Thesis (PhD(Agric))--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The development and application of science-based tools for determining optimum fruit maturity and postharvest handling protocols to maintain quality and reduce losses during postharvest handling and marketing is essential to maintain the competitiveness of the emerging pomegranate industry in South Africa. Currently, there are no quality standards for the South African pomegranate industry, neither is there a general consensus on the optimal harvest maturity indices for fruit cultivars. These information are important to ensure the delivery of good quality fruit to consumers, particularly for long supply chains. The overall aims of this study were (a) to develop science-based management tools for determining optimum maturity indices and storage performance of pomegranate fruit cultivars grown in South Africa, and (b) to characterise the physico-chemical and pharmacological properties of selected cultivars relevant to postharvest handling and industrial applications. In Section II, seasonal studies on pomegranate (‘Baghwa’ and ‘Ruby’) fruit growth and the evolution of maturity indices during development were conducted. Significant increases in total soluble solids (TSS), sugars (glucose and fructose) and anthocyanin composition, coupled with significant decline in titratable acidity (TA), organic acids and total phenolics (TP) occurred with advancing fruit maturity. Fruit at advanced maturity stages were characterized by intense pigmentation of peel and aril, which coincided with maximum accumulation of anthocyanins. Among all the major maturity indices investigated, TSS, BrimA and anthocyanins did not show significant (p<0.05) seasonal variability, and strong correlations were found among the indices. In combination, these indices accounted for fruit juice sugar content, acidity and colour and could serve as reliable markers to determine optimal maturity for both pomegranate cultivars. The studies in Section III focused on characterization of postharvest quality including nutritional, medicinal and antioxidant properties of fruit parts. Quality attributes of eight commercial cultivars were analysed by cluster analysis, which enabled the cultivars to be separated into two clusters (cluster 1 = ‘Ruby’, ‘Arakta’ and ‘Ganesh’; cluster 2 = ‘Bhagwa’, ‘Acco’ and ‘Herskawitz’) and two ungrouped cultivars (‘Molla de Elche’ and ‘Wonderful’) based on important quality attributes (size, texture, colour, soluble solids, acidity, juiciness and phenolics). Furthermore, pomegranate fruit peel extracts were studied to highlight their potential for value-adding in pharmaceutical and other industrial applications. The results showed that fruit peels of the investigated cultivars possess strong antibacterial, antioxidant and antityrosinase activities, and hence could be exploited as potential sources of natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents, as well as a potential tyrosinase inhibitor. The research reported in Section IV investigated the effects of harvest maturity and storage conditions on postharvest quality and nutritional value of ‘Bhagwa’ and ‘Ruby’ cultivars. Fruit harvested at commercial maturity were stored at 5±0.3°C, 7±0.5°C and 10±0.4°C with 92±3% RH and at room temperature (20±2.2°C, 65±5.5% RH) for 16 weeks. Fruit physiological responses and quality were affected by storage condition, with the maximum levels of respiration occurring at higher temperature and extended storage duration. Fruit colour and antioxidant capacity varied slightly among storage temperatures, with total soluble solids and titratable acidity decreasing gradually over time at different temperatures. Considering that fruit stored at 5°C and 92% RH had significantly reduced weight loss, low incidence of physiological disorders and best results in maintaining flavour attributes (TSS and TA, TSS:TA ratio), the investigated cultivars may be stored at 5°C and >92% RH for 8 - 12 weeks. In paper 9 (Section IV), the research investigated the relationships between instrumental and sensory measurements of pomegranate fruit at different harvest maturities during storage and shelf life. Mature ‘Bhagwa’ fruit harvested at different times could not be discriminated by sensory attributes assessed by a trained panel. However, TSS (R2 = 0.677) and juice content (R2 = 0.512) were the two most decisive quality attributes at shelf life related to harvest maturity status. For ‘Ruby’, however, a combination of instrumental and sensory attributes appeared to be influential in discriminating mature fruit harvested at different times, with TSS:TA ratio being the most decisive (R2 = 0.654) in distinguishing different fruit harvests, followed by sweet taste (R2 = 0.474) and hue angle (R2 = 0.431). The results showed that to ensure the best post-storage quality of ‘Bhagwa’, the optimum harvest maturity was between 167 - 175 DAFB (H2 and H3) when fruit reached maximum TSS level (>16°Brix; H3) and juice content (>65 mL/100 g aril; H2). However, for ‘Ruby’, this study indicated that the optimum harvest date was at 143 DAFB (H2) when TSS:TA ratio was >55, which coincided with significantly higher sensory rating for sweet taste after shelf life of fruit at H2 than H1 and H3, respectively. The results from this thesis provide new understanding and better insights on fruit characteristics of major pomegranate cultivars grown in South Africa. Overall, the study provides new knowledge on science-based tools for assessing fruit readiness for harvest as well as storage conditions to maintain fruit postharvest quality and reduce losses. It also provides scientific information on phytochemical contents and antioxidant compounds in fruit to promote value-adding of pomegranate as a good raw material with potential applications in health food products and other industrial applications such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING; Die ontwikkeling en toepassing van wetenskapgegronde instrumente vir die bepaling van optimale vrugrypheid en naoes-hanteringsprotokolle om gedurende die naoes-hantering en -bemarking van vrugte gehalte te behou en verliese te verminder, is noodsaaklik om die mededingendheid van die ontluikende granaatbedryf in Suid-Afrika te verseker. Tans is daar nie enige gehaltestandaarde vir die Suid-Afrikaanse granaatbedryf óf algemene eenstemmigheid oor die optimale oesrypheidsaanwysers vir vrugtekultivars nie. Hierdie inligting is belangrik om die naoes-lewering van uithalervrugte aan verbruikers te verseker, veral vir lang verskaffingskettings. Die oorkoepelende doelwitte van hierdie studie was (a) om wetenskapgegronde bestuursinstrumente te ontwikkel vir die vasstelling van optimale rypheidsaanwysers en bergingsprestasie van granaatkultivars wat in Suid-Afrika verbou word, en (b) om die fisiko-chemiese eienskappe en farmakologiese kenmerke van gekose kultivars te tipeer. In deel II is seisoenale studies oor granaatgroei en die ontwikkeling van rypheidsaanwysers gedurende groei onderneem. Namate vrugte ryp geword het, is beduidende toenames in totale oplosbare vaste stowwe (TSS), suikers (glukose en fruktose) en antosianien-samestelling opgemerk, sowel as ’n beduidende afname in titreerbare suur (TA), organiese suur en totale fenol (TP). Vrugte in gevorderde stadia van rypheid is gekenmerk deur intense pigmentasie van die skil en aril, wat met maksimum opbou van antosianien verband gehou het. Van ál die belangrike rypheidsaanwysers wat ondersoek is, het TSS, BrimA en antosianien onbeduidende (p<0.05) seisoenale veranderlikheid getoon, en is sterk verbande tussen die aanwysers opgemerk. Gesamentlik sou die aanwysers kon rekenskap gee van sapsuikerinhoud, -suurgehalte én -kleur, en sou dit dus as betroubare rypheidsmerkers kon dien om optimale rypheid vir albei granaatkultivars te bepaal. Die studies in deel III het gekonsentreer op die tipering van die naoes-kenmerke, onder meer die voedings-, medisinale en antioksidant-kenmerke van vrugtedele. Kenmerke van agt kommersiële kultivars is deur middel van groepsontleding bestudeer, waarvolgens die kultivars op grond van belangrike kenmerke (grootte, tekstuur, kleur, oplosbare vaste stowwe, suurgehalte, sappigheid en fenol) in twee groepe (groep 1 = ‘Ruby’, ‘Arakta’ en ‘Ganesh’; groep 2 = ‘Bhagwa’, ‘Acco’ en ‘Herskawitz’) en twee niegegroepeerde kultivars (‘Molla de Elche’ en ‘Wonderful’) ingedeel is. Ten einde die toegevoegde waarde van granaatskille vir farmaseutiese en kosmetiese doeleindes te bevorder, is skilekstrakte ook bestudeer. Die resultate toon dat die vrugteskille van die bestudeerde kultivars oor sterk antibakteriese, antioksidant- en antitirosinase- eienskappe beskik. Daarom kan die skil van die granaatkultivars as moontlike bron van natuurlike antimikrobiese en antioksidant-agense sowel as ’n moontlike tirosinase-inhibitor ontgin word. Die navorsing in deel IV het ondersoek ingestel na die uitwerking van oesrypheid en bergingsomstandighede op die naoes-gehalte en -voedingswaarde van die kultivars ‘Bhagwa’ en ‘Ruby’. Vrugte wat op kommersiële rypheid geoes is, is vir 16 weke by 5±0.3 °C, 7±0.5 °C en 10±0.4 °C met 92±3% RH, sowel as by kamertemperatuur (20±2.2 °C, 65±5.5% RH) geberg. Die bergingsomstandighede het die fisiologiese reaksies en gehalte van die vrugte beïnvloed: Maksimum vlakke van respirasie het teen hoër temperature en met verlengde berging voorgekom. Die kleur en antioksidantvermoë van die vrugte het effens tussen bergingstemperature verskil, en totale oplosbare vaste stowwe en titreerbare suur het mettertyd geleidelik by verskillende temperature afgeneem. Gedagtig daaraan dat die vrugte wat teen 5 °C en 92% RH geberg is beduidend minder gewigsverlies, ’n lae voorkoms van fisiologiese afwykings en die beste resultate in blywende geurkenmerke (TSS en TA, TSS:TA-verhouding) getoon het, kan die bestudeerde kultivars vir 8 tot 12 weke teen 5 °C en >92% RH geberg word (navorsingstuk 8). In navorsingstuk 9 (deel IV) is daar ondersoek ingestel na die verhouding tussen instrument- en sintuiglike metings van granate in verskillende stadia van oesrypheid gedurende berging en raklewe. Geen verskil in sintuiglike kenmerke kon bespeur word by ryp ‘Bhagwa’- vrugte wat op verskillende tye geoes is nie. Tog was TSS (R2 = 0.677) en sapinhoud (R2 = 0.512) die twee bepalendste gehaltekenmerke wat betref oesrypheidstatus gedurende raklewe. By ‘Ruby’ kon ’n kombinasie van instrument- en sintuiglike kenmerke egter wél tussen stadia van oesrypheid onderskei, met die TSS:TA-verhouding die bepalendste (R2 = 0.654) in die onderskeid tussen verskillende vrugteoeste, gevolg deur ’n soet smaak (R2 = 0.474) en skakeringshoek (R2 = 0.431). Die resultate toon dat die beste nabergingsgehalte vir ‘Bhagwa’ verkry word by ’n optimale oesrypheid van 167–175 DAFB (H2 en H3), wanneer vrugte die maksimum TSS-vlak (>16°Brix; H3) en sapinhoud (>65 mL/100 g aril; H2) bereik het. Vir ‘Ruby’ dui hierdie studie op ’n optimale oesdatum van 143 DAFB (H2) met ’n TSS:TA-verhouding van >55, wat verband gehou het met ’n beduidend hoër telling vir soet smaak by H2 eerder as by H1 en H3 ná raklewe. Die resultate van hierdie tesis bied ’n beter begrip van, en insig in, die vrugtekenmerke van granaatkultivars wat in Suid-Afrika verbou word. Oor die algemeen bied die studie wetenskaplike inligting om moontlik die toegevoegde waarde van granate as ’n goeie bron van minerale elemente sowel as farmaseutiese, kosmetiese en antioksidant-verbindings te bevorder. Dit bied ook kennis oor die ontwikkeling van wetenskapgegronde instrumente vir die vasstelling van optimale vrugrypheid en naoes-hanteringsprotokolle om gedurende die naoes-hantering en -bemarking van granate vruggehalte te behou en verliese te verminder.

O mamão é um fruto climatérico, cujas transformações resultantes do amadurecimento ocorrem rapidamente após a colheita e são desencadeadas pela produção de etileno e aumento da respiração, sendo um fruto bastante perecível. O uso de tecnologias como o tratamento térmico e a refrigeração se torna necessário, pois elas eliminam ovos e/ou larvas de mosca-das-frutas e controlam o desenvolvimento de microrganismos, aumentando a vida de prateleria desse fruto. No entanto, podem causar alterações nos processos do amadurecimento e danos à integridade da membrana plasmática. Dessa forma, o projeto tem como objetivo estudar a fisiologia, bioquímica, qualidade e conservação pós-colheita de mamão após a aplicação do tratamento hidrotérmico quarentenário e do armazenamento refrigerado. Mamões \'Golden\' no estádio de maturação 1 foram divididos em dois lotes, sendo um submetido ao tratamento hidrotérmico quarentenário a 47 ºC ± 1 ºC por 20 minutos, seguida de imersão em água fria a 11 ºC ± 1 ºC por igual período e o outro lote utilizado como controle (sem tratamento hidrotérmico). Parte dos frutos foi armazenada a 22 ± 1 ºC e 85 ± 5% de UR durante 7 dias e parte a 11 ± 1 ºC e 85 ± 5% de UR durante 20 dias, seguido de armazenamento a 22 ± 1 ºC e 85 ± 5% de UR durante 3 dias. Os mamões foram avaliados com relação aos aspectos bioquímicos e fisiológicos e às características organolépticas. Observamos que a atividade respiratória, a produção de etileno, o teor de ácido ascórbico e a perda de massa fresca acumulada diminuíram nos frutos tratados termicamente, principalmente quando estes foram armazenados sob refrigeração. A análise sensorial demonstrou que os frutos tratados termicamente foram preferidos em relação ao sabor e à textura e a diminuição da quantidade de linalool presente nos mamões submetidos ao armazenamento refrigerado indicou que o frio influenciou de forma negativa o aroma. As enzimas analisadas não possuíram um padrão de atividade durante os dias avaliados. Sendo assim, estudos futuros sobre a expressão dos genes relacionados ao amadurecimento de mamões são necessários para um melhor entendimento das respostas encontradas quando da aplicação do tratamento hidrotérmico quarentenário e do armazenamento refrigerado. / Papaya is a climacteric fruit whose transformations resulting from ripening occur rapidly after harvest and are triggered by the production of ethylene and increased respiration, being a very perishable fruit. The use of technologies such as heat treatment and cooling is necessary because they eliminate eggs and/or larvae of fruit fly and control the microorganisms\' growth, increasing the shelf life of this fruit. However, they can cause changes in the processes of maturation and damage in the plasma membrane integrity. Thus, the project aims to study the physiology, biochemistry, quality and papaya postharvest preservation after application of hydrothermal quarantine treatment and refrigerated storage. Golden papaya in maturity stage 1 were divided into two batches, one being subjected to hydrothermal quarantine treatment to 47 °C ± 1 °C for 20 minutes, followed by immersion in cold water to 11 °C ± 1 °C for the same period and the other lot used as a control (no hydrothermal treatment). Part of the fruits were stored at 22 ± 1 °C and 85 ± 5% RH for 7 days and some at 11 ± 1 °C and 85 ± 5% RH for 20 days, followed by storage at 22 ± 1 °C and 85 ± 5 % RH for 3 days. The papayas were evaluated with respect to biochemical and physiological aspects and organoleptic characteristics. We observed that the respiratory rate, ethylene production, the ascorbic acid content and the accumulated loss of fresh weight decreased in heat-treated fruit, especially when they are stored under refrigeration. Sensory analysis showed that the heat treated fruit were preferred in taste and texture and decrease the amount of linalool present in papayas subjected to cold storage showed that the cold negatively affected the scent. The enzymes analyzed did not possess a pattern of activity during the evaluation days. Thus, future studies on the expression of genes related to the ripening papayas are needed for a better understanding of the solutions when applying the hydrothermal quarantine treatments and refrigerated storage.

O mamão é um fruto climatérico, cujas transformações resultantes do amadurecimento ocorrem rapidamente após a colheita e são desencadeadas pela produção de etileno e aumento da respiração, sendo um fruto bastante perecível. O uso de tecnologias como o tratamento térmico e a refrigeração se torna necessário, pois elas eliminam ovos e/ou larvas de mosca-das-frutas e controlam o desenvolvimento de microrganismos, aumentando a vida de prateleria desse fruto. No entanto, podem causar alterações nos processos do amadurecimento e danos à integridade da membrana plasmática. Dessa forma, o projeto tem como objetivo estudar a fisiologia, bioquímica, qualidade e conservação pós-colheita de mamão após a aplicação do tratamento hidrotérmico quarentenário e do armazenamento refrigerado. Mamões \'Golden\' no estádio de maturação 1 foram divididos em dois lotes, sendo um submetido ao tratamento hidrotérmico quarentenário a 47 ºC ± 1 ºC por 20 minutos, seguida de imersão em água fria a 11 ºC ± 1 ºC por igual período e o outro lote utilizado como controle (sem tratamento hidrotérmico). Parte dos frutos foi armazenada a 22 ± 1 ºC e 85 ± 5% de UR durante 7 dias e parte a 11 ± 1 ºC e 85 ± 5% de UR durante 20 dias, seguido de armazenamento a 22 ± 1 ºC e 85 ± 5% de UR durante 3 dias. Os mamões foram avaliados com relação aos aspectos bioquímicos e fisiológicos e às características organolépticas. Observamos que a atividade respiratória, a produção de etileno, o teor de ácido ascórbico e a perda de massa fresca acumulada diminuíram nos frutos tratados termicamente, principalmente quando estes foram armazenados sob refrigeração. A análise sensorial demonstrou que os frutos tratados termicamente foram preferidos em relação ao sabor e à textura e a diminuição da quantidade de linalool presente nos mamões submetidos ao armazenamento refrigerado indicou que o frio influenciou de forma negativa o aroma. As enzimas analisadas não possuíram um padrão de atividade durante os dias avaliados. Sendo assim, estudos futuros sobre a expressão dos genes relacionados ao amadurecimento de mamões são necessários para um melhor entendimento das respostas encontradas quando da aplicação do tratamento hidrotérmico quarentenário e do armazenamento refrigerado. / Papaya is a climacteric fruit whose transformations resulting from ripening occur rapidly after harvest and are triggered by the production of ethylene and increased respiration, being a very perishable fruit. The use of technologies such as heat treatment and cooling is necessary because they eliminate eggs and/or larvae of fruit fly and control the microorganisms\' growth, increasing the shelf life of this fruit. However, they can cause changes in the processes of maturation and damage in the plasma membrane integrity. Thus, the project aims to study the physiology, biochemistry, quality and papaya postharvest preservation after application of hydrothermal quarantine treatment and refrigerated storage. Golden papaya in maturity stage 1 were divided into two batches, one being subjected to hydrothermal quarantine treatment to 47 °C ± 1 °C for 20 minutes, followed by immersion in cold water to 11 °C ± 1 °C for the same period and the other lot used as a control (no hydrothermal treatment). Part of the fruits were stored at 22 ± 1 °C and 85 ± 5% RH for 7 days and some at 11 ± 1 °C and 85 ± 5% RH for 20 days, followed by storage at 22 ± 1 °C and 85 ± 5 % RH for 3 days. The papayas were evaluated with respect to biochemical and physiological aspects and organoleptic characteristics. We observed that the respiratory rate, ethylene production, the ascorbic acid content and the accumulated loss of fresh weight decreased in heat-treated fruit, especially when they are stored under refrigeration. Sensory analysis showed that the heat treated fruit were preferred in taste and texture and decrease the amount of linalool present in papayas subjected to cold storage showed that the cold negatively affected the scent. The enzymes analyzed did not possess a pattern of activity during the evaluation days. Thus, future studies on the expression of genes related to the ripening papayas are needed for a better understanding of the solutions when applying the hydrothermal quarantine treatments and refrigerated storage.

[EN] The primary handling of food with robots calls for the development of new manipulation devices, especially when products are easily damaged and have a wide range of shapes and textures. These difficulties are even greater in the agricultural industry because the quality of the products is also checked during the manual handling process. This PhD dissertation provides solutions to these issues and helps to further introduce robotics into the handling of food. Several methods for handling food are included and analyzed, and specific solutions are proposed and then validated with prototypes. The research focuses on devices capable of adapting themselves to the shapes of the products without increasing the complexity of the mechanism. After analyzing several different solutions, the method chosen involves the use of under-actuated mechanisms, compliant mechanisms and fingers with pads filled with granular fluids. These fluids can behave as quasi-liquids or quasi-solids due to the jamming transition, which provides a soft initial grasp and can support high stresses during fast movements performed by the robot. The additive manufacturing process provides an opportunity to develop robot grippers that are lighter, simpler, more flexible and cheaper. By using this process elastic mechanisms are manufactured in a single part, which are equivalent to mechanisms with several rigid parts connected by joints. Laser sintering is employed to produce pneumatic actuators, with different types of motions, based on the elastic properties of the materials used in this manufacturing process. As a result, the systems can be simplified to achieve grippers, with several fingers, that are produced as a single part. In order to estimate the freshness and quality of agricultural products while they are being grasped, accelerometers are added to the fingers of several grippers. Accelerometers are economical and act as intrinsic tactile sensors. They can be easily embedded, thereby reducing the risk of getting damaged due to contact with the product, and allow each of the grasping phases to be identified. To achieve good performance of the accelerometers, a specific process is defined for the robot gripper, which touches the products a few times. In addition, several gripper prototypes are manufactured with diverse under-actuated mechanisms, jamming systems, and a new program that processes the signals from the accelerometers using different procedures in order to obtain parameters that can be used to estimate the quality of products. These parameters are correlated with data from destructive tests that are commonly used as a reference. The best performance of the accelerometers is achieved when the finger employs a granular fluid, a correlation coefficient of 0.937 being accomplished for the ripeness of mangoes and 0.872 for the firmness of eggplants. / [ES] La manipulación primaria de alimentos con robots precisa del desarrollo de nuevos sistemas de manipulación especialmente cuando los productos son sensibles al daño y presentan una amplia variabilidad de formas y texturas. En el sector agroalimentario las dificultades son aún mayores ya que la manipulación manual sirve además para inspeccionar los productos durante el proceso. Está tesis aporta soluciones a estos problemas facilitando la incorporación de la robótica. En la tesis se recopilan y analizan diversas soluciones para poder manipular alimentos proponiendo soluciones concretas que luego son validadas con prototipos. La investigación se centra en aquellos sistemas que son capaces de auto adaptarse a las formas de los productos sin incrementar la complejidad del mecanismo. Tras analizar diversas técnicas se propone el uso de mecanismos infra-actuados, mecanismos flexibles y dedos con fluidos granulares que, al estar encerrados dentro de una membrana, se comportan como cuasi-líquidos o cuasi-sólidos gracias a la transición jamming, permitiendo un agarre inicial suave y la posibilidad de transmitir esfuerzos elevados durante los movimientos del robot. En la búsqueda de garras más ligeras, sencillas, flexibles y económicas se aprovecha la oportunidad que brinda la tecnología de fabricación aditiva de material. Gracias a este proceso se fabrican mecanismos flexibles realizados en una única pieza y que equivalen a mecanismos de garras realizados con varias piezas rígidas unidos por articulaciones. Mediante el sinterizado por láser, se fabrican actuadores neumáticos, con diversos tipos de movimiento, basados en la flexibilidad del material empleado en su fabricación. En conjunto se simplifican los sistemas llegando a realizar garras flexibles de varios dedos fabricadas en una única pieza. Para evaluar la calidad y frescura de los productos agroalimentarios durante el agarre se emplean acelerómetros localizados en los dedos de varias garras. Los acelerómetros son económicos y se comportan como sensores táctiles intrínsecos, están fuera del contacto directo con el producto evitando desgastes por contacto y permiten identificar las distintas fases de agarre. Para lograr esto se desarrolla un proceso específico del robot con la garra, que palpa varias veces el producto. Se fabrican diversos tipos de garra con distintas tecnologías de mecanismos infra-actuados y sistemas jamming y se programa un algoritmo original de procesado de señal que con diversas técnicas es capaz de extraer parámetros de los acelerómetros que sirven para evaluar la calidad de los productos. Estos parámetros son correlacionados con los datos de ensayos destructivos que son habitualmente empleados como referencia. Las mejores capacidades se consiguen empleando garras con jamming lográndose coeficientes de correlación de 0.937 en índices de madurez con mangos y 0.872 en firmeza de berenjenas. / [CA] La manipulació primària d'aliments amb robots precisa del desenvolupament de nous sistemes de manipulació especialment quan els productes són sensibles al dany i presenten una àmplia variabilitat de formes i textures. En el sector agroalimentari les dificultats són encara més grans ja que la manipulació manual serveix a més per a inspeccionar els productes durant el procés. Aquesta tesi aporta solucions a aquests problemes facilitant la incorporació de la robòtica. En la tesi es recopilen i analitzen diverses solucions per a poder manipular aliments proposant solucions concretes que després són validades amb prototips. La investigació es centra en aquells sistemes que són capaços d'auto adaptar-se a la forma dels productes sense incrementar la complexitat del mecanisme. Després d'analitzar diverses tècniques es proposa l'ús de mecanismes infra-actuats, mecanismes flexibles i dits amb fluids granulars que, tancats dins d'una membrana, es comporten com quasi-líquids o quasi-sòlids gràcies a la transició jamming, permetent una prensió inicial suau i la possibilitat de transmetre esforços elevats durant els moviments del robot. En la recerca d'urpes més lleugeres, senzilles, flexibles i econòmiques s'aprofita l'oportunitat que brinda la tecnologia de fabricació additiva de material. Gràcies a aquest procés es fabriquen mecanismes flexibles realitzats en una única peça i que equivalen a mecanismes d'urpes realitzats amb diverses peces rígides unides per articulacions. Mitjançant el sinteritzat per làser, es fabriquen actuadors pneumàtics, amb diversos tipus de moviment, basats en la flexibilitat del material emprat en la seva fabricació. En conjunt es simplifiquen els sistemes arribant a realitzar urpes flexibles de diversos dits fabricades en una única peça. Per a avaluar la qualitat i frescor dels productes agroalimentaris durant la manipulació s'empren acceleròmetres localitzats en els dits de diverses urpes. Els acceleròmetres són econòmics i es comporten com a sensors tàctils intrínsecs, sense estar en contacte directe amb el producte evitant desgastos per aquest motiu, i permeten identificar les diferents fases d'prensió. Per aconseguir això es desenvolupa un procés específic del robot amb l'urpa, que palpa diverses vegades el producte. Es fabriquen diversos tipus d'urpa amb diferents tecnologies de mecanismes infra-actuats i sistemes jamming i es programa un algoritme original de processat de senyal que, amb diverses tècniques, és capaç d'extreure paràmetres dels acceleròmetres que serveixen per a avaluar la qualitat dels productes. Aquests paràmetres són correlacionats amb les dades d'assajos destructius que són habitualment emprats com a referència. Les millors capacitats s'aconsegueixen emprant urpes amb jamming assolint-se coeficients de correlació de 0,937 en índexs de maduresa amb mangos i 0,872 en fermesa d'albergínies. / Blanes Campos, C. (2016). Garras con sensores táctiles intrínsecos para manipular alimentos con robots [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/68481