Robotic systems, methods, and end-effectors for harvesting produce

This invention describes a robot system designed to pick produce like apples. It uses a special gripper with multiple fingers that are pulled by cables (tendons) and can move independently. This gripper is designed to be "underactuated," meaning it uses fewer motors than joints, allowing it to adapt its shape to the fruit for a strong, secure grip, similar to how a human hand picks. The robot arm then uses a "look-and-move" strategy, likely involving cameras, to find the fruit and position the gripper.