The invention refers to the area of control of a limb device in the form of an artificial limb for a human or a robot limb. In particular, the invention is related to a control unit for electrically controlling an electrically controllable limb device, the limb device comprising a plurality of actuators, the control unit comprising a first interface for connecting the control unit to the limb device, the control unit comprising a second interface for connecting the control unit to a data gathering device comprising one or more sensing devices, the control unit comprising a processing unit which is arranged for controlling the limb device at least based on data gathered by the data gathering device, wherein the control unit is arranged for outputting one single control action step to the actuators of the limb device calculated by the processing unit based on a first data or data combination received from the data gathering device, and the control unit is arranged for outputting a plurality of control action steps to the actuators of the limb device calculated by the processing unit based on a second data or data combination received from the data gathering device, the second data or data combination being different from the first data or data combination, the plurality of control action steps inducing a more complex automatic movement of the limb device that the one single control action step. The invention further refers to a system comprising such a control unit, a method for controlling an electrically controllable limb device and a computer program.

A device for positioning a processing tool: a processing tool for processing the to-be-processed workpiece's surface while pressing the surface to be processed; a movement mechanism able to displace processing tool's distal end in a first direction orthogonal to the surface to be processed and/or a second direction parallel with the surface to be processed; a force sensor able to detect a force in the first and second direction applied to the processing tool's distal end pressed onto the surface to be processed; and a control device for executing a correction step for controlling the movement mechanism so the surface to be processed is pressed while the distal end's position of the processing tool is aligned with a processing reference position on the surface to be processed, and correcting the processing tool's position so that the force in the second direction is within a specific value or less.

An attachment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a hand portion and a control unit. The hand portion includes a restriction portion that restricts a movement of a flat cable in a width direction and a holding portion that holds at least one of both surfaces of the flat cable. The control unit causes the flat cable to be held by a first holding force while restricting the movement in the width direction at a first position on the flat cable, causes the hand portion to move to a second position on the flat cable while maintaining the first holding force, and causes the flat cable to be held at the second position by a second holding force to attach the flat cable.

This disclosure concerns ascertaining a force applied to a finger element of a gripper assembly of a robotic manipulator during the manipulation of an object. In one aspect, it discloses a gripper assembly including a finger element, an actuator, a linkage assembly including a plurality of arms connecting the finger element to the actuator, and a sensor assembly configured to output signals indicative of force components applied to the plurality of arms as a result of a force being applied to the finger element.

Disclosed is a tactile sensing and integrated vision system that surmounts problems of existing systems. The tactile sensing skin can be formed into any shape, size, or form factor, including large areas. Computer-implemented algorithms can detect position-orientation and force-torque at landmark points for a given object set. The result is a modular sensing system that is highly scalable in terms of price, quantity, size and applications. Such skin technology and associated software can comprise a sensing package that integrates tactile and visual data with accompanying software for state estimation, situational awareness, and automatic control of machinery. The addition of tactile data can serve to constrain and/or augment visual pose estimation methods as well as provide pose estimation to visually occluded objects.

Disclosed is a tactile sensing and integrated vision system that surmounts problems of existing systems. The tactile sensing skin can he formed into any shape, size, or form factor, including large areas. Computer-implemented algorithms can detect position-orientation and force-torque at landmark points for a given object set. The result is a modular sensing system that is highly scalable in terms of price, quantity, size and applications. Such skin technology and associated software can comprise a sensing package that integrates tactile and visual data with accompanying software for state estimation, situational awareness, and automatic control of machinery. The addition of tactile data can serve to constrain and/or augment visual pose estimation methods as well as provide pose estimation to visually occluded objects.

The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control method, and a program capable of supporting an object with a more appropriate supporting force. The control device includes a supporting force control unit that controls a supporting force for supporting an object on the basis of information regarding a shape of a contact portion in contact with the object and information regarding a shear force of the contact portion. The information regarding the shear force includes, for example, information regarding a shear displacement of the contact portion. The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a control device, a control method, an electronic device, a robot, a support system, a gripping system, a program, and the like.

An apparatus for handling microelectronic devices comprises a pick arm having a pick surface configured for receiving a microelectronic device thereon, drives for moving the pick arm and reorienting the pick surface in the X, Y and Z planes and about a horizontal rotational axis and a vertical rotational axis, and a sensor device carried by the pick arm and configured to detect at least one of at least one magnitude of force and at least one location of force applied between the pick surface and a structure contacted by the pick surface or a structure and a microelectronic device carried on the pick surface.

Disclosed is a tactile sensing and integrated vision system that surmounts problems of existing systems. The tactile sensing skin can be formed into any shape, size, or form factor, including large areas. Computer-implemented algorithms can detect position-orientation and force-torque at landmark points for a given object set. The result is a modular sensing system that is highly scalable in terms of price, quantity, size and applications. Such skin technology and associated software can comprise a sensing package that integrates tactile and visual data with accompanying software for state estimation, situational awareness, and automatic control of machinery. The addition of tactile data can serve to constrain and/or augment visual pose estimation methods as well as provide pose estimation to visually occluded objects.