Daniel Cardin-Catalan

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Daniel Cardin-Catalan is a leading researcher in soft robotics and agricultural automation, whose work bridges the gap between rigid and compliant manipulation. His key contributions lie in developing non-destructive robotic systems for food quality assessment and variable-stiffness grippers that combine the strength of traditional rigid grippers with the adaptability of soft ones. His most cited work, "Non-Destructive Robotic Assessment of Mango Ripeness via Multi-Point Soft Haptics" (40 citations), introduces a fully automatic, non-destructive method for evaluating mango ripeness, offering a sustainable alternative to the destructive penetrometer test and reducing food waste. Complementing this, his paper on the "Design and analysis of a variable-stiffness robotic gripper" (29 citations) presents the RobInLab VS gripper, which uses jamming-based modular fingers to achieve both high strength and gentle grasping. Cardin-Catalan’s research has significant implications for the fresh produce industry and robotic manipulation, demonstrating how soft haptics and variable stiffness can revolutionize automation. His work is widely cited for its practical impact on reducing waste and improving efficiency in agricultural robotics.