Festo Launches Lightweight Pneumatic Gripper and Tests GripperAI

Festo Corp. has launched the HPPH two-finger pneumatic parallel gripper, a lightweight system designed to overcome collaborative robot payload and wiring constraints by integrating the controls, sensing, and certified safety functions directly into the gripper body. The company also shared its progress with the GripperAI software.

Force- and power-limited robot arms typically operate within strict payload and mounting constraints. Pneumatic grippers that rely on external components add weight, increase footprint, and complicate routing along compact cobots. By reducing the number of these components, the HPPH preserves payload capacity and simplifies mounting and wiring on collaborative robot platforms.

The new gripper integrates the pneumatic control valve, position sensors, and electrical interface directly into the gripper body. This functional integration also simplifies ordering, minimizes wiring complexity, and shortens installation and commissioning time. An IO-link version is available for enhanced diagnostics and remote configuration.

The HPPH weighs 1.5 lb. (0.68 kg) and helps preserve robot payload capacity while reducing mechanical load on smaller cobots. The maximum gripper opening is 0.63 in (16 mm), and the HPPH is suitable for handling objects weighing up to 2.2 lb.

(1 kg). Festo developed the HPPH in accordance with ISO/TS 15066 for collaborative robot safety and that it meets TÜV Süd-certification when used with HAFH-B30-16-45-N gripper fingers. Festo has also introduced GripperAI, which is designed to handle unfamiliar objects in disordered environments without requiring programming or teach-in training.

Compatible with a wide range of grippers, the software uses artificial intelligence to determine optimal grasping points, aiming to make material handling more flexible and accessible for various industrial applications. Würth Group, which has about 1 million parts in its portfolio, has already tested the software in its logistics operations, using GripperAI-equipped robots to empty crates filled with mixed, randomly oriented items.