Design and evaluation of a gripper for bunches of bananas in a supermarket environment

In this paper the first gripper that can grasp bunches of bananas is presented. Bunches of bananas are difficult to grasp by a mechanical gripper, as they vary in size and shape and are sensitive to damage caused by mechanical impact. In former research, single bananas have been grasped with pinching- or granular grippers. The gripper proposed...

A system level performance analysis method for the design of a C-shape hexapod leg operating on compactive terrain

Remotely controlled vehicles have gained increased interest and application, like the exploration of inhospitable environments. To this end hexapods with C-shape locomotors are particularly suitable because these vehicles possess both the efficiency of wheels and the climbing capabilities of legged robots. Currently all C-legged hexapods are...

Using Residual Heat Of A Ceramic Barbecue To Power A Product

ContextIn a society where sustainability is becoming more and more relevant, coal-burning kamado barbecues are more popular than ever in the Netherlands. From an ignited barbecue a significant amount of energy is lost through heated air. This brings up an interesting design opportunity; “Is it possible to design a product which proposes a more...

Techniques to synthesize Inherently Force Balanced Mechanisms

In mechanisms and machines, elements' motions can generate reaction forces and moments on the base of the mechanism, which are called shaking forces and shaking moments. These induce vibrations of the base, which create noise, wear and fatigue problems and reduce the accuracy of the systems. Dynamic balancing is a solution to eliminate these...