An end effector system is disclosed for a robotic system that includes a primary acquisition system that includes a primary end effector, and a secondary retention system that substantially surrounds at least a portion of the primary acquisition system, wherein at least a portion of the primary acquisition system may be drawn up within at least a portion of the secondary retention system such that the primary end effector system may be used to select an object from a plurality of objects, and the secondary retention system may be used to secure the object for rapid transport to an output destination.

The present application discloses an apparatus for mounting an O-ring to a work piece, which includes a body including a plurality of connecting holes for connecting a pressure source to the body; an annular groove formed on the body and adapted to receive the O-ring; and a plurality of air channels formed in the body, the plurality of air channels being in fluid communication with the annular groove and the plurality of connecting holes to provide negative pressure with the pressure source in the annular groove to suck the O-ring in the annular groove, the annular groove is coaxial with a groove formed on a surface of the work piece during the mounting so that the O-ring is dropped into the groove when the pressure source is disconnected from the body or provides positive pressure to the plurality of air channels.

The present application discloses an apparatus for separating and feeding O-rings, which includes a rotatable body including a storage portion and a separating portion; and a helix groove formed on the rotatable body across the storage portion and the separating portion, wherein a width and a depth of the helix groove are adapted to a wire diameter of a O-ring, and pitch of the helix groove on the separating portion increases along a feeding direction from the storage portion to the separating portion, wherein in response to a rotation of the rotatable body, the helix groove conveys a plurality of O-rings hanged on the storage portion to the separating portion to thereby separate the plurality of O-rings away from each other.

Exemplary embodiments relate to improvements in robotic systems to reduce biological or chemical harborage points on the systems. For example, in exemplary embodiments, robotic actuators, hubs, or entire robotic systems may be configured to allow crevices along joints or near fasteners to be reduced or eliminated, hard corners to be replaced with rounded edges, certain components or harborage points to be eliminated, shapes to be reconfigured to be smoother or flat, and/or or surfaces to be reconfigurable for simpler cleaning.

An end effector system is disclosed for a robotic system that includes a primary acquisition system that includes a primary end effector, and a secondary retention system that substantially surrounds at least a portion of the primary acquisition system, wherein at least a portion of the primary acquisition system may be drawn up within at least a portion of the secondary retention system such that the primary end effector system may be used to select an object from a plurality of objects, and the secondary retention system may be used to secure the object for rapid transport to an output destination.

Exemplary embodiments relate to the use of servo-pneumatic control systems for actuation and de-actuation of soft robotic actuators. Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for using a servo-pneumatic control system in fluid communication with the soft robotic actuator and configured to maintain a closed loop in which at least one of pressure, mass of fluid, or volume of fluid is controlled within the soft robotic actuator. The embodiments may be used to prevent deformation of grasped objects; detect grasping, collision, and releasing objects; and other operations with a rapid servo-pneumatic response.

A method of manufacturing a robotic manipulator including determining desired manipulator properties including a manipulator shape and manipulator jamming properties; using the manipulator jamming properties and a packing computational model to determine a packing element configuration, the packing computational model defining relationships between manipulator jamming properties and different packing element configurations; controlling an additive printing machine based on the packing element configuration and manipulator shape to manufacture the robot manipulator. The robot manipulator includes a flexible outer skin defining a chamber; a connector attached to the outer skin and connected to a fluid pump to allow fluid to be added to or removed from the chamber; filling elements disposed in the chamber according to the packing element configuration.

A retrieval tool including an anchor block; a barrel assembly, in which said barrel assembly comprises an outer barrel and an inner barrel; an anchor assembly; a valve assembly; wherein said anchor block is into engagement with said barrel assembly, and wherein said barrel assembly is configured to be operable for an insertion and removal of devices from pressurized pipework or vessels through said valve assembly; and wherein said anchor assembly is into engagement with said barrel assembly, in which said engagement is configured to be operable for restricting a longitudinal movement range between said outer barrel and inner barrel.

Suction gripper 14 includes fixing member 1 including hole part 7, grasping part 2 including a plurality of flexible and airtight bag parts 2a and 2b whose interiors are coupled together in the central axis direction of hole part 7 with fixing member 1 therebetween, the plurality of bag parts 2a and 2b being filled with powder 8 or particles and fluid, and hardening unit 3 configured to harden the plurality of bag parts 2a and 2b. Grasping part 2 has a configuration in which when a workpiece is pushed against any of the plurality of bag parts 2a and 2b, the contact portion with the workpiece conform to the shape of the workpiece while the other bag part expands in accordance with the deformation.

An end-effector for installation of an emblem assembly is provided. The end-effector includes a support frame, a first splitter, and a second splitter. The first splitter and the second splitter are connected to the support frame. The pneumatically actuated grippers include: a first gripper connected to the first splitter and configured to grab at least a portion of the emblem assembly; and a second gripper connected to the second splitter and configured to peel off one or more layers of the emblem assembly. The roller is connected to the support frame and configured to wet out an adhesive layer of the emblem assembly.