The HPPH gripper is engineered to cut down on wiring and weight while ensuring
safe performance. | Credit: Festo
Festo Corp. has unveiled the HPPH two-finger pneumatic parallel gripper, a lightweight solution built to tackle collaborative robot payload and wiring limitations by embedding the controls, sensing, and certified safety features right into the gripper body. The company also provided an update on its GripperAI software.
Force- and power-limited robot arms generally work within tight payload and mounting limits, Festo explained. Pneumatic grippers that depend on external components add extra weight, take up more space, and make routing more complicated on compact cobots, the company noted.
By cutting down on these external parts, the HPPH frees up payload capacity and streamlines mounting and wiring on collaborative robot platforms, Festo stated. The new gripper incorporates the pneumatic control valve, position sensors, and electrical interface directly into the gripper body.
This built-in functionality also makes ordering easier, reduces wiring complexity, and cuts down on installation and commissioning time, Festo claimed. An IO-link version is offered for improved diagnostics and remote setup.
The HPPH weighs 1.5 lb. (0.68 kg) and helps maintain robot payload capacity while lowering the mechanical burden on smaller cobots. The maximum gripper opening is 0.63 in (16 mm), and the HPPH is capable of handling objects up to 2.2 lb. (1 kg).
Festo noted that the HPPH was developed in line with ISO/TS 15066 for collaborative robot safety and achieves TÜV Süd certification when paired with HAFH-B30-16-45-N gripper fingers. The system includes a force-limited gripping mode of 31.5 lbf (140 newtons), comparable to a firm handshake, to lower the risk of injury during close-proximity operation.
When greater gripping force is needed, the force limit can be turned off to support non-collaborative tasks with gripping forces reaching about 40.5 lbf (180 newtons). The company also reduced sharp edges and pinch points with a smooth housing design.
Festo cautioned that the HPPH is not intended for machining or settings with aggressive media, grinding dust, or welding splatter. The gripper adds to more than 30,000 interoperable pneumatic, electric, and software products in Festo’s automation portfolio.
The HPPH can be purchased through Festo’s website, based in Esslingen am Neckar, Germany, and the Universal Robotics Marketplace.
GripperAI works across various robots and grippers
Festo has also rolled out GripperAI, which is built to manage unfamiliar objects in unstructured environments without needing programming or teach-in training. Compatible with a broad range of grippers, the software leverages artificial intelligence to identify optimal grasping points, with the goal of making material handling more adaptable and accessible for different industrial uses.
GripperAI is robot-agnostic, according to Festo, whose North American headquarters are in Islandia, N.Y. It is compatible with manufacturers and kinematic systems including cobots, traditional robots, and Cartesian handling systems.
The software allows robots to grasp previously unseen or randomly positioned objects, including bulk materials, without requiring programming or teach-in training, saving considerable setup time, the company reported.
Moreover, GripperAI can automatically carry out a tool change to pick up the right end effector for a given picking task. This flexibility makes it well-suited for managing diverse items in logistics, manufacturing, and packaging settings.
GripperAI is designed to shorten the setup time for a robot in a picking application. | Credit: Festo
Festo builds software for edge computing
GripperAI is built to run on edge computing and can function with minimal hardware: A low-cost 3D RGB-D camera and a basic CPU (Core i3, >4 GB RAM) are enough for straightforward tasks. For more demanding applications such as gripping bags, irregular shapes, or chaotically stored parts, higher-end GPUs and cameras can boost speed and success rates, Festo explained.
The software is modular and can be installed locally or run in the cloud, supporting REST interfaces for integration. GripperAI can be deployed on robot CPUs, industrial PCs, or even within the camera itself.
Würth Group, which carries roughly 1 million parts in its portfolio, has already trialed the software in its logistics operations. It deployed GripperAI-equipped robots to unload crates filled with mixed, randomly oriented items.
“We replicated Würth’s sorter conveyors in our laboratory, which enabled us to develop the robot’s various capabilities: object-dependent gripper selection, gripping any objects from the trays, packing shipping cartons, and handling the cartons and trays,” said Jan Seyler, head of advanced development analytics and control at Festo.
The system recognizes each object, picks the right gripping tool, and efficiently moves items for packaging or sorting, all without manual input or pre-programmed object data. The robot cell can operate across all of Würth’s planned lines, and the companies have outlined further development work and optimization steps.
