Materials: Soft materials (silicone, degradable plastics) & air
Special feature: A robotic arm that handles items carefully
Functions: Food handling and packing
Application: In future supermarkets with a pack & pickup service
Where might we encounter soft robots or flexible machines in 2050? Possibly in the supermarket! A speculation team in our workshops imagined a packaging robot: the »Fresh Food Packaging Robo«.
The »Fresh Food Packaging Robo« could save people a long trip to the supermarket in 2050. After an online order is placed, the soft robotic arm packs all the items and prepares everything for pickup. Its soft materials and built-in air chambers enable the »Packaging Robo« to pick up and pack even delicate foods, such as fresh fruit, without damaging them. In addition, the soft arm can easily grab smaller objects, such as coffee beans, and then pack them in sustainable packaging.
»The idea was to save shopping time by simply ordering in advance, and the robot arm can pack everything without damaging the food.«