There is provided an inside-diameter measuring unit capable of automating inside-diameter measurement and a control method for automatic inside-diameter measurement. An inside-diameter measuring part is supported by a support frame part via a floating joint part. The floating joint part includes a rotation-allowing mechanism part and a translation-allowing mechanism part. A measuring head part of the inside-diameter measuring part is inserted into a hole by a robot arm part. The inside-diameter measuring part adjusts its position and posture autonomously by the reaction force when a contact point pushes against the inner wall of the hole to align the axis of the inside-diameter measuring part with the axis of the hole. An electric inside-diameter measuring unit can automatically measure the inside diameter of a hole.

Waveguides, such as light guides, made entirely of elastomeric material or with indents on an outer surface are disclosed. These improved waveguides can be used in scissors, soft robotics, or displays. For example, the waveguides can be used in a strain sensor, a curvature sensor, or a force sensor. In an instance, the waveguide can be used in a hand prosthetic. Sensors that use the disclosed waveguides and methods of manufacturing waveguides also are disclosed.

A gripping assembly for gripping an object is provided. The gripping assembly includes a gripping member. The gripping member includes a mounting base and a plurality of fingers. The plurality of fingers include a central finger and a plurality of adjoining fingers. The central finger is slidably coupled to the mounting base such that the central finger is movable in a lateral direction. The plurality of adjoining fingers are positioned on opposing sides of the central finger in a longitudinal direction. Each of the plurality of adjoining fingers are pivotally coupled to the mounting base and coupled to the central finger such that a movement of the central finger in the lateral direction pivots the plurality of adjoining fingers with respect to the mounting base.

An information processing apparatus (30) includes: an operation control unit (321) that operates at least one of a first finger and a second finger to change contact positions with a target object in a state where the first finger and the second finger grip the target object; and an estimation unit (322) that estimates a shape of the target object on a basis of a relationship between the contact positions and postures of the first finger and the second finger.

A system, a method, and a program for generating a three-dimensional model are provided. A system for generating a three-dimensional model according to an embodiment includes an end effector including a flexible grip part for gripping an object, a deformation sensor configured to detect a deformed shape of the grip part in a state of gripping the object, a calculation unit configured to calculate a normal direction of a surface of the object from surface shape data of the object, a decision unit configured to decide a grip position of the object to be gripped by the end effector based on the normal direction, and a coordinate system setting unit configured to set a reference coordinate system according to the deformed shape of the grip part.

Systems and methods for estimating deformation and field of contact forces are described. A method includes generating a reference configuration including reference points in space. The reference configuration corresponds to an initial shape of a membrane prior to contact with the manipuland. The method further includes receiving raw data from a TOF device. The raw data includes points in space measured by the TOF device and indicating deformation of the membrane due to contact with the manipuland. The method further includes determining deformation of the membrane that best approximates a current configuration in a least squares sense while satisfying a discrete physical model enforced as a linear constraint that corresponds to a linearized physical model of the deformation that is discretized with an FEM, linearizing the relationship, and estimating deformation and field of contact forces by solving a least squares formulation with physical constraints cast as a sparse quadratic program.

A wearable suit and control method thereof is disclosed herein. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of controlling a wearable suit including a muscular strength assistance unit, at least a portion of which is made of a shape memory alloy material, is provided, the method including: a heating process of heating the muscular strength assistance unit to provide auxiliary force to a user of the wearable suit; and a cooling process of cooling the muscular strength assistance unit to reduce the auxiliary force, wherein the cooling process is a process of cooling the muscular strength assistance unit based on an operating time of the user.

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a foot structure for a walking robot including a link configured to define a body, a buffer unit coupled to one end portion of the link and having a vacant space formed therein, and a pressure sensor provided in the link and configured to detect a change in pressure of air in the vacant space in the buffer unit.

A transport device has a position detection portion, a holding portion attached to an arm, a driving portion to drive the holding portion and the arm, and a control portion. A control portion controls the position detection portion and the driving portion to perform, as one cycle, a procedure to detect a position of a parcel, select parcels based on a predetermined condition, and set priority for the selected parcels, and a procedure to refer to a result of the detection, and cause the holding portion to take out one or more parcels from the accumulation portion in accordance with the priority to transport the parcels to a predetermined location, and excludes, from parcels to be taken out, a second parcel that is present within a predetermined distance from a first parcel and has priority lower than the priority of the first parcel, during the one cycle.

A liquid handling robot has a worktable that supports a rack holding a set of pipette tips. The liquid handling robot also has an arm that is operably suspended above the worktable, where the arm includes a tip receiver that is configured to engage the set of pipette tips. A controller of the liquid handling robot is configured to raise the tip receiver away from the worktable to withdraw the engaged set of pipette tips from the rack. A sensor is fixed relative to the worktable and is operable to emit a beam. A microcontroller monitors the sensor with the arm in a checking position to determine if the rack interrupts in the beam to indicate that the rack stuck to the pipette tips, which is autonomously resolved by the liquid handling robot performing a corrective action.