Disclosed is a compact, lightweight hydraulic manipulation system used for underwater applications consisting of two parts: a modulus hybrid underwater manipulator and a compact lightweight hydraulic control framework. The system is used for general underwater work such as underwater sampling, hyperbaric welding, and marine aquaculture.

Disclosed is a multi-layer soft pneumatic actuator, including: a surface layer including driving protrusions formed on one surface; a first chamber layer stacked on the other surface of the surface layer and including a first chamber configured to partially overlap the driving protrusion; a second chamber layer stacked on a layer different from the first chamber layer on the other surface of the surface layer, including a second chamber having a partial region overlapping the driving protrusion and the first chamber; and an air line layer configured to inject air into each of the first chamber and the second chamber.

According to one embodiment, a gripping tool includes a gripper. The gripper is flexible and includes a first portion contacting a workpiece, a second portion opposing the first portion, and a granular material provided between the first portion and the second portion. The first portion includes a concave portion and a convex portion. The concave portion is recessed in a first direction. The first direction is from the first portion toward the second portion The convex portion is provided around the concave portion and protrudes in a second direction. The second direction is the reverse of the first direction. The concave portion has a groove having a ring configuration recessed outward from a center of the gripper.

An articulatable member includes a distal end, a proximal end, an actuation member, and a constraint member. The actuation member extends from the proximal end to the distal end. The actuation member transmits force to bend the articulatable member from a neutral position. The constraint member extends from the proximal end to the distal end. The constraint member may have opposite ends that are fixed to the distal end and the proximal end. In one embodiment, the constraint member follows a helical path along at least a portion of the articulatable member from the proximal end to the distal end. In another embodiment, the actuation member follows a helical path along at least a portion of the articulatable member.

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 fixing target objects and/or receptacles using soft robotic actuators, for 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.

A gas adsorption/desorption device includes a gastight enclosure filled with a predetermined gas and supplied with no gas from outside or releasing no gas to the outside, and a porous medium disposed in the gastight enclosure. The predetermined gas in the porous medium is released out of the porous medium in response to supply of energy to the porous medium. The porous medium captures the predetermined gas in the gastight enclosure in response to stopping or reducing of the supply of the energy to the porous medium.

A container gripper comprises a housing and a petal assembly configured to be carried in the housing assembly. The petal assembly includes a petal holder and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced rigid articulating petals having upper ends pivotably coupled to the petal holder and lower ends configured to be guided by the lower housing of the housing assembly. The petal assembly further includes a travel brace configured to limit the translation of the petal holder, and a return spring between the travel brace and the petal holder.

An actuator includes at least one actuator body and a sleeve covering a portion of the actuator body. The actuator body comprises a first material, and the sleeve comprises a second material that is more rigid than the first material. The sleeve constrains bending of the actuator body where the sleeve covers the actuator body.

Exemplary embodiments relate to user-assisted robotic control systems, user interfaces for remote control of robotic systems, vision systems in robotic control systems, and modular grippers for use by robotic systems. The systems, methods, apparatuses and computer-readable media instructions described interact with and control robotic systems, in particular pick and place systems using soft robotic actuators to grasp, move and release target objects.

According to one embodiment, a gripping tool includes a gripper, a sensor, a pump unit, and a controller. The gripper is flexible and has a granular material provided in an interior of the gripper. The sensor is connected to the interior. The sensor detects a pressure or a flow rate of a gas. The pump unit is connected to the interior. The controller performs at least a first operation of causing the gripper to contact a workpiece and causing the gripper to operate, and a second operation of separating the gripper from the workpiece and causing the gripper to operate. In at least a portion of the second operation, the controller sets a pressure of the interior to be different from a pressure external to the gripper.