Between two and six finger elements can be fitted to the gripper. The fingers can grip different shaped, or sensitive, objects, without needing extra sensors or controls. They are made of a food-compliant polyurethane, allowing them to be used in washdown environments in the food industry.

Festo product manager in the UK, Steve Sands, predicts widespread applications for the gripper. “Until now,” he points out, “gripping multiple parts has required either time-wasting tool-changing, weight-increasing multiple heads, or even multiple handling arms.”