Soft Gripper Solution for Plush Toy Handling: Adaptive Gripping for Multiple Sizes

In toy manufacturing and packaging automation, handling plush toys has always been a challenging application.Unlike rigid products such as plastic parts or metal components, plush toys are soft, deformable, and have unstable shapes. Even products with the same design may vary due to differences in filling material, posture, and surface texture. Traditional rigid grippers can easily compress or damage the product, while vacuum suction cups often struggle with unstable suction on porous and fluffy surfaces.To solve these challenges, we developed an automated handling solution based on a Soft Gripper for plush toy picking and transfer.

Testing Multiple Plush Toy Sizes with One Flexible Gripping Solution

For this application, three different sizes of plush toys were selected for testing.Since different toy sizes have variations in weight, shape, and filling density, the main challenge was not simply increasing gripping force, but achieving adaptive contact and stable handling across different products.Through structural optimization and finger configuration adjustment, the soft gripper was able to handle multiple plush toy specifications without requiring a separate fixture for each size.

Two Finger Designs with Four-Finger Configuration for Stable Handling

Based on the characteristics of soft and easily deformable plush toys, we designed a solution using two different types of soft fingers, with a total of four fingers working together for gripping.Compared with traditional mechanical grippers that rely on fixed contact points, the soft gripper provides adaptive and enveloping contact around the product. The gripping force is evenly distributed, reducing localized pressure and preventing deformation.The four-finger configuration also improves gripping stability. Even when the plush toy position changes slightly, the gripper can maintain reliable handling during automated transfer.

How Does a Soft Gripper Solve Plush Toy Automation Challenges?

Adaptive Gripping for Irregular Shapes

Plush toys usually lack defined gripping surfaces. Traditional grippers require precise positioning, while soft grippers can naturally adapt to different curves and contours, improving tolerance during automated operations.

Gentle Handling Without Product Damage

The flexible fingers provide soft contact with the toy surface, minimizing pressure marks and deformation. This makes them suitable for applications where appearance quality is important, such as toy packaging, sorting, and material handling.

One Solution for Multiple Product Sizes

With a modular finger design, the same soft gripper system can handle different plush toy sizes, reducing the need for frequent fixture changes and improving production flexibility.

Application Scenarios

This soft gripping solution can be applied to:

• Plush toy automated packaging
• Toy production line handling
• Flexible product sorting
• Robotic pick and place applications
• Automated loading and unloading

For products with irregular shapes, soft surfaces, and high deformation risks, Soft Robotic Grippers provide a more flexible approach to industrial automation.By combining adaptive gripping technology with modular design, robots can achieve not only reliable picking but also safer and more human-like handling performance.