Abstract
This paper discusses the pick-and-place operation of rheological food objects by a robot hand. To achieve minimal deformation during the handling of food products, we consider developing a simulation framework of pick-and-place operations based on FE method. In order to perform FE simulation of food handling, it is necessary to measure a handling process and estimate physical parameters of food products. In this research, we measured both grip force and deformation of shari during a pick-and-place operation by a robot hand. Grip force was measured by a load cell attached to the robot hand. Two methods for deformation measurements were proposed by using a 3D scanner and a camera, respectively. The advantages and disadvantages of both methods were discussed as well. We found that using of a camera is more appropriate for our application.
