en.Wedoany.com Reported - German industrial automation company Festo has released a software called GripperAI, designed to help manufacturers achieve greater automation flexibility when handling a variety of products. The software can automatically identify the optimal gripping point for an item and select the most suitable gripper from the available end-of-arm tools to perform the task.
With advancements in robotics, sensor technology, and materials science, modern gripping systems are no longer simple pick-and-place tools but must dynamically respond to constantly changing product mixes and production requirements. GripperAI enables robots to meet these challenges in real time without requiring operators to load templates or reconfigure the system between SKUs.
The software works with a variety of gripping technologies, including vacuum grippers and mechanical grippers, and supports automatic tool selection when the application requires multiple gripping methods. It is suitable for logistics, packaging, and manufacturing environments where products vary significantly in shape, size, or surface characteristics. GripperAI runs locally on a standard industrial PC connected to a 3D camera, automatically calculates gripping points, and transmits the required motion commands to the robot's path control system. If a grip fails, the software recalculates and retries to maintain productivity without interrupting the process.
The platform is designed for broad compatibility and can be used with most industrial robots, collaborative robots, and Cartesian handling systems. Since the software architecture remains consistent across different camera types, users can choose cost-effective vision hardware without being limited by proprietary systems. This allows manufacturers to scale or upgrade their automated handling systems without being tied to a single robot, gripper, or vision platform.
Peter Potters, Product Manager for End-of-Arm Tooling at Festo, stated at the launch that artificial intelligence holds great potential for solving engineering and manufacturing challenges, and GripperAI is an example of AI being practically applied to address operational issues. He noted that as gripping systems become smarter and more adaptive, manufacturers need solutions that can dynamically respond to changing products without adding complexity. By reducing the programming effort associated with flexible robotic gripping, GripperAI enables manufacturers to deploy automation faster, respond more easily to changing production demands, and better utilize existing equipment investments.
The technology has been validated in logistics applications where robots are required to identify, grip, and package thousands of different products. By combining AI-driven vision with intelligent gripper selection, these systems can automate tasks that have traditionally been difficult to standardize. The launch of GripperAI further strengthens Festo's AI-enabled automation technology portfolio, demonstrating how practical AI can help manufacturers improve flexibility, productivity, and ease of deployment.
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