  This paper presents a serial chain hinge support, a rigid but flexible
structure that improves the mechanical performance and robustness of
soft-fingered grippers. Gravity can reduce the integrity of soft fingers in
horizontal approach, resulting in lower maximum payload caused by a large
deflection of fingers. To substantiate our claim we performed several
experiments on payload and deflection of the SofIA gripper under both
horizontal and vertical approach. In addition, we show that this reinforcement
does not impede the original compliant behavior of the gripper, maintaining the
original kinematic model functionality. We showcase the proprioceptive and
exteroceptive capabilities (RGB-D camera and flex sensor) for two opposing
manipulation problems: grasping small and large objects. Finally, we validated
the improved SofIA gripper in agricultural and everyday activities.
