A bag-shaped actuator system includes: a bag-shaped actuator including an airtight bag member and flowable particulates filled in the bag member; a bag-member communication pipe configured to communicate with an inside of the bag member; a low-air-pressure-source communication pipe configured to communicate with a low air pressure source; a high-air-pressure-source communication pipe configured to communicate with a high air pressure source; a switching mechanism configured to perform switching between communication destinations of the bag member such that the inside of the bag member communicates with any of external air, the low-air-pressure-source communication pipe, and the high-air-pressure-source communication pipe via the bag-member communication pipe; and a switching controlling portion configured to control the switching between the communication destinations by the switching mechanism.

A gripping apparatus includes a palm member; a plurality of finger members configured to couple to the palm member, each of the plurality of finger members comprising a plurality of phalange members arranged in series along a longitudinal axis of the finger member, each phalange member being formed of an elastomer; a multilayer finger membrane configured to encapsulate the plurality of phalange members, the multilayer finger membrane being formed of multiple material layers, including a strain limiting layer configured to limit the multilayer finger membrane from stretching; and a coupling end portion configured to couple to the palm member and includes an opening configured for fluid communication with a vacuum system, wherein each of the plurality of finger members is configured to bend based on vacuum pressure actuation generated by the vacuum system via the opening of the coupling end portion of the finger member.

The present invention relates to a new pneumatic-actuated multifunctional doming actuator. The doming actuator can be used as a doming actuator, which can maintain machine/robotic operation on vertical surfaces without falling. The doming actuators exhibit rapid switchable adhesion/deadhesion on target surfaces upon pressurizing/depressurizing the embedded spiral pneumatic channels. The present invention also relates to novel load-carrying and climbing soft robots using the doming actuators. The soft robots are operable on a wide range of horizontal and vertical surfaces including dry, wet, slippery, smooth, and semi-smooth surfaces. In addition, the doming actuators can be used as a driving actuator for swimming soft robotics and as an actuator for soft grippers.

A robot hand controller includes an air supply unit configured to supply air into fingers of a robot hand and configured to discharge air in the fingers, and a controller configured to control the air supply unit, where the air supply unit includes two or more air passages respectively connected to the different fingers, the air passages capable of supplying the air into the fingers and discharging the air in the fingers independently from each other, and the controller controls supply and discharge of the air through each of the two or more air passages in response to a shape of the workpiece and an object in a vicinity of a transport destination of the workpiece.

A component-handling device for handling components to be coated comprises a grasping element capable of having at least one of its volume and its shape changed to grasp a component, whereby the component can be handled. A method for handling components to be coated comprises changing at least one of a volume and a shape of the grasping element to grasp a component, thereby handling the component.

The present disclosure provides an actuator including a pouch which is sealed and formed with an asymmetric structure, a dielectric fluid which is filled in the pouch, and an electrode which is attached to one surface of the pouch and the other surface opposite the one surface, wherein the pouch includes a first part provided on one side and having a predetermined area, and a second part provided on the other side opposite the one side and having a smaller area than the first part, and when power is applied to the electrodes, the first part or the second part of the pouch is expandable by movement of the dielectric fluid due to the asymmetric structure, and an active plate having the same.

A robot tool, a robot system and a method for packaging coils of sheet metal. A robot tool for coil packaging, having two ends, each end being provided with a coupling tool piece configured to interface with a robot arm; a roll holder shaft configured to hold a roll of wrapping material, the holder shaft at one end being rotatably mounted substantially midway between said ends and projecting substantially perpendicular to an axis extending between said ends. A robot system for coil packaging, having two industrial robots, each robot being provided with a robot arm having a coupling robot piece configured to interface with a robot tool; and a robot tool, the robot tool having two ends, each end being provided with a coupling tool piece configured to interface with a said robot arm.

Exemplary embodiments relate to applications for soft robotic actuators in the manufacturing, packaging, and food preparation industries, among others. Methods and systems are disclosed for packaging target objects using soft robotic actuators, for moving and positioning target objects and/or receptacles, and/or for diverting or sorting objects. By using soft robotic actuators to perform the fixing, positioning, and/or diverting, objects of different sizes and configurations may be manipulated on the same processing line, without the need to reconfigure the line or install new hardware when a new object is received.

Systems and methods for estimating deformation and field of contact forces are described. A method includes generating a reference configuration including reference points in space. The reference configuration corresponds to an initial shape of a membrane prior to contact with the manipuland. The method further includes receiving raw data from a TOF device. The raw data includes points in space measured by the TOF device and indicating deformation of the membrane due to contact with the manipuland. The method further includes determining deformation of the membrane that best approximates a current configuration in a least squares sense while satisfying a discrete physical model enforced as a linear constraint that corresponds to a linearized physical model of the deformation that is discretized with an FEM, linearizing the relationship, and estimating deformation and field of contact forces by solving a least squares formulation with physical constraints cast as a sparse quadratic program.

Systems and methods are provided for gripping of a workpiece with a layer jamming structure having rigid datum structures. A system includes a layer jamming structure configurable in an inactivated conformable state, with a membrane defining an internal cavity containing a number of overlapping material layers. The rigid structures engage the layer jamming structure. A pressure system includes a pump coupled with the internal cavity to change a pressure therein to transform the layer jamming structure from the inactivated conformable state to an activated rigid state disposed around the workpiece. The rigid structures help conform the layer jamming structure to the workpiece during transformation to the activated rigid state and to present datum fixturing surfaces in the activated rigid state.