The end effector 10 includes a joint section 11 connected to a robotic arm 220, a working section 14 for performing work on an object 500, an actuator 40 is located between the joint section 11 and the working section 14 and moves the working section 14 in a first direction in which the joint section 11 and the working section 14 are aligned, a piezoelectric element 45 that drives an actuator 40.

A method of collating packages that includes receiving a plurality of packages in a main channel of a collation module, conveying the packages in the main channel along parallel grooves having a first portion arranged perpendicularly to the main channel, and conveying the packages in the main channel along a second portion of the parallel grooves angled towards a first side of the collation module, where each package passes through first and second portions of a single groove.

A robot skin apparatus includes polymer membranes encapsulating a pressure sensor. The sensor includes piezo-sensitive material in contact with a pair of electrodes in spaced relationship to form a circuit. The apparatus may include a flexible substrate, with the electrodes thereon. The piezo-sensitive material may be piezoresistive film. The electrodes may be symmetrically patterned on the substrate to form a substantially circular peripheral boundary. The apparatus may include pressure sensors on opposite sides of a plane for temperature compensation, a plurality of pressure sensors arrayed on the substrate, and a data acquisition system. A method of fabricating the apparatus includes a wet lithography process for patterning the piezoresistive film. A system includes a pair of gripper fingers, an actuator connected to the fingers, a robot skin apparatus positioned on one of the fingers, and an electronic unit for receiving data from the robot skin and controlling the fingers.

A robotic gripper configured to mount to a robotic arm is described herein. The robotic gripper includes a base configured to mount to the robotic arm and spin about an axis of the base. The robotic gripper also includes at least two gripping elements coupled to the base. Each gripping element extends from the base in a direction parallel to the axis of the base and is movable relative to the base between an open position and a closed position to grasp an object. A first gripping element of the at least two gripping elements defines a first element axis laterally spaced from the axis of the base by a first distance. At least one other gripping element defines another element axis that is laterally spaced from the axis of the base by a second distance that is smaller than the first distance.

An instrument manipulator may comprise a frame comprising an outer shell and an inner frame, the inner frame being movably coupled to the outer shell. The instrument manipulator may also include a plurality of actuator outputs protruding in a distal direction from the frame and an instrument support feature coupled to the outer shell. The instrument manipulator may further comprise a latching mechanism, the latching mechanism being configured to move the inner frame, the outer shell, or both relative to one another, so as to operably engage the plurality of actuator outputs with a plurality of actuator inputs of an instrument supported by the instrument support feature.

Anthropomorphic hand comprising: a palm; a metacarpus; a thumb; four aligned fingers constrained to said palm, each comprising a proximal phalanx, a middle phalanx and a distal phalanx; a motor; a plurality of differential stages which transmit motion from said motor to said aligned fingers and to said thumb: a first stage whose planet carrier is moved by said motor and whose sun gears move planet carriers of a second and a fifth stage, sun gears of the second and fifth stages being integral to the planet carriers of a third and a fourth stage, whose sun gears move four gears having axes coincident with the axes of rotation between the aligned fingers and the palm; sun gears of the fifth stage being configured to rotate said metacarpus and a gear having axis coincident with the axis of rotation between the proximal phalanx of the thumb and the metacarpus.

This disclosure relates to a technology for grasping an object while adjusting a grasping force according to stiffness of the object measured by a tactile sensor module, especially to a robot-hand, which includes a tactile sensor module for measuring a normal force applied when grasping an object, a phalange sensor module having an actuator to generate a driving force and configured to measure a rotational displacement of a motor, and a hand back control unit for operating the actuator by generating a desired displacement signal to control a grasping force so that a grasping motion is stably and accurately achieved by applying a minimum grasping force to soft object with no sliding and minimized deformation, wherein the desired displacement signal is generated based on stiffness which is calculated from the normal force data and the rotational displacement data.

A robotic system including a long-stroke and force-control parallel gripper. The parallel gripper may include an electric motor and siding mechanism to allow the length of the stroke of the fingers to be greater than the distance traveled. The parallel gripper also includes interchangeable fingers that may be engaged and disengage by the robotic system using a secured finger housing and latching mechanism.

A chuck unit includes a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber disposed on both sides of a piston for driving fingers. A valve unit includes a first output air flow path connected to one of the first and second pressure chambers, a second output air flow path connected to the other thereof, a first solenoid valve connected to the first output air flow path, and a second solenoid valve connected to the second output air flow path. The first solenoid valve connects the first output air flow path to an air supply source when energized and opens the first output air flow path to atmosphere when de-energized, and the second solenoid valve opens the second output air flow path to atmosphere when energized and connects the second output air flow path to the air supply source when de-energized.

A system and methods are disclosed for precision placement or insertion of an object using robotic manipulation. A robotic tool includes at least three members, including a first member and a second member that grip the object between opposing faces and a third member that exerts a force on a proximate end of the object to push the object out of the robotic tool. A series of maneuvers is performed with the robotic tool in order to place the object on a surface or insert the object in a hole. The maneuvers include positioning the object against the surface, rotating the object around a contact point between the object and the surface, rotating the robotic tool around a contact point between the object and either the first or second member of the robotic tool, sliding the object horizontally along a surface, and tucking the object into a final desired position.