Abstract: A robotic self-feeding device uses a multiplicity of dishes, utensils and control methods to handle a wide variety of food, including sandwiches. Its operating sequence has a hover mode in which a utensil is automatically steered over a food holder and is constrained from moving away from the food holder. The user points to the desired food with the utensil and triggers pickup which is automatically accomplished. Its gripper can operate tong utensils to grasp food. It can cut food. The process of eating is thus easy and intuitive for people who may have a wide variety of severe paralysis disabilities.

Abstract: A robotic self-feeding device uses a multiplicity of dishes, utensils and control methods to handle a wide variety of food, including sandwiches. Its operating sequence has a hover mode in which a utensil is automatically steered over a food holder and is constrained from moving away from the food holder. The user points to the desired food with the utensil and triggers pickup which is automatically accomplished. Its gripper can operate tong utensils to grasp food. It can cut food. The process of eating is thus easy and intuitive for people who may have a wide variety of severe paralysis disabilities.

Abstract: A system for locating and retrieving objects of a variety of sizes, shapes, weights, positions and orientations is disclosed. The system comprises a robot arm, a control computer, a gripper, an operating sequence, a set of objects and a set of machine-readable or bar code labels mounted on said objects, and a scanner. The system locates a requested object, calculates its position and moves the gripper into position for pickup. Alternate embodiments include mounting on a wheelchair and use in medical, dental, library and stockpicking environments.