Abstract: This disclosure relates to a finger assembly for a manipulating apparatus. The finger includes a rigid body having a surface configured to engage an object. The surface has a first coefficient of friction, apertures, and an inflatable element received within the rigid body, having a coefficient of friction which is greater than the first coefficient of friction. When the inflatable element is inflated, regions of the inflatable element form one or more protrusions by protruding through the one or more apertures.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a finger assembly for a manipulating apparatus including a rigid body and a deformable membrane received within an aperture. The deformable membrane includes a gripping surface arranged to grip an object being manipulated and visual markers. The finger assembly includes a reflective surface received within the rigid body opposite the deformable membrane to reflect an image of the visual markers, and an optical sensor arranged to view the visual markers and the reflected image of the visual markers, providing a stereoscopic view of the visual markers.

Abstract: An actuation apparatus may be configured to apply forces to a user's skin using flexible-membrane actuators. Such an apparatus may include (i) an array of actuator chambers that include a flexible material layer enclosing a changeable volume of fluid, (ii) a contact surface that is coupled to each actuator chamber, and (iii) a support framework that is coupled to the actuator chambers such that the array of actuator chambers is disposed between the support framework and the contact surface, and such that distortion of actuator chambers caused by changing the volume of fluid within the actuator chambers causes the array of actuator chambers to exert forces on the contact surface and cause movement of the contact surface.