader applications of soft robotics and triboelectric sensors in logistics and beyond.