A particle gripper comprising a flexible surface membrane connected to a resiliently deformable neck portion which has a cavity filled with a phase change material, and at least one air tube, the flexible surface membrane and the phase change material are configured to deform around an object to be gripped; and wherein the at least one air tube is used for inflating and/or creating a vacuum within the cavity such that the cavity can be inflated so that the phase change material is forced against the flexible surface membrane to expand the flexible surface membrane, and a transition means which is applied to the phase change material in the cavity so that it changes phase of the material from a liquid to a solid so that object is gripped by the flexible surface membrane and the phase transition material.

A joint ring includes a main body part and a pair of protrusion parts protruding from a first surface of the main body part in a direction of a central axis thereof and having spherical surfaces on protruding portions. The main body part includes a pair of engagement holes and a pair of receiving holes. The protrusion parts include engagement parts which are configured to be capable of being inserted into the engagement holes. When the joint rings are arranged in the direction of the central axis and the protrusion parts of a first joint ring enter the receiving holes of a second joint ring, the spherical surfaces come into contact with receiving surfaces inside the receiving holes, and the first joint ring and the second joint ring become rotatable relative to each other with a line segment connecting centers of the respective spherical surfaces as a rotational center.

A vibrating actuator includes a vibrator and a contact body. The vibrator includes an elastic body and an electrical-mechanical energy transducer. The contact body is long in a predetermined direction and contacts the vibrator. The vibrator and the contact body are relatively moved in the predetermined direction by vibration of the vibrator. An end portion of the long contact body is covered with a viscoelastic body circumferentially with respect to the predetermined direction.

An outer skin of a metamaterial is provided that includes a tessellation of folded structures. This outer skin integrates the mechanical needs of movable structures with one process, which better replicates nature's engineering strategies. The tessellation of folded structures may be discretely assembled and may include an offset arrangement of corrugations. In certain embodiments, the metamaterial may be a portion of a continuum robotic structure.

An underwater vehicle is provided for cleaning, inspection and/or monitoring of underwater structures A. The vehicle includes at least one working equipment for cleaning, inspection and/or monitoring of underwater structures A. Several interconnected modules are also provided which can be oriented relative to each other. The modules are arranged one behind the other, and the underwater vehicle can be transitioned from an elongated movement configuration into a U-shaped, C-shaped, spiral and/or an annular working configuration and back.

In a wire-driven continuum robot, in accordance with a profile of a first bending angle regarding a bending angle of a follow-up bending section that corresponds to a forward movement of a continuum robot, and is set in accordance with an input first target bending angle of a distal bending section, a bending angle of the following-up bending section is controlled to reach the first target bending angle. Before a movement amount of a forward movement reaches a first movement amount, the control is performed as follows. More specifically, a profile of a second bending angle that is different from the profile of the first bending angle is set, and by a further forward movement of the continuum robot, a bending angle of the following-up bending section reaches the second target bending angle in accordance with the profile of the second bending angle.

Extension tools and methods of inserting extension tools within components are provided. For example, an extension tool has a proximal end and a distal end and comprises a plurality of sequentially arranged links moveable relative to one another and a support member defining the distal end and including a first wheel disposed at the distal end and a second wheel spaced apart from the first wheel. Additionally, or alternatively, an extension tool may comprise a plurality of windows defined in the plurality of sequentially arranged links. The windows are defined periodically along the plurality of sequentially arranged links such that a periodicity of the widows corresponds to a periodicity of a plurality of features of the component.

A continuum robot having at least two independently manipulateable bendable section for advancing the robot through a passage, without contacting fragile elements within the passage, wherein the robot incorporates control algorithms that enable the continuum robot to operate and advance into the passage, as well as the systems and procedures associated with the continuum robot and said functionality.

A locking system for a continuum arm robot system, the robot system includes: a continuum arm robot having a manipulatable tip, a passive robot section through which controls for the manipulatable tip, and at least one ferromagnetic collar, and at least one external controllable electromagnetic device which can be activated so that the ferromagnetic section on the continuum arm robot is attracted to the electromagnetic device.

A rigid link for a flexible robot, the rigid link including a rigid link body having a hollow core, the rigid link with at least two arms having proximal and distal ends, the arms are connected to the rigid link body, and wherein the arms being deployable between a closed configuration in which the proximal and distal ends of the arms are positioned proximate to the rigid link body and open configuration in which the arms are moved so that the distal ends of the arms are positioned away from the body of the rigid link.