Design and fabrication of a gripper propotype for a fruit harvesting machine

In Vietnam, post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables are very high. According to analysis reports, Vietnam must invest more in harvesting and post-harvest technologies to enhance the global competitiveness of agricultural products, including fruits and vegetables. Fruit harvesting machines are an effective solution to enhance the quality of agricultural products, including fruits and vegetables. The gripper can be considered the most important component of a harvesting machine when it comes to horticulture products, since it acts as interface between the robotic system and product. To pick up fruits, which frequently have complex shapes and poor mechanical properties, a gripper must be designed carefully. In addition to being able to pick the produce, it is crucial that a gripper does not damage the fruit during harvest. The weak force may cause the gripper to be unable to pick the fruit. If excessive force is applied or improper picking technique is used, the grippers could damage fruits. However, Vietnam has not widely adopted the use of automatic machine in agriculture. This is due to the uniqueness of fruits in each region; for example, fruits in Vietnam have their own shape and mechanical properties. Therefore, it is occasionally inappropriate to utilize harvesters that have already been imported. This paper shows the development and fabrication of a gripper for common Vietnam fruit grasping. A new prototype has been fabricated by 3D printing method and tested in the laboratory. The prototype of a gripper has been subjected to simulation and experimental testing with real fruits to verify that the proposed model is capable of meeting all objectives’ requirements. The proposed gripper was straightforward and efficient. The developed device exhibited dependability and stability and is suitable for farmers who require independent harvesting. In addition, the designed gripper can be produced at a lower cost than comparable machines developed by other commercial products. Key words: Harvesting machine, gripper, Solidwork, prototype, 3D printing, low-cost production