When fulfillment centers must pick a constantly changing mix of SKUs from conveyors and bins, automated systems often require repeated programming, application-specific integration, and expensive 3D camera setups to maintain reliability, according to Festo. The company today announced its GripperAI software to enable robots to pick a range of items without custom programming.
A shifting product mix can increase integration cost, slow deployment, and limit the ability to scale robotic picking as order volumes and product variation grow, Festo noted. GripperAI operates locally at the cell on a standard industrial PC with a connected 3D camera and automatically adjusts for mixed products without programming or template loading between SKUs, said the Islandia, N.Y.-based company.
GripperAI keeps picking with affordable cameras
Deploying GripperAI involves standard integration steps, said Festo. They include mounting and aligning the camera, verifying usable lighting, calibrating the robot base to the camera’s frame, and configuring the software’s pick parameters.
After that, for each sighted item, the software calculates a gripping point, selects a tool when multiple ones are available, and the robot’s path control carries out the move. If a grip is missed, the system recalculates and retries, sustaining picking operations rather than stopping for reprogramming.
Because the software architecture does not change between camera types, facilities can apply the most economical vision hardware that meets the application requirements, Festo claimed. Unless packaging or surface conditions require higher-resolution imaging, most fulfillment applications can be satisfied with cost-effective 3D cameras, it said.
GripperAI is compatible with most industrial robots, cobots, and Cartesian systems that have a path control system to execute the motion the software specifies, said Festo.
The software is robot-agnostic, so bin-picking and conveyor-emptying cells can be deployed or expanded without locking into a single brand or model, the company said. This enables facilities to protect existing investments while adding capacity with the most cost-effective equipment for the application.
Festo listed GripperAI’s capabilities and operational benefits:
- Handles mixed, unknown, and chaotically stored items without template loading between SKUs
- Calculates gripping points automatically and selects the most suitable available tool
- Sustains operation with automatic recalculation and retry if a grip is missed
- Operates locally on a standard industrial PC with connected 3D camera
- Supports cost-effective 3D vision hardware; architecture remains consistent across camera types
- Compatible with most industrial robots, cobots, and Cartesian systems with path control
- Enables deployment and expansion without locking into a single robot brand or model
Würth Group uses Festo AI for fast fulfillment
Würth Group, a global leader in fastening and assembly solutions for industrial, construction, and automotive applications, faced the pressure of rising SKU counts and product mix variation at its central distribution hub in Germany.
When packages reach final processing, a robot equipped with GripperAI uses a tool station with various vacuum and mechanical grippers to ensure it has the correct gripper for each product or package, which can vary from small parts like USB sticks up to boxes weighing 44 lb. (20 kg). GripperAI addresses manual handling and ergonomic challenges in high-speed fulfillment environments.
Festo plans to show its intralogistics technologies at Booth B9127 at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta from April 13 to 16.
