The RoboPhysicsLab team from the Polytechnic University of Bari wins first place in the competition dedicated to the robotic harvesting of delicate fruits.

From April 7 to 11, 2026, the city of Kanazawa, Japan, hosted the ninth edition of the IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics – RoboSoft 2026, one of the world’s leading international events dedicated to soft robotics and its real-world applications.

Omnigrasp supported and sponsored the participation of the Chill Group, the RoboPhysicsLab team from the Polytechnic University of Bari, which won first place in the “Harvesting of Delicate Ripe Fruits Competition” with its Chill Gripper project.

The competition challenged participants to design and control a robotic system capable of harvesting extremely delicate ripe fruits, replicating one of the most demanding tasks in agricultural robotics: grasping, detaching, and placing small fruits without causing damage. The challenge was designed to highlight the key strengths of soft robotics, including adaptability, compliance, gentle interaction, and the ability to operate in real-world environments.

Thanks to a system-level optimization approach, a gripper made from flexible materials, and a hybrid control strategy, the team successfully harvested every fruit required in the challenge, achieving an outstanding score of 238 out of 264, close to the maximum possible.

The winning team consisted of students Elisabetta Annese, Giuseppe Macchia, and Luca Mitaritonna, led by team leader Angelo Catalano. The project originated as part of the Mechatronics course within the Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Bari, taught by Professor Vito Cacucciolo, and was later refined through extensive design, prototyping, and experimental testing.

Omnigrasp supported the team throughout the preparation phase by providing technical expertise and engineering support. Special thanks go to Antonio Camposeo and Fabio Gargano, who contributed to the hardware development, system integration, and control of the robotic platform.

This achievement represents far more than a competition victory: it demonstrates the value of collaboration between academia, research, and industry, and confirms how multidisciplinary expertise, hands-on experimentation, and adaptability can transform an academic project into a practical and internationally competitive robotic solution.

Congratulations to the entire Chill Group on this outstanding achievement!