A soft biomimetic legged robot is provided in the present invention, including a plurality of soft robotic arms. The soft robotic arms include a plurality of motion units, and each of the motion units includes one or more of a twist module, an extension module, a contraction, and a bending module. The plurality of motion units is combined to achieve a full-posture motion of the soft robotic arms. By using soft robotic arms composed of different motion units, the soft biomimetic legged robot of the present invention can not only realize the underwater swimming and crawling, but the crawling on land or slopes, thereby adapting to more complicated environments and achieving richer functions. The motion posture is not limited to a single bending, twisting, extension, and shortening. The soft robotic arm can achieve full-posture movements, and its motion type is more complete.

Methods and apparatus to grasp an object with an unmanned aerial vehicle are described herein. An example unmanned aerial vehicle includes a gripper having a claw to grasp onto an object and an active material disposed on the claw. The example unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a material activator to: (1) apply an activation signal to the active material to soften the active material while the claw grasps the object with the active material, and (2) allow the active material to harden in a shape substantially matching a surface of the object.

A gripper device (16; 30; 56; 90; 120) which is designed so as to be movable along a movement path, and which serves for grasping and holding a workpiece (70) and for moving the workpiece along the movement path, with at least one first contact section (18; 38; 66) which, to produce an operative pairing with the workpiece that effects the gripping or holding action, can be driven relative to a second contact section (20; 40; 68), which first contact section is assigned actuator means (22; 44; 54; 128), which are designed to exert a drive force in reaction to the application of a magnetic field, and which are composed of a magnetic shape-memory alloy material, wherein the actuator means for magnetic interaction are formed, for the application of a magnetic field, with magnetic field generating means that are static at one position of the movement path (52; 80; 86; 88), and/or with magnetic field generating means that are provided so as to be movable independently of the gripper device.

A deployable structure is described including a first and a second robotic system (4, 6; 604, 606), each of which includes: a respective distal element (12;22); at least one respective shape-locking element (14;24); and a respective coupling structure (16;26) operable in a first and a second operating mode. When the coupling structure of the first robotic system operates in the first operating mode, it is elastically deformable and operable so as to move the first robotic system; when the coupling structure of the first robotic system operates in the second operating mode, it forms a guide for the movement of the second robotic system. When the coupling structure of the second robotic system operates in the first operating mode, it is elastically deformable and is operable so as to move the second robotic system; when the coupling structure of the second robotic system operates in the second operating mode, it forms a guide for the movement of the shape-locking element of the first robotic system.

Active hand orthosis (20) for people with nerve-related paresis/paralysis of the hand, and for people with spastic paresis/paralysis of the hand, which comprises supporting elements (30) and moving elements (40) connecting the supporting elements (30), the moving elements (40) containing shape memory material, further comprising a control system (22), electric circuit elements (50) and a power source (60) for creating an activation signal inducing transformation of the shape memory material, and thereby deformation of the moving elements (40), characterised by that the moving elements (40) comprise: a wrist joint moving element (44), at least one finger moving element (46), and a thumb moving element (48), furthermore, in a state fitted to a lower arm (10) the supporting elements comprise: a lower arm splint (32) supporting a lower side of the lower arm (10), and leaving a wrist joint (11) free, a palm support (34) connected to the lower arm splint (32) by the wrist joint moving element (44), palm support (34) being provided at the proximal end of the fingers (15) opposable to the thumb (14), at least one finger support (36) connected to the palm support (34) by the at least one finger moving element (46), at least one finger support (36) being provided at the middle bone of the fingers (15) opposable to the thumb (14), and a thumb support (38) connected to the lower arm splint (32) by the thumb moving element (48), the thumb support (38) extending from the proximal end of the thumb (14) on the palm (13) to the lower bone of the thumb (14).

An insertion shaft for an electrically actuated scope includes at least two wires. Each wire has a proximal end anchored to a respective proximal anchoring point and a distal end anchored to a respective distal anchoring point. The wires are disposed around a central axis and extend along the insertion shaft. Each of the wires comprises two-way memory material configured to contract when heated to or above a first predetermined temperature and return to a predetermined original length thereof upon cooling to or below a second predetermined temperature below the first predetermined temperature. The length of each wire is larger than a length along the insertion shaft between the proximal anchoring point and the distal anchoring point to which the wire is anchored, such that each of the wires is incorporated in the insertion shaft with a predetermined slack.

An effector system comprises: an effector assembly including: a first segment having a conduit between a proximal end and a distal end, an inner surface of the conduit having a conductive portion and a resistive portion; an output member slidable within the conduit, the output member having a conductive exterior contacting the inner surface; a first shape-memory transducer affixed between the proximal end and the output member; and a second shape-memory transducer affixed between the distal end and the output member; and a controller configured to: selectively energize: (i) the first shape-memory transducer to slide the output member in a first direction, (ii) the second shape-memory transducer to slide the output member in a second direction, or (iii) the resistive portion of the inner surface; and in response to energizing the resistive portion, determine a position of the output member.

An effector system includes: a plurality of effector assemblies configured to engage a target object; a base having a plurality of mounting surfaces for movably supporting the effector assemblies; a plurality of actuators coupled to the base, each actuator including: an actuator housing defining a conduit having a first end and a second end; an output member slidable within the conduit; a first shape-memory transducer affixed between the first end and the output member; a second shape-memory transducer affixed between the second end and the output member; an electrical subassembly configured to control each actuator to cause the output member to slide towards a selected one of the first end and the second end; and a plurality of linkages between respective output members and effector assemblies, each linkage configured to move a corresponding effector assembly relative to the base in response to sliding of the respective output member.

Breakage of various parts during attaching or detaching of a substrate is inhibited. A substrate attaching/detaching robot includes a substrate holding member configured to hold a substrate, a robot arm configured to move the substrate holding member, and at least three line-shaped members connecting the substrate holding member and an end of the robot arm. The three line-shaped members are made of a shape-memory alloy. A temperature of the substrate holding member during attaching or detaching of the substrate onto or from a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate in a detachably attachable manner is in a range of a shape recovery temperature of the shape-memory alloy.

An articulated finger. The articulated finger comprises a first phalange; a second phalange; a self-locking joint coupling the first phalange to the second phalange, wherein the self-locking joint is configured to allow motion in a first rotational direction of the first phalange relative to the second phalange and prevent motion in a second rotational direction of the first phalange relative to the second phalange, wherein the first rotational direction is opposite the second rotational direction; and a compliant actuator configured to actuate the first phalange in the first rotational direction relative to the second phalange.