Abstract: A system for interchangeably mounting tools on a robotic arm includes a clamping assembly having a core attached to and extending longitudinally from the arm, and two opposed clamping members mounted for transverse sliding on the core. A tool support member is held in the clamping assembly, when it is closed, by guide pins extended transversely from the clamping members engaged with legs of the tool support member. The support member and clamping members have conduit portions that form continuous fluid conduits and electrical paths when the support member is secured in the clamping assembly. A collet housing is supported relative to the tool support member by a linear extension device, a compliant wrist, and an overload protect wrist, which together allow limited longitudinal, transverse and angular displacement of the collet housing relative to the arm.

Abstract: A multi-layered tactile sensing skin is provided for a robotic arm or the like. The skin includes adjacent layers of electrically insulative film having opposed contiguous surfaces. An electrically conductive carbon based compound is applied uniformly to one of the surfaces, while the other surface is selectively coated with silver oxide to form a series of pairs of first and second electrically conductive regions separated from one another by a dielectric gap. The carbon based conductor bridges the gap betwen the conductive regions in each pair, permitting flow of electrical current between the regions. The current flow increases with an increase in pressure over the interface between the layers of film, and the amperage increase can be utilized to trigger a signal to the robot power supply, to decelerate, stop or reverse arm movement.