Hybrid Robots: A New Step in Fruit Harvesting Technologies

Modeling the movement of robots that combine soft and rigid components opens new opportunities for the agricultural sector, particularly in fruit harvesting under the complex conditions of orchards and greenhouses, EastFruit notes.

Robots made from rigid materials are known for their strength, while soft robots offer greater flexibility. Researchers at Khalifa University, led by engineers Anup Teejo Mathew and Federico Renda, have developed a model that allows these qualities to be combined in hybrid robots. This approach ensures both power and delicacy — exactly what is needed when working with fruit.

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Predicting the movement of hybrid robots has long been a challenge: algorithms worked well for rigid structures but failed to account for the countless ways soft components can bend and twist. The new mathematical model enables precise simulation and real-time control of such machines.

A key achievement lies in using the minimum number of parameters to describe actions — making analysis faster and more accurate than traditional methods. The technology has already been tested on different robots: from an “octopus arm” capable of gently grasping objects to underwater devices with flexible flagella.

For horticulture and vegetable production, this opens new prospects: hybrid robots could carefully harvest fruit without damage, and work effectively in dynamic, unpredictable environments — among tree branches, uneven plantations, or in greenhouses.

The researchers emphasize that efficient simulation is the foundation for planning, control, and training of robots, as well as for the development of artificial intelligence. In the future, such solutions could be applied not only in medicine or search and rescue but also in agriculture, where fast yet delicate movements are essential.