Abstract: A hand-held device is provided for precisely positioning a needle tip at a desired target position into a non-homogeneous material, including a blood vessel. The hand-held device includes a casing hand-held by an operator, a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis and carrying the needle, the shaft mounted in the casing and coupled to the casing to move as a single piece therewith along the longitudinal axis. The hand-held device further includes a sensor unit to provide signals indicative of a physical characteristic of the material wherein the needle tip has to be inserted, and a control unit configured to determine, based on the signals received from the sensor unit, whether the needle tip has reached the target position and to operate a decoupling unit to decouple the shaft and the needle from the casing or to operate an actuating unit to actively move the shaft relative to the casing.

Abstract: A hand-held device is provided for precisely positioning a needle tip at a desired target position into a non-homogeneous material, including a blood vessel. The hand-held device includes a casing hand-held by an operator, a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis and carrying the needle, the shaft mounted in the casing and coupled to the casing to move as a single piece therewith along the longitudinal axis. The hand-held device further includes a sensor unit to provide signals indicative of a physical characteristic of the material wherein the needle tip has to be inserted, and a control unit configured to determine, based on the signals received from the sensor unit, whether the needle tip has reached the target position and to operate a decoupling unit to decouple the shaft and the needle from the casing or to operate an actuating unit to actively move the shaft relative to the casing.

Abstract: A humanoid robot foot (10) comprises: a foot base (12), at least one leaf spring (14) acting as a flexible toe of the foot, said at least one leaf spring (14) having a rear portion (14a) rigidly connected to a flat surface (12b) of the foot base (12), a front portion (14b) projecting from the foot base (12) and an intermediate portion (14c) which is not rigidly connected to the foot base (12) and is therefore freely deflectable, along with the front portion (14b), as a result of the application of an external force on the front portion (14b), and a stiffness adjustment device (26) for actively changing the stiffness (K) of said at least one leaf spring (14).

Abstract: A humanoid robot foot (10) comprises: a foot base (12), at least one leaf spring (14) acting as flexible toe of the foot, said at least one leaf spring (14) having a rear portion (14a) rigidly connected to a flat surface (12b) of the foot base (12), a front portion (14b) projecting from the foot base (12) and an intermediate portion (14c) which is not rigidly connected to the foot base (12) and is therefore freely deflectable, along with the front portion (14b), as a result of the application of an external force on the front portion (14b), and a stiffness adjustment device (26) for actively changing the stiffness (K) of said at least one leaf spring (14).

Abstract: A Bernoulli Effect pick-up device (1) for the handling of products (20) comprises a surface (4) adapted such that gaseous fluid flow across said surface (4) provides a pick-up force to be generated, by the Bernoulli Effect, in a direction towards said surface (4), and a conduit (2) for the supply of the gaseous fluid. The conduit (2) has an outlet opening (5) at the surface (4) and is adapted to supply gaseous fluid in a direction opposed to the pick-up direction. The outlet (5) of the conduit (2) is associated with a deflector (9) for directing gaseous fluid across the surface (4) and preventing direct impingement of the fluid on a product (2) that has been picked-up by the device (1). The product (20) may for example be a slice of a foodstuff, e.g. tomato or hard-boiled egg.

Abstract: A Bernoulli Effect pick-up device (1) for the handling of products (20) comprises a surface (4) adapted such that gaseous fluid flow across said surface (4) provides a pick-up force to be generated, by the Bernoulli Effect, in a direction towards said surface (4), and a conduit (2) for the supply of the gaseous fluid. The conduit (2) has an outlet opening (5) at the surface (4) and is adapted to supply gaseous fluid in a direction opposed to the pick-up direction. The outlet (5) of the conduit (2) is associated with a deflector (9) for directing gaseous fluid across the surface (4) and preventing direct impingement of the fluid on a product (2) that has been picked-up by the device (1). The product (20) may for example be a slice of a foodstuff, e.g. tomato or hard-boiled egg.