{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T19:48:04Z","timestamp":1780343284003,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,15]],"date-time":"2022-06-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1655251200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Jiangsu Universities","award":["18KJA4600050"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["18KJA4600050"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Universities","award":["21KJB460010"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21KJB460010"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Universities","award":["GDZB-024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GDZB-024"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Universities","award":["2018-016"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2018-016"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Universities","award":["51305209"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["51305209"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Universities","award":["JS-2016-62"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JS-2016-62"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Universities","award":["CX2019009"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CX2019009"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Province","award":["18KJA4600050"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["18KJA4600050"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Province","award":["21KJB460010"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21KJB460010"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Province","award":["GDZB-024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GDZB-024"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Province","award":["2018-016"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2018-016"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Province","award":["51305209"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["51305209"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Province","award":["JS-2016-62"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JS-2016-62"]}]},{"name":"Jiangsu Province","award":["CX2019009"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CX2019009"]}]},{"name":"National Key Laboratory of Robotics","award":["18KJA4600050"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["18KJA4600050"]}]},{"name":"National Key Laboratory of Robotics","award":["21KJB460010"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21KJB460010"]}]},{"name":"National Key Laboratory of Robotics","award":["GDZB-024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GDZB-024"]}]},{"name":"National Key Laboratory of Robotics","award":["2018-016"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2018-016"]}]},{"name":"National Key Laboratory of Robotics","award":["51305209"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["51305209"]}]},{"name":"National Key Laboratory of Robotics","award":["JS-2016-62"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JS-2016-62"]}]},{"name":"National Key Laboratory of Robotics","award":["CX2019009"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CX2019009"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"the National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["18KJA4600050"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["18KJA4600050"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"the National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["21KJB460010"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21KJB460010"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"the National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["GDZB-024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GDZB-024"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"the National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2018-016"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2018-016"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"the National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["51305209"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["51305209"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"the National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["JS-2016-62"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JS-2016-62"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"the National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CX2019009"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CX2019009"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"the Jiangsu Government Scholar for Overseas Studies","award":["18KJA4600050"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["18KJA4600050"]}]},{"name":"the Jiangsu Government Scholar for Overseas Studies","award":["21KJB460010"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21KJB460010"]}]},{"name":"the Jiangsu Government Scholar for Overseas Studies","award":["GDZB-024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GDZB-024"]}]},{"name":"the Jiangsu Government Scholar for Overseas Studies","award":["2018-016"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2018-016"]}]},{"name":"the Jiangsu Government Scholar for Overseas Studies","award":["51305209"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["51305209"]}]},{"name":"the Jiangsu Government Scholar for Overseas Studies","award":["JS-2016-62"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JS-2016-62"]}]},{"name":"the Jiangsu Government Scholar for Overseas Studies","award":["CX2019009"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CX2019009"]}]},{"name":"Nanjing Forestry University","award":["18KJA4600050"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["18KJA4600050"]}]},{"name":"Nanjing Forestry University","award":["21KJB460010"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21KJB460010"]}]},{"name":"Nanjing Forestry University","award":["GDZB-024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GDZB-024"]}]},{"name":"Nanjing Forestry University","award":["2018-016"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2018-016"]}]},{"name":"Nanjing Forestry University","award":["51305209"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["51305209"]}]},{"name":"Nanjing Forestry University","award":["JS-2016-62"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JS-2016-62"]}]},{"name":"Nanjing Forestry University","award":["CX2019009"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CX2019009"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>With the superior ductility and flexibility brought by compliant bodies, soft manipulators provide a nondestructive manner to grasp delicate objects, which has been developing gradually as a rising focus of soft robots. However, the unexpected phenomenon caused by environmental effects, leading to high internal nonlinearity and unpredictable deformation, makes it challenging to design, model, and control soft manipulators. In this paper, we designed a soft pneumatically actuated manipulator consisting of four soft actuators, as well as a flange, and investigated the influence of structural parameters on the output characteristics of the manipulator through finite element analysis (FEA). To enhance the bending deformation of the soft actuator, annular rings were employed on the soft actuator. A mathematical model for the bending deformation of air cavities was established to explore the relationship between the driving pressure and the bending angle based on the Yeoh strain energy function. Moreover, an end-output force model was established to depict the variation of the force output with the bending angle of the soft actuator, which was then experimentally validated by adopting the manufactured manipulator. The soft actuator studied in this paper can bend from 0\u00b0 to 110\u00b0 under an applied pressure of 0\u201360 kPa, and the maximum grasping load of the soft manipulator is 5.8 N. Finally, practical tests were conducted to assess the adaptability of the soft manipulator when grasping delicate fruits, such as apples, pears, tomatoes, and mangoes, demonstrating its broad application prospects in nondestructive fruit harvesting.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s22124532","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,16]],"date-time":"2022-06-16T03:01:22Z","timestamp":1655348482000},"page":"4532","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":24,"title":["Model Analysis and Experimental Investigation of Soft Pneumatic Manipulator for Fruit Grasping"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4574-3900","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yinlong","family":"Zhu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"},{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110169, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kai","family":"Feng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chao","family":"Hua","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0680-6908","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xu","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhiqiang","family":"Hu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110169, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huaming","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haijun","family":"Su","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"168","article-title":"Variation of vegetable sown areas in China during the past eleven years","volume":"6","author":"You","year":"2016","journal-title":"North. Hortic."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.3901\/JME.2017.13.019","article-title":"Review of soft-bodied manipulator","volume":"53","author":"Zhang","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Mech. Eng."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Xu, C., Liu, Y., Ding, F., and Zhuang, Z. (2020). Recognition and grasping of disorderly stacked wood planks using a local image patch and point pair feature method. Sensors, 20.","DOI":"10.3390\/s20216235"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"467","DOI":"10.1038\/nature14543","article-title":"Design, fabrication and control of soft robots","volume":"521","author":"Rus","year":"2015","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1027","DOI":"10.1007\/s00170-015-7085-3","article-title":"A review article: Investigations on soft materials for soft robot manipulations","volume":"80","author":"Elango","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105694","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compag.2020.105694","article-title":"State-of-the-art robotic grippers, grasping and control strategies, as well as their applications in agricultural robots: A review","volume":"177","author":"Zhang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Comput. Electron. Agric."},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"139","article-title":"Detection and recognition technology of green plum surface defects based on Gaussian mixture model","volume":"5","author":"Liu","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. For. Eng."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"eabc3721","DOI":"10.1126\/scirobotics.abc3721","article-title":"Electro-pneumatic pumps for soft robotics","volume":"6","author":"Diteesawat","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci. Robot."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"051013","DOI":"10.1115\/1.4047156","article-title":"A novel variable stiffness compliant robotic gripper based on layer jamming","volume":"12","author":"Gao","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Mech. Robot."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5515","DOI":"10.1039\/D1TC00468A","article-title":"Light-and magnetic-responsive synergy controlled reconfiguration of polymer nanocomposites with shape memory assisted self-healing performance for soft robotics","volume":"9","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Mater. Chem. C"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zheng, Z., Kumar, P., Chen, Y., Cheng, H., Wagner, S., Chen, M., Verma, N., and Sturm, J.C. (2022). Scalable simulation and demonstration of jumping piezoelectric 2-D soft robots. arXiv.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICRA46639.2022.9811927"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6814","DOI":"10.1002\/adma.201503078","article-title":"Dielectric elastomer based \u201cgrippers\u201d for soft robotics","volume":"27","author":"Shian","year":"2015","journal-title":"Adv. Mater."},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"1486","article-title":"Modeling study on actuating characteristics of bending polypyrrole actuators","volume":"48","author":"Xi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Chin. J. Anal. Chem."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2000186","DOI":"10.1002\/aisy.202000186","article-title":"Magnetically controlled soft robotics utilizing elastomers and gels in actuation: A review","volume":"3","author":"Chung","year":"2021","journal-title":"Adv. Intell. Syst."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"146","DOI":"10.1089\/soro.2015.0011","article-title":"Soft and stretchable sensor using biocompatible electrodes and liquid for medical applications","volume":"2","author":"Russo","year":"2015","journal-title":"Soft Robot."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1177\/0278364915592961","article-title":"A novel type of compliant and under actuated robotic hand for dexterous grasping","volume":"35","author":"Deimel","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Robot. Res."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"281","DOI":"10.1002\/rob.22051","article-title":"A review of soft manipulator research, applications, and opportunities","volume":"39","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Field Robot."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhang, J., Chen, Y., and Gong, Y. (2021, January 15\u201317). Dynamic model and analysis of soft manipulator facing underwater complex environment. Proceedings of the 2021 6th International Conference on Automation, Control and Robotics Engineering (CACRE), Dalian, China.","DOI":"10.1109\/CACRE52464.2021.9501346"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"191920","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2020.3032842","article-title":"Design and motion analysis of adjustable pneumatic soft manipulator for grasping objects","volume":"8","author":"Jiang","year":"2020","journal-title":"IEEE Access"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hao, Y., Gong, Z., Xie, Z., Guan, S., Yang, X., Ren, Z., Wang, T., and Wen, L. (2016, January 27\u201329). Universal soft pneumatic robotic actuator with variable effective length. Proceedings of the 2016 35th Chinese Control Conference (CCC), Chengdu, China.","DOI":"10.1109\/ChiCC.2016.7554316"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1707035","DOI":"10.1002\/adma.201707035","article-title":"Soft robotic grippers","volume":"30","author":"Shintake","year":"2018","journal-title":"Adv. Mater."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jorg, O., Sportelli, M., Fontanelli, M., Frasconi, C., Raffaelli, M., and Fantoni, G. (2021). Design, development and testing of feeding grippers for vegetable plug transplanters. AgriEngineering, 3.","DOI":"10.3390\/agriengineering3030043"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"451","DOI":"10.1038\/nature19100","article-title":"An integrated design and fabrication strategy for entirely soft, autonomous robots","volume":"536","author":"Wehner","year":"2016","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"021007","DOI":"10.1115\/1.4029497","article-title":"Design and fabrication of a soft robotic hand with embedded actuators and sensors","volume":"7","author":"She","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Mech. Robot."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18809","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1003250107","article-title":"Universal robotic actuator based on the jamming of granular material","volume":"107","author":"Brown","year":"2010","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"542","DOI":"10.1089\/soro.2019.0140","article-title":"Circular shell gripper for handling food products","volume":"8","author":"Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Soft Robot."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9843894","DOI":"10.34133\/2021\/9843894","article-title":"Shape estimation of soft manipulator using stretchable sensor","volume":"2021","author":"So","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cyborg Bionic Syst."},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"11","article-title":"Research progress on application of soft robotic actuator in fruit and vegetable harvesting","volume":"34","author":"Peng","year":"2018","journal-title":"Trans. Chin. Soc. Agric. Eng."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"423","DOI":"10.1089\/soro.2018.0136","article-title":"Soft robotics in minimally invasive surgery","volume":"6","author":"Ruciman","year":"2019","journal-title":"Soft Robot."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1108\/IR-07-2020-0131","article-title":"Static modeling and analysis of soft manipulator considering environment contact based on segmented constant curvature method","volume":"48","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ind. Robot."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"449","DOI":"10.1177\/0278364920917203","article-title":"A soft manipulator for efficient delicate grasping in shallow water: Modeling, control, and real-world experiments","volume":"40","author":"Gong","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Robot. Res."},{"key":"ref_32","first-page":"1687814020950094","article-title":"Research development of soft manipulator: A review","volume":"12","author":"Lu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Adv. Mech. Eng."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1007\/s12555-016-0462-3","article-title":"Soft robot review","volume":"15","author":"Lee","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. J. Control Autom. Syst."},{"key":"ref_34","first-page":"5","article-title":"Overview of selection and parameter determination for hyper elastic constitutive model of rubber material","volume":"16","author":"Qian","year":"2018","journal-title":"Rubber Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_35","first-page":"354","article-title":"Grasp analysis and optimal design of a new under actuated Actuator","volume":"42","author":"Ma","year":"2020","journal-title":"Robot"}],"container-title":["Sensors"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/22\/12\/4532\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T23:32:25Z","timestamp":1760139145000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/22\/12\/4532"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,15]]},"references-count":35,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,6]]}},"alternative-id":["s22124532"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/s22124532","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-8220"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-8220","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,15]]}}}