The SensiFlex Gripper project, developed by researchers from the University of Beira Interior (UBI), was recognised as the best project in the Idea Pitch Competition held during the Startup Capital Summit, which took place on 3 June at the Convent of São Francisco in Coimbra.
Developed at LITecS, the Laboratory of Innovation and Technology for Sustainability, which is part of UBI’s C-MAST research unit, the Centre for Mechanical and Aerospace Science and Technologies, the SensiFlex Gripper is a technology based on the development of soft, self-sensing robotic grippers designed for the safe and adaptable handling of delicate, fragile or flexible products, as well as products with irregular geometries. The solution, which initially emerged from the transnational cooperation project Robota-SUDOE, combines concepts from soft robotics, additive manufacturing, sensing and mechanical design, making it possible to obtain real-time information about contact and handling during manipulation.
The SensiFlex Gripper was developed with a particular focus on agro-industrial applications, namely product selection, packaging, handling and automation processes involving sensitive products, where conventional rigid grippers may cause damage or struggle to accommodate the natural variability of the products. However, the technology is scalable and customisable for any industry requiring delicate, sensor-assisted handling.
For the team of LITecS researchers, comprising Pedro Dinis Gaspar as principal investigator, Martim Aguiar, Nuno Pereira, Rodrigo Antunes and Luan Lang, this distinction represents an important step towards bringing applied research, technology transfer and the market closer together.
“This award validates the potential of our technology and reinforces the importance of developing robotic solutions that are more sensitive, adaptable and aligned with the real needs of industry. Our goal is to transform the knowledge developed in the laboratory into practical solutions with a direct impact on industrial and agro-industrial processes,” states Pedro Gaspar Dinis.
The team has continued to consolidate its expertise, resulting in several intellectual property registrations, including three granted patents in the field of self-sensing technologies. At the same time, it has participated in several competitions and capacity-building programmes promoted by UBINNOVATIVE Tech Transfer, namely Seed Tech Transfer, a programme supporting seed projects and technology-based spin-offs in Portugal’s Central Region as part of the INOVC+ project. The team won the programme last March, securing direct access to the final of the Startup Capital Summit’s Idea Pitch Competition.
Winning the final of the Startup Capital Summit competition gives the team access to a monetary prize of €5,000, intended to support the continuation of a development journey that is already at a highly advanced stage, TRL 6, and close to reaching the market. In the final, the UBI team competed against 12 innovative, high-value-added projects and ideas at advanced stages of development in the fields of agri-tech, medical devices, environment and water, and the circular economy. The Startup Capital Summit is regarded as Portugal’s leading event in deep tech, venture capital, innovation and entrepreneurship, and is organised every two years by the University of Coimbra, Coimbra City Council and the Pedro Nunes Institute.