Abstract: Multi-chamber suction cups, robotic gripper elements including the same and sensing methods are provided. A multi-chamber suction cup includes a single bellows suction cup structure, and at least one internal wall defining at least two internal chambers within the single bellows suction cup structure, each of the at least two internal chambers sharing a common port for connecting to a common vacuum source, and each of the at least two internal chambers including a port for connecting to separate pressure transducers. Using the novel suction cups, novel haptic exploration methods may be implemented that can estimate the surface texture of an object and the surface normal of a curved object using sliding and palpation motion, respectively. The suction cup can also be used to localize breaks in the suction seal when the suction cup is about to detach from an object.

Abstract: The digital amplification methods and kits provide the ability to estimate the fetal fraction of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in a maternal sample, e.g., plasma or serum, by analysis of target sites that are differentially methylated in fetal and maternal cfDNA.