Abstract: A system and method to provide a suction device adapted to provide gripping and suction forces to pick up and move a wide variety of objects. This is accomplished through a primary grasping interface composed of a suction compartment, a membrane compartment, deformable membrane sealing said membrane compartment, and at least one pressure mechanism. At least one pressure mechanism is in fluid connection with the suction compartment and is configured to modify properties within the suction compartment to assist in providing gripping and attractive forces. The device will grasp an object with the primary grasping interface by positioning the deformable membrane adjacent to said object, modifying the deformable membrane to conform to and create a seal with said object, and then depressurizing the suction compartment via the pressure mechanism, providing a suction force onto said object within that sealed area sufficient to grasp said object.

Abstract: A system and method to augment a grasping device adapted to provide the capability of applying gripping and suction forces to an object through more than one grasping interface to facilitate picking up and moving a wide variety of objects.

Abstract: A gripper system and method or gripping an object using the gripper system for a robotic manipulator system are provided. The gripper system comprises: a chamber compartment comprising a deformable membrane wall, and at least one chamber compartment wall; a suction compartment delimited by a suction compartment wall; at least one pressure mechanism configured to modulate the pressure in the chamber compartment and a pressure in the suction compartment; at least one actuator for modulating a position of the at least one chamber compartment wall; at least one on-gripper sensor; at least one controller; and at least one image sensor configured to capture a geometry of an object to be picked. The method comprising the steps of using a captured geometry and a learning algorithm to determine a gripping configuration of the object to be picked.

Abstract: A system and method to provide a suction device adapted to provide gripping and suction forces to pick up and move a wide variety of objects. This is accomplished through a primary grasping interface composed of a suction compartment, a membrane compartment, deformable membrane sealing said membrane compartment, and at least one pressure mechanism. At least one pressure mechanism is in fluid connection with the suction compartment and is configured to modify properties within the suction compartment to assist in providing gripping and attractive forces. The device will grasp an object with the primary grasping interface by positioning the deformable membrane adjacent to said object, modifying the deformable membrane to conform to and create a seal with said object, and then depressurizing the suction compartment vis the pressure mechanism, providing a suction force onto said object within that sealed area sufficient to grasp said object.

Abstract: A system and method to provide a suction device adapted to provide gripping and suction forces to pick up and move a wide variety of objects. This is accomplished through a primary grasping interface composed of a suction compartment, a membrane compartment, deformable membrane sealing said membrane compartment, and at least one pressure mechanism. At least one pressure mechanism is in fluid connection with the suction compartment and is configured to modify properties within the suction compartment to assist in providing gripping and attractive forces. The device will grasp an object with the primary grasping interface by positioning the deformable membrane adjacent to said object, modifying the deformable membrane to conform to and create a seal with said object, and then depressurizing the suction compartment vis the pressure mechanism, providing a suction force onto said object within that sealed area sufficient to grasp said object.

Abstract: The present invention will provide a suction device adapted to provide gripping and suction forces to pick up and move a wide variety of objects. This is accomplished through a suction compartment, a membrane compartment, deformable membrane sealing said membrane compartment, and at least one pressure mechanism. The at least one pressure mechanism is in fluid connection with the suction compartment and is configured to modify properties within the suction compartment to assist in providing gripping and attractive forces. The present invention will grasp an object by positioning the deformable membrane adjacent to said object, modifying the deformable membrane to conform to and create a seal with said object, and then depressurizing the suction compartment via the pressure mechanism, providing a suction force onto said object within that sealed area sufficient to grasp said object.