Hydraulic cylinders and methods of fabricating hydraulic cylinders, including long-stroke rolling diaphragm cylinders with any stroke length. In some embodiments, the cylinders are manufactured to have a stroke length to bore diameter (“stroke-to-bore”) ratio optionally greater than 1:1. Various embodiments are suitable for use in a passive hydraulic body-powered wearable robot, for example.

Hydraulic cylinders and methods of fabricating hydraulic cylinders, including long-stroke rolling diaphragm cylinders with any stroke length. In some embodiments, the cylinders are manufactured to have a stroke length to bore diameter (stroke-to-bore) ratio optionally greater than 1:1. Various embodiments are suitable for use in a passive hydraulic body-powered wearable robot, for example.

One variation of a dynamic tactile interface includes: a substrate defining a fluid channel and a fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the fluid channel; a tactile layer comprising a peripheral region and a deformable region, the peripheral region coupled to the substrate, and the deformable region arranged over the fluid conduit, disconnected from the substrate, and operable between a retracted setting and an expanded setting, the deformable region elevated above the peripheral region in the expanded setting; a tube comprising a first end fluidly coupled to the fluid channel and constrained relative to the substrate; a volume of fluid within the tube; and a rotary actuator coupled to the tube remote from the first end and configured to transition the deformable region from the retracted setting to the expanded setting by winding the tube to displace a portion of the volume of fluid within the tube into the fluid channel.

Described is an ejector-type vacuum pump assembly that includes a stabilizing membrane flow valve, wherein a pilot flow of pressurized air is used to regulate a main flow of pressurized air for driving an ejector-type vacuum pump is disclosed. The pilot flow is led to a downstream side of the membrane flow valve and is fed to the ejector of the ejector-type vacuum pump along with the main flow of pressurised air. The ejector-type vacuum pump assembly is primarily intended for automated gripping operations using a suction gripper. Also disclosed is a method of controlling a vacuum level in a vacuum chamber of an ejector-type vacuum pump in an ejector-type vacuum pump assembly as described herein.