Abstract: A robot gripper for moving wafer carriers and packing materials and a method of operating the same are provided. The robot gripper includes two opposing clamp assemblies. The two clamp assemblies are configured to move close to or away from each other. Each of the clamp assemblies includes a movable support pin at a bottom of the clamp assembly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lifting device for lifting and vertically, and possibly horizontally, replacing an object. The lifting device comprises a first unit (1) configured with one or more catching parts such as suction pads and a second unit (2) configured to control vertical and optionally horizontal position of the object. The second unit (2) comprises a first attachment position and a second attachment position and the first attachment position is fixed to a vertically extending part (3) of the first unit (1); the second attachment position is fixed to a sliding member (10) of the first unit (1) by a rigid joint configured to transfer all movements induced at the second attachment position by the second unit (2) to a sliding member (10) of the first unit configured to slide between two positions along a longitudinal member (11) of the first unit.

Abstract: An eating aid has a contact area for placing against a food item and a finger receiver facing away from the contact area for attachment to a finger. Herein, it is provided that at least one spike protrudes from the contact area serving to be inserted into the food item.

Abstract: A finger for a robotic gripper may include a flexible backbone, a plurality of jamming layers, and a membrane bag. The backbone may have a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side. The backbone may include a flexible beam, and a plurality of branches attached to the flexible beam and spaced apart from one another. Each branch may include a first end surface extending along the first side, and a second end surface extending along the second side. The first end surfaces may collectively extend along a majority of the first side, and the second end surfaces may collectively extend along a majority of the second side. The jamming layers may be positioned along the third side or the fourth side. The membrane bag may be positioned over the jamming layers.

Abstract: A suction assembly includes a main body, a sealing ring, an air duct, and a suction head. The main body includes a columnar wall, a top cover arranged at one end of the columnar wall and defining a first through hole, and a bottom cover arranged at another end of the columnar wall and defining a second through hole. The first through hole communicates with a negative pressure generating device. The sealing ring is sealed in the main body and movably arranged between the top cover and the bottom cover. The air duct includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end passes through the second through hole and is fixed in the sealing ring. The suction head is coupled to the second end.

Abstract: Systems and methods for estimating deformation and field of contact forces are described. A method includes generating a reference configuration including reference points in space. The reference configuration corresponds to an initial shape of a membrane prior to contact with the manipuland. The method further includes receiving raw data from a TOF device. The raw data includes points in space measured by the TOF device and indicating deformation of the membrane due to contact with the manipuland. The method further includes determining deformation of the membrane that best approximates a current configuration in a least squares sense while satisfying a discrete physical model enforced as a linear constraint that corresponds to a linearized physical model of the deformation that is discretized with an FEM, linearizing the relationship, and estimating deformation and field of contact forces by solving a least squares formulation with physical constraints cast as a sparse quadratic program.

Abstract: An end effector for laying down fibers on a laying mold, the end effector having at least one bobbin arrangement of a system type, the system type being defined by virtue of the fact that the bobbin arrangement has a first bobbin for providing a first fiber strand and a second bobbin for providing a second fiber strand, the rotational axes of the first and the second bobbin being arranged at an angle with respect to one another, the first fiber strand and the second fiber strand being merged over a deflection unit and being guided from a corner region of the end effector jointly into a center region of the end effector and further to a pressure roller.

Abstract: An end effector is disclosed for an articulated arm. The end effector includes a valve assembly including a plurality of supply channels, each supply channel including a supply conduit, a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the supply conduit, and a supply conduit plug. The supply conduit is in fluid communication with a vacuum source. During use, each supply conduit is either at vacuum such that the pressure within the supply conduit is substantially at a vacuum pressure, or is at a pressure that is substantially higher than vacuum pressure because the supply conduit plug has moved to block a portion of the supply conduit. The pressure sensor of each supply conduit provides a pressure sensor signal responsive to whether the pressure in the conduit is either substantially at vacuum or is at a pressure that is substantially higher than vacuum.

Abstract: A gripper arm for a gripping device for gripping, holding and guiding in particular bottle-like containers which includes a base body and a gripping section arranged on the base body, wherein the gripping section is pivotably mounted about a pivot axis in and against a direction of pivoting. At least one limiting means for limiting a pivoting range of the gripping section and at least one resetting means is provided for returning the pivoted gripping section into a vertical position. Further provided are a gripping device as well as a transport device.

Abstract: A grabbing device, comprising a connection base, a gas pipeline provided in the connection base, a grabbing member having a hollow cavity and connected to the connection base, a filter layer provided between the hollow cavity and the gas pipeline, and particles filled in the hollow cavity. The gas pipeline is in communication with the hollow cavity by the filter layer for preventing the particles from entering the gas pipeline. The grabbing member is made of a flexible material, permitting the grabbing member to bulge when being inflated, and being recessed according to a shape of a surface of the object after the grabbing member contacts the object. The particles maintain the flexible state when the grabbing member is inflated, and the particles are pressed to the rigid state when withdrawing gas to deflate the grabbing member into a recessed position. The grabbing device can maintain a grip on objects having an irregular shape.

Abstract: In embodiments, a holding device includes a suction pad, a first link, a second link, a base, and a tube member. The first link supports the suction pad so that the suction pad can rotate around a first rotation axis. The second link supports the first link so that the first link can rotate around a second rotation axis. The base supports the second link so that the second link can rotate around a third rotation axis. The tube member communicates the suction pad with the base and can be bent. The second rotation axis and the third rotation axis are not parallel to each other.

Abstract: Aspects described herein include an end effector having an interface system that includes a body member attached to a mounting plate, and a plurality of strength-varying features at a plurality of regions of the interface system. The plurality of strength-varying features encourage the body member to repeatably deform into a deformed configuration. The end effector further comprises a vacuum port in fluid communication with an inner recess of the body member, and a plurality of actuators that apply a force to the mounting plate to pivot a portion of the mounting plate and deform the body member into the deformed configuration.

Abstract: A bracket is provided having a base and an arm. The base can be connected to a rear window hinge support of a hardtop with the hinge bolts used to secure a rear window hinge. The base has slots that provide for an increased flexibility of bolt patterns or widths. The top of the slots are open with necks to allow for easy insertion and removal of the brackets without removal of the rear window and allows the brackets to be used with multiple models. The base has a central void. An arm having an eye upstands from the base. A relief is provided at the area where the arm is connected to the base. Two brackets (a left and a right bracket) are secured to a hardtop before use. A hoist or lift can connect to the eyes to facilitate removal and storage of the hardtop.

Abstract: A robotically-operated gripping device is provided and includes a frame assembly, a vacuum device, a clamping device, and a robotic arm. The vacuum device is connected to the frame assembly and configured to selectively attach to and position at least a portion of an object. The clamping device is connected to the frame assembly and provided for selectively clamping the object attached to the vacuum device. The robotic arm is connected to the frame assembly and provided for selectively positioning the vacuum device and the gripping device.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a sling including a sleeve, a first eye formed by a first splice, and a second eye formed by a second splice. The sleeve includes braided strands and has a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion between. The sleeve also defines a hollow inner volume. The first splice is made by the first end portion extending into and along part of the hollow inner volume proximate the first eye. The second splice is made by the second end portion extending into and along part of the hollow inner volume proximate the second eye. A hollow load bearing portion is defined in the intermediate portion between the first splice and the second splice.

Abstract: A gripping device includes a side supporting unit supporting or releasing a side of a workpiece, a plurality of pusher members pushing the workpiece downward, and a pusher member shifting unit shifting the pusher members in a direction toward or away from the workpiece. An engaging pin to be engaged with a through-hole created in the workpiece is disposed inside at least one of the pusher members.

Abstract: A tendon-driven robotic gripper is disclosed for performing fingertip and enveloping grasps. One embodiment comprises two fingers, each with two links, and is actuated using a single active tendon. During unobstructed closing, the distal links remain parallel, creating exact fingertip grasps. Conversely, if the proximal links are stopped by contact with an object, the distal links start flexing, creating a stable enveloping grasp. The route of the active tendon and the parameters of the springs providing passive extension forces are optimized in order to achieve this behavior. An additional passive tendon is disclosed that may be used as a constraint preventing the gripper from entering undesirable parts of the joint workspace. A method for optimizing the dimensions of the links in order to achieve enveloping grasps of a large range of objects is disclosed and applied to a set of common household objects.

Abstract: Provided is a military shovel, including a shovel head and a shovel handle; a rear end of the shovel head is provided with a connection seat; a front end of the shovel handle is provided with a connection head; the connection seat of the shovel head is hinged to the connection head by a hinge shaft; the military shovel further includes a locking mechanism for fixing the shovel head, the locking mechanism is disposed on the front end of the shovel handle; three locating holes are provided in a sidewall of the connection seat; a locating protrusion is disposed on a sidewall of the connection head; the sidewall of the connection seat where the three locating holes are located is opposite to the sidewall of the connection head where the locating protrusion is located.

Abstract: Safety is one of the most important factors in the robot interaction with unknown and dynamic environments. Recent studies have shown that the use of compliant components as a solution to the safety issue, especially in the physical human-robot interaction. To overcome performance degradation caused by including compliant elements into the systems, variable stiffness approaches have been introduced at the cost of an extra actuator. A variable stiffness gripper is presented. Embodiments of the disclosed gripper may have, for example, with two parallel fingers (jaws). Compliance of the system may be generated by using magnets as the nonlinear springs. Based on the presented design, the position and stiffness level of the fingers can be adjusted simultaneously by changing the air gap between the magnets.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to 3D-architected soft machines with topologically encoded actuation, and methods of making and using the 3D-architected soft machines.