Methods and systems for assessing a robotic grasping technique. The system in accordance with various embodiments may include a warehouse management system for retrieving and storing items, a robotic manipulator for grasping an item, and analysis module configured to receive data regarding a first grasp attempt by the robotic manipulator and analyze the received data to determine whether the robotic manipulator successfully grasped the item.

An item with fibers may be picked up and placed using a tool head with hooks that engage the fibers. The tool head may comprise at least one hook portion and at least one contact surface adjacent to the hook portion. The hooks that engage the fibers may extend from the hook portion. The tool head may be actuatable between at least a first configuration that permits the hooks to engage the fibers and a second configuration that does not permit the hooks to engage the fibers. An item may be picked up at a starting location with a tool head in the first configuration and placed at a placement location by moving the tool head and then actuating the tool head to the second configuration.

A gripper for a picking device for small piece goods is provided. The gripper includes a delivery table extending in a first horizontal direction and a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first horizontal direction, a gripping jaw guide assembly having two gripping jaws extending in the first horizontal direction over the delivery table, wherein at least one of the gripping jaws is movable in the second horizontal direction, and a drive unit which is coupled to the gripping jaw guide assembly and configured to move the gripping jaw guide assembly in the first horizontal direction. At least one of the gripping jaws is configured as a suction jaw and has a suction device having a suction surface for suctioning a small piece good, wherein a vacuum can be applied on the suction device using a suction line.

A robot system capable of separating an adhesive member from a cover material and sticking the adhesive member on an object without a complicated setting. A robot system including a sticking mechanism configured to clamp and stick an adhesive member on an object and a supply mechanism capable of supplying the adhesive member, wherein the sticking mechanism includes a robot hand configured to clamp and release the adhesive member and a robot arm configured to move the robot hand; and the supply mechanism is separate from the sticking mechanism, supplies the adhesive member in a state that the adhesive member is stuck to a cover material, and separates the cover material from the adhesive member.

An item with fibers may be picked up and placed using a tool head with hooks that engage the fibers. The tool head may comprise at least one hook portion and at least one contact surface adjacent to the hook portion. The hooks that engage the fibers may extend from the hook portion. The tool head may be actuatable between at least a first configuration that permits the hooks to engage the fibers and a second configuration that does not permit the hooks to engage the fibers. An item may be picked up at a starting location with a tool head in the first configuration and placed at a placement location by moving the tool head and then actuating the tool head to the second configuration.

Provided is a pressure-sensitive adhesive structure including a carbon nanotube aggregate formed on a base material in which carbon nanotubes forming the carbon nanotube aggregate are hardly detached. The pressure-sensitive adhesive structure of the present invention includes: a base material; an intermediate layer; and a carbon nanotube aggregate layer, wherein the carbon nanotube aggregate layer includes a plurality of carbon nanotube aggregates, wherein the intermediate layer includes a layer containing the carbon nanotubes and a fixing agent, and wherein the intermediate layer has a thickness of 100 nm or more.

The present invention provides a shear gripper device using fibrillar, gecko-inspired adhesives that have the characteristics of being non-tacky in its default state and requiring no normal force to grip a surface. The adhesion is turned on by the applied shear load, and off as the shear load is removed. The shear adhesive gripper is able to grasp large, deformable or delicate objects using a delicate touch.

A structure (140) for adhering to a surface so as to support a desired weight includes a substrate (110) and a polymer layer (120). The polymer layer (120) is mounted on the substrate (110). A plurality of flaps (142) are drawn from the polymer layer (120). Each of the plurality of flaps (142) have dimensions and a density so that when the plurality of flaps (142) are placed against the surface (400) and when a coherent shear force is applied thereto, the plurality of flaps (142) will adhere to the surface (400) with a strength sufficient to support the desired weight. Each of the plurality of flaps (142) includes a first side (210) and an opposite second side (212). At least one of the first side or the second side is meniscus shaped.

Gripper pads are provided for use, augmentation or retrofitting in a robot manipulator. The gripper pads distinguish a dry adhesive layer with dry adhesive wedges that would interface with an object that is desired to be manipulated. The plurality of dry adhesive wedges is organized in a pattern such that the pattern has at least two different orientations for the direction of the plurality of wedges. The gripper pads further distinguish a sensor array underneath the dry adhesive layer. The data obtained from the sensor array provides an estimate of the shape and size of the contact between the gripper pad and the object when the dry adhesive layer is in contact with the object.

A gripping apparatus is disclosed for gripping and holding electrically conductive, textile materials. The gripping apparatus includes a gripping device which has a gripping face for gripping and holding the textile material. With the aid of an electrical contact device, electrodes can be brought into contact with the textile material in order to bring about a current flow in the textile material.