A magnetic-induced stiffness changed soft robot drive module includes magnetic-induced stiffness changed layer, two-degree-of-freedom pneumatic driver, magnetic core and sealing fixing device. The magnetic-induced stiffness changed layer and two-degree-of-freedom pneumatic driver are printed and formed. The magnetic core can be deformed together with the driver, and a magnetic field can be generated when it is energized. After the magnetic core is installed into the two-degree-of-freedom pneumatic driver, then assembled with the sealing fixing device, a soft robot drive module with one end fixed is finished. The magnetic-induced stiffness changed layer has the fast, reversible and controllable stiffness adjustment ability under the action of electromagnetic field. As its hardness is greater than that of the two-degree-of-freedom pneumatic driver and its position is outside the air cavity, the two-degree-of-freedom pneumatic driver can be restricted from over-expansion and over-extension in the axial direction, making its pneumatic bending deformation controllable.

A segment of a holding arm for positioning a medical instrument or a medical appliance including several node structures, and a strut that rigidly connects two of the several node structures to each other. The strut includes flat structures that are joined to one another.

Systems and methods related to providing configurations of robotic devices are provided. A computing device can receive a configuration request for a robotic device including environmental information and task information for tasks requested to be performed by the robotic device in an environment. The computing device can determine task-associated regions in the environment. A task-associated region for a given task can include a region of the environment that the robotic device is expected to reach while performing the given task. Based at least on the task-associated regions, the computing device can determine respective dimensions of components of the robotic device and an arrangement for assembling the components into the robotic device so that the robotic device is configured to perform at least one task in the environment. The computing device can provide a configuration that includes the respectively determined dimensions and the determined arrangement.

Robots including a lifting actuator for lifting object are disclosed. In one embodiment, a robot includes a rail system extending in a system direction, a body structure coupled to the rail system, the body structure comprising an array of flexible tactile sensors, wherein each flexible tactile sensor of the array of flexible tactile sensors is operable to produce a signal determinative of a magnitude and a direction of a force applied to the flexible tactile sensor, and a lift actuator operable to move the body structure along the rail system.

A robot arm (100a-100d) comprises an arm member (10) and at least two wires (20a-20d). The two wires (20a-20d) have a configuration wherein: each wire has a flat shape and the wires are disposed in parallel in a state of facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the flat shape face; a shield wire (S1) is provided around each wire; each wire has a helical shape; or the wires are twisted together.

A rotation mechanism according to the disclosure includes: an output portion for outputting, to a mating member, rotation of a drive source producing a rotational force; a coupling member for coupling the mating member and the output portion by elastic deformation; and an anti-rotation portion for preventing relative rotation between the mating member and the output portion.

A method of facilitating switching of a quasi-passive elastic actuator of a tunable actuator joint module of a robotic system between an inelastic state and an elastic state comprising configuring a quasi-passive elastic actuator to be operable with a primary actuator of the tunable actuator joint module to selectively apply an augmented torque to assist the primary actuator in rotation of a joint of the tunable actuator joint module. The method further comprises configuring an elastic component of the quasi-passive actuator to comprise a first vane device and second vane device rotatable relative to each other within a housing, supporting a valve assembly about the axis of rotation of the joint through the first vane device, and configuring a shunt circuit to facilitate fluid flow between compression and expansion chambers through the valve assembly. The method can further comprise configuring the valve assembly with a valve device disposed in an opening of a shaft of the first vane device, the valve device being actuatable between an open position to open the shunt circuit and a closed position to close the shunt circuit.

Techniques for fingertip design are disclosed that leverage how most grasp contacts can share a few classes of local geometries. In order to maximize the contact areas for achieving more robust grasps, contact primitives, which represent a set of contacts of similar local geometries, are identified. A uniform cost algorithm, which can be formulated as a decision making process in a tree structure, can be utilized to cluster a set of example grasp contacts into a finite set of one or more contact primitives. Fingertips can be designed by optimization to match the local geometry of each contact primitive, and then fingertips can be 3D printed using soft materials to compensate for optimization residuals. For novel objects, an approach to generate grasp contacts that match the fingertip geometries while together forming stable grasps can be utilized.

A manipulation device includes an appendage extending from a base, the appendage comprising a flexible material having a resting pose and adapted to be deformed into a plurality of different poses, and at least one tendon attached to an end of the appendage and passing through the base or a portion of the appendage between the base and the distal end, such that actuation of the at least one tendon causes deformation of the appendage from the resting pose to a new pose. Systems and methods for fabricating and optimizing a manipulation device are also provided.

An end of arm tool subassembly includes three identical linear drive mechanisms connected directly together to provide three directions of movement. Each linear drive mechanism includes a base defined by a longitudinal axis and a slide movably coupled to the base. The base has at least one mounting surface disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis and an end mounting surface disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The slide traverses in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis and has a slide mounting surface thereon. One of the identical linear drive mechanisms is directly attached to the end mounting surface of the base of another linear drive mechanism to provide two of the three directions of movement.