A Novel Approach to Tomato Harvesting Using a Hybrid Gripper with Semantic Segmentation and Keypoint Detection

A Novel Approach to Tomato Harvesting Using a Hybrid Gripper with Semantic Segmentation and Keypoint Detection | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article A Novel Approach to Tomato Harvesting Using a Hybrid Gripper with Semantic Segmentation and Keypoint Detection Shahid Ansari, Mahendra Kumar Gohil, Yusuke Maeda, Bishakh Bhattacharya This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8491477/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 09 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This paper presents an autonomous tomato-harvesting system built around a hybrid robotic gripper that combines six soft auxetic fingers with a rigid exoskeleton and a latex basket to achieve gentle, cage-like grasping. The gripper is driven by a servo-actuated Scotch--yoke mechanism, and includes separator leaves that form a conical frustum for fruit isolation, with an integrated micro-servo cutter for pedicel cutting. For perception, an RGB--D camera and a Detectron2-based pipeline perform semantic segmentation of ripe/unripe tomatoes and keypoint localization of the pedicel and fruit center under occlusion and variable illumination. An analytical model derived using the principle of virtual work relates servo torque to grasp force, enabling design-level reasoning about actuation requirements. During execution, closed-loop grasp-force regulation is achieved using a proportional--integral--derivative controller with feedback from force-sensitive resistors mounted on selected fingers to prevent slip and bruising. Motion execution is supported by Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)--based trajectory planning for a 5-DOF manipulator. Experiments demonstrate complete picking cycles (approach, separation, cutting, grasping, transport, release) with an average cycle time of 24.34 s and an overall success rate of approximately 80%, while maintaining low grasp forces (0.20--0.50 N). These results validate the proposed hybrid gripper and integrated vision--control pipeline for reliable harvesting in cluttered environments. Physical sciences/Engineering Physical sciences/Mathematics and computing Autonomous harvesting Soft–rigid hybrid gripper Auxetic structures Semantic segmentation Keypoint detection Force control Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 09 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 05 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 03 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 03 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 31 Dec, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8491477","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":569359897,"identity":"8540e869-6d12-432e-bd9e-4788a6bbd819","order_by":0,"name":"Shahid 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Detection","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Autonomous harvesting, Soft–rigid hybrid gripper, Auxetic structures, Semantic segmentation, Keypoint detection, Force control","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8491477/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8491477/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis paper presents an autonomous tomato-harvesting system built around a hybrid robotic gripper that combines six soft auxetic fingers with a rigid exoskeleton and a latex basket to achieve gentle, cage-like grasping. The gripper is driven by a servo-actuated Scotch--yoke mechanism, and includes separator leaves that form a conical frustum for fruit isolation, with an integrated micro-servo cutter for pedicel cutting. For perception, an RGB--D camera and a Detectron2-based pipeline perform semantic segmentation of ripe/unripe tomatoes and keypoint localization of the pedicel and fruit center under occlusion and variable illumination. An analytical model derived using the principle of virtual work relates servo torque to grasp force, enabling design-level reasoning about actuation requirements. During execution, closed-loop grasp-force regulation is achieved using a proportional--integral--derivative controller with feedback from force-sensitive resistors mounted on selected fingers to prevent slip and bruising. Motion execution is supported by Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)--based trajectory planning for a 5-DOF manipulator. Experiments demonstrate complete picking cycles (approach, separation, cutting, grasping, transport, release) with an average cycle time of 24.34 s and an overall success rate of approximately 80%, while maintaining low grasp forces (0.20--0.50 N). These results validate the proposed hybrid gripper and integrated vision--control pipeline for reliable harvesting in cluttered environments.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"A Novel Approach to Tomato Harvesting Using a Hybrid Gripper with Semantic Segmentation and Keypoint Detection","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-07 03:24:05","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8491477/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-01-05T08:30:48+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-01-03T12:01:43+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-01-03T12:01:08+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-12-31T17:34:14+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e8d48919-4959-4a65-b799-68ef3095b921","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 7th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":60579241,"name":"Physical sciences/Engineering"},{"id":60579242,"name":"Physical sciences/Mathematics and computing"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-13T16:02:51+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-8491477","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42227-2","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2026-04-09 15:59:28","publishedOnDateReadable":"April 9th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-07 03:24:05","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-026-42227-2","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42227-2","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8491477","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8491477","identity":"rs-8491477","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}