A robotic hand is able to pick the perfect tomato.

This complex 3D printed robotic hand not only take the tomato, but also feels.

The “soft robotics” It is a relatively new discipline that is gaining increasing interest, especially since its application in certain industrial and medical fields is especially interesting.

One of these robots, developed by the Cornell University, It has proved capable not only playing and pick up objects, but “feel '. With a robotic fingers analyzing the texture of the material, It is able to apply more or less force to catch it or pick it.

Among its applications in the field of agriculture, highlights the power to select the tomato which is in its perfect point of maturity after touch.

The light is the secret

This kind of ability can be very useful, for example, packaging in stores where it is necessary to differentiate the fruit in better which begins to be too ripe or too green to classify.

Robotic new developments are based on the conductivity of the light. Huichan Zhao, responsible for this prototype robotic hand “mix” He speaks in his investigation of the presence of sensors, both on the surface and inside the hand to “bring a soft robotic hand to a human hand”.

The light signals travel through small pipes within those “fingers” robotic, and when they touch something, these pipes are bent, making light signals distorted. Precisely the analysis of this distortion can emulate the sense of touch in a robotic hand.

The developers of this prototype show that this new type of robotic hands, based light impulses, also they manage to cheapen the production of this type of robots.

It could make a soft robotic hand for less than 45 EUR, although it should be added the cost of the battery and the compression tank to control the compressed air that controls the robotic fingers.