  The seafood processing industry provides fertile ground for robotics to
impact the future-of-work from multiple perspectives including productivity,
worker safety, and quality of work life. The robotics research challenge is the
realization of flexible and reliable manipulation of soft, deformable,
slippery, spiky and scaly objects. In this paper, we propose a novel robot end
effector, called HASHI, that employs chopstick-like appendages for precise and
dexterous manipulation. This gripper is capable of in-hand manipulation by
rotating its two constituent sticks relative to each other and offers control
of objects in all three axes of rotation by imitating human use of chopsticks.
HASHI delicately positions and orients food through embedded 6-axis
force-torque sensors. We derive and validate the kinematic model for HASHI, as
well as demonstrate grip force and torque readings from the sensorization of
each chopstick. We also evaluate the versatility of HASHI through grasping
trials of a variety of real and simulated food items with varying geometry,
weight, and firmness.

Robotics