Abstract: A prehension unit suitable for use as a finger in a manipulator hand has a supporting body, a contact element carried by the supporting body through a resilient material and defining with the body a closed space. Optical sensors cooperate with a locally light reflecting surface of the contact element. Each sensor comprises an optical fiber for transmitting light from a remote transducer to an end portion terminating in the supporting body in front of the contact element surface and an optical fiber for collecting the light reflected by the surface and conveying it to a remote light sensitive transducer. The movements of the locally reflecting surface, due to axial, radial and/or angular movements of the contact element which results in a change of the amount of reflected light collected by the second fiber may be detected. The manipulator apparatus may be provided with motors for restoring the unit to a position for which no force is exerted by an object to be seized on the contact element.

Abstract: A connecting module for single-strand optical conductors and a connector provided with such modules. Each connector comprises two carriers each of which has in an identical fashion a planar face in which one or more small longitudinal V-shaped grooves are provided to receive the single-strand optical conductors. The ends of the optical conductors are disposed in the plane of the facing ends of the two carriers. The module further comprises two cylindrical alignment members, each of which is received in a large V-shaped groove provided in an identical manner in the planar face of each carrier. One of the alignment members is also received in a V-shaped groove provided in the planar face of a stirrup member, and the other alignment member is simply applied against the face of the stirrup member. Elastic means is provided which biases each carrier towards the stirrup member.