*5.3. Manipulator Characteristic Evaluation*

In this paper, a symmetrical clamping and cutting style broccoli picking manipulator is designed based on the underactuated principle, which has the following characteristics.

(1) The manipulator has a simple and compact structure and simple control system, and stable configuration when picking broccoli.

(2) In the laboratory environment, the success rate of picking broccoli with the sixdegree-of-freedom robot arm equipped with the manipulator was 84%, and the nondestructive rate was 100%.

(3) In the closed state, the maximum strength of the manipulator is 28 cm, the widest part is 21 cm, and the overall mass is 3.86 kg. Therefore, the size of the manipulator can be further reduced in the future to make the structure more flexible and lightweight processing. Thus applicable to other cruciferous ball-type vegetables.
