An end effector for engaging flexible packaging materials includes a frame, along with a first and second wheel mounted for rotation with respect to the frame. The first wheel and the second wheel are mounted to the frame relative to each other so that the outer surfaces of the two wheels are positioned opposite of each other. The first wheel and the second wheel can be driven in opposing directions to effectively define a roller intake which can be used to draw the flexible packaging materials of a target parcel between the first wheel and the second wheel. The end effector of the present invention can be combined with a robot to provide an improved system for engaging the flexible packaging materials of a parcel.

A manipulator apparatus for manipulating an article is disclosed. The apparatus includes an arm including a connecting end and a working end, an arm actuator coupled with the connecting end by an arm linkage, a lift actuator coupled with the connecting end, an end effector coupled with the working end by a rotatable connection, the end effector having an engagement orientation relative to the working end, and at least one cable coupled between the connecting end of the arm and the rotatable connection. The arm actuator is operable to cause the arm linkage to move the working end until the end effector engages an article in the engagement orientation; the lift actuator is operable to cause the connecting end to lift the working end, the end effector, and the article; and the cable is coupled to transmit movement of the connecting end to the rotatable connection to maintain the engagement orientation of the end effector.

An automatic analyzer has a transport device which includes a specimen rack gripping mechanism that grips the specimen rack on a first transport path on which the specimen racks are transported by the specimen rack being sandwiched between gripping plates from both sides of flanks in the transport direction to transport the specimen rack along the first transport path and a gripping width controller that controls a distance between the gripping plates of the specimen rack gripping mechanism in accordance with a width of the specimen rack. Accordingly, an automatic analyzer capable of transporting a plurality of types of the specimen racks while suppressing an increase in size of the apparatus and also an increase in cost can be provided.

In accordance with an embodiment, the invention provides an end effector for use with a programmable motion device. The end effector includes a pair of mutually opposing surfaces, at least one of the pair of mutually opposing surfaces being movable with respect to an end effector support structure for supporting the at least one of the pair of mutually opposing surfaces.

A gripper mechanism for gripping a load, the gripper mechanism including a body, a first actuator mechanism attached to the body and configured to linearly move a first gripping device; and a second actuator mechanism attached to the body and configured to rotate a second gripping device. A translation of the first gripping device and a rotation of the second gripping device result in gripping the load.

A robot (11) of the present invention includes: a first arm (13A); and a controller configured to control operation of the first arm. The first arm includes a first hand (18) at a distal end thereof, the first hand including a first gripper (22) for gripping a container (42) and a second gripper (23) for gripping a discharger (32). The controller is configured to control the first arm to: grip the discharger by the second gripper; then, grip and obtain the container from a container provider (19) and place the obtained container on a conveying body (51) at a container placing position on a moving path of the conveying body by the first gripper; and at a food/drink material filling position downstream of the container placing position on the moving path of the conveying body, cause the discharger gripped by the second gripper to discharge a food/drink material into the container to fill the container with the food/drink material.

A gripping mechanism includes an inclined surface, a rolling element, and a facing gripping part. The inclined surface is a surface inclined to a vertical direction. The rolling element freely rolls obliquely upward and downward on the inclined surface. The facing gripping part is arranged to face the inclined surface and forms an opening space with an end of the inclined surface, the opening space being narrower than a diameter of the rolling element. The rolling element includes: a core member forming a core of the rolling element; an annular member that is provided around the core member and has elasticity; and a plurality of ribs each of which is interposed between an outer periphery of the core member and an inner periphery of the annular member, and forms a gap between the core member and the annular member.

The invention relates to a consumable-material handling device for transporting and/or handling at least one consumable material (12a; 12b), in particular packaging material, comprising at least one at least partially autonomous handling unit (14a; 14b), which is at least provided for handling the consumable material (12a; 12b). According to the invention, the machine tool comprises at least one, in particular at least partially autonomous, mobility unit (16a; 16b), on which the handling unit (14a; 14b) is arranged and which is at least provided for enabling locomotion, in particular at least partially autonomous locomotion, of the handling unit (14a; 14b).

The present application discloses an automated restaurant comprising: a kitchen; a customer-tracking area comprising a dining area; and a plurality of vehicles. The kitchen comprises a storage apparatus to store ingredient containers, a transfer apparatus to move ingredient containers, and one or more cooking stations. Each vehicle is configured to move one or more food containers from cooking stations to dining tables. A tracking system comprises video cameras, lidars, etc., which are fixedly mounted. The tracking system can dynamically map out the fixtures, humans and vehicles in the restaurant. Information from the tracking system is used to control the motion of the vehicles. The tracking system can dynamically track the positions of customers in the customer-tracking area, so that foods ordered by specific customers may be automatically sent by vehicles to the customers' locations.

The robot hand holds a wire harness having a long harness main body and a connector connected to an end of the harness main body. The robot hand includes a fixed holding portion which holds the harness main body a vicinity of the end thereof, a pressing portion movable relative to the fixed holding portion in a longitudinal direction of the harness main body held by the fixed holding portion, and a driving unit which moves the pressing portion in a direction away from the fixed holding portion such that the pressing portion presses the connector outwardly in the longitudinal direction of the harness main body.