Festo has introduced GripperAI, an AI-powered software solution that enables robots to handle mixed, unfamiliar and randomly positioned products without the need for extensive programming, template loading or specialist vision integration. Designed for manufacturers seeking greater flexibility from automated handling systems, GripperAI automatically identifies the optimum gripping point for each item and selects the most appropriate gripper from the available end-of-arm tools.
Key takeaways
- Adapts to changing product mixes in real time, eliminating the need for template loading or reconfiguration between SKUs.
- Works with vacuum and mechanical grippers, supporting automatic tool selection for multiple gripping methods.
- Operates locally on a standard industrial PC with a 3D camera, calculating gripping points and communicating motion to the robot's path control.
- If a grip fails, the software recalculates and retries, maintaining productivity without process interruption.
- Compatible with most industrial robots, cobots and Cartesian systems, and allows cost-effective vision hardware selection.
The solution targets logistics, packaging and manufacturing environments with significant product variation. It has been proven in demanding logistics applications where robots identify, grip and package thousands of different products. By reducing programming effort, GripperAI enables faster automation deployment, easier response to changing production demands, and better use of existing equipment investments.
Source: Robotics & Automation News (roboticsandautomationnews.com) · Published 2026-06-09 · “Festo launches GripperAI software to simplify flexible robot handling”