A drape includes a first drape portion configured to receive a manipulator arm of a surgical system and a pocket coupled to a distal portion of the first drape portion. The pocket is configured to receive a manipulator of the surgical system. The pocket includes a flexible membrane positionable between an output of the manipulator and an input of a surgical instrument mountable to the manipulator. In some embodiments, the flexible membrane is located at a distal end of the pocket. In some embodiments, the flexible membrane is configured to allow an actuating force to be transmitted from the output of the manipulator to the input of the surgical instrument. In some embodiments, the pocket provides a sterile barrier between the manipulator and the surgical instrument. In some embodiments, the drape further includes a rotatable seal configured to couple a proximal opening of the pocket to the first drape portion.

A gripper tooling includes: a gripper having a gripper body and an angular jaw; a rotor fixedly connected to the angular jaw; and a tooling member for gripping a workpiece, the tooling member including: a base pivotally connected to the rotor; a middle segment pivotally connected to the base; a distal segment pivotally connected to the middle segment; an adducting tendon having a proximal end attached to the rotor and a distal end attached to the distal segment, the rotor for rotating relative to the base and thereby for tensioning the adducting tendon; and an abducting tendon having a proximal end attached to the base and a distal end attached to the distal segment such that the tooling member can autonomously grip the workpiece as the angular jaw rotates toward the workpiece and the tooling member autonomously returns to an ungripped position as the angular jaw rotates away from workpiece.

A gripping device for gripping a workpiece includes: at least one gripping element configured for contacting the workpiece, the at least one gripping element including a shaft; at least one articulating finger jaw; a mounting block connecting the shaft to the at least one articulating finger jaw, the mounting block including an articulation stop having a first stopping surface and a second stopping surface; and a stopping member connected to the shaft, the stopping member being configured for contacting one of the first stopping surface and the second stopping surface to limit a rotation of the shaft relative to the mounting block, the stopping member being in the form of a fastener which is inelastic.

A soft gripper including tentacles, each tentacle includes lower and upper members connected by a connector. Each member includes guide discs, and each guide disc includes a ring with passthrough holes, and a spacer located in a donut hole of the ring with passthrough holes, the passthrough holes collectively define cable pathways. The connector includes a center thru-hole and transfer channels. Cables have proximal ends attached to actuators and extend through apertures of a baseplate located at a proximal end of the lower member. A set of lower cables extend through the lower ring passthrough holes to couple to a distal lower guide disc. A set of upper cables extend through the lower spacer passthrough holes, through the transfer channels to the upper ring passthrough holes to couple to a distal upper guide ring, and an end cap is attached to the distal end of the upper member.

A mechanical hand is provided that can increase the operation stroke and also the gripping force of a pair of gripping members. The hand includes first and second sliders, a driving source, a rotating plate, a first clamping link. Of these components, the first and second sliders are provided on a hand body so as to be linearly movable in opening and closing directions and the driving source is provided in the hand body. The rotating plate is rotatably driven by the driving source. The first clamping link is linked with the rotating plate so as to be only rotatable on a first shaft, and is linked with the first slider so as to be only rotatable on a second shaft. Moreover, the second clamping link is linked with the rotating plate so as to be only rotatable on a third shaft, and is linked with the second slider so as be only rotatable on a fourth shaft. The first and second sliders move linearly in the opening and closing directions by making the driving source rotate the rotating plate.

An apparatus, system and method for providing a variable swath end effector. The variable swath end effector may include: two arms, each for retaining a portion of a retained element; two pairs of bearing rails, each pair being uniquely mechanically associated with a one of the two arms, wherein a level of one pair of bearing rails is staggered from a second level of the other pair of earing rails in a perpendicular axis, and wherein the staggered pairs of bearing rails are interleaved with each other; and a motor capable of driving a belt in mechanical association with each of the two arms, wherein actuation of the motor drives the belt to synchronously move each of the two arms across a respective one of the pairs of bearing rails to vary the swath between the two arms.

The invention relates to a portioning device for packaging of food products (3) in a portion carrier, comprising positioning device and gripping device (1), which gripping device comprises first and second articulating jaws (12a, 12b) having first and second ends that together with a belt or table (5) for a food product (3) define an opening between said jaws (12a, 12b) arranged to grip the food product laying on the belt or table (5), wherein said first and second jaws (12a, 12b) are articulately arranged in order to be movable between at least two relative positions, one holding position and one open position, wherein the portioning device also comprises a cutting device (2) arranged at said first and/or second ends of said first and second articulating jaws (12a, 12b), and wherein said cutting device (2) is arranged to use the belt/table (5) as support for cutting. The invention also relates to a method for packaging of food products by use of the portioning device.

A robotic end-effector to provide an anthropomorphic hand with a dorsal actuation system. The hand has a substantially planar palm and fingers extending from the palm and capable of flexion and extension relative to the palm. The dorsal actuation system is supported on the palm and fingers, with actuators positioned at a dorsal side of the palm and links positioned at a dorsal side of the fingers.

A gripper assembly includes a base having a hollow area extending in a first direction, at least three grippers arranged along a circumference of the base, the at least three grippers configured to be rotatable about respective rotational axes extending in the first direction, and a first power transmitter configured to rotate the at least three grippers at the same time in a first rotational direction about the respective rotational axes.

A gripping module grips and moves objects and can be used on robots or automatic handling machines. The gripping module has a module carrier and at least two active elements, which can be displaced relative to one another and have gripping surfaces for gripping an object. At least one of the active elements is displaceable relative to the module carrier by a drive system. The drive system has an electric motor and an actuator element displaceable by an electromagnet. The electric motor and the actuator element are each kinematically coupled to the active element.