An apparatus for controlling an end-effector assembly is provided. The apparatus includes a elongated element configured to engage the end-effector assembly and a drive assembly. A first motion transfer mechanism is disposed at an end of the elongated element. The first motion transfer mechanism is configured to transfer a rotational motion of the elongated element to a motion of the end-effector assembly. A second motion transfer mechanism is disposed at the second end of the elongated element. The second motion transfer mechanism is configured to transfer a motion of the drive assembly to the rotational motion of the elongated element.

A food holding apparatus is a food holding apparatus configured to hold or release an ingredient. The food holding apparatus includes a base portion, a pair of arms drivably attached to the base portion, a pair of distal end portions respectively provided to distal ends of the pair of arms, and a control device configured to control an operation of the pair of arms. The control device is configured to control the operation of the pair of arms such that the pair of distal end portions hold the ingredient in an inner side between the distal end portions in a state of facing each other, and the pair of distal end portions release the ingredient held in the inner side between the distal end portions in a state of being separated from each other.

This invention relates to a pick and place gripper device and a method for picking up and re-positioning an item carried by a support surface. The gripper device includes a base, at least one jaw pivotally mounted to the base having at least one leading edge, at least one belt of flexible material being wrapped around at least the leading edge of the at least one jaw such that it is sandwiched between the at least one jaw and the item when the at least one jaw penetrates below the item and as the at least one jaw moves below the item there is substantially no relative sliding movement between the sandwiched portion of the at least one belt and the item, wherein the leading edge of the at least one jaw, when coming into contact with the support surface, is configured to adjust to the support surface when penetrating between the item and the support surface.

A robotic device that includes a housing defined by a proximal end and a distal end, the housing including a top planar surface, a bottom planar surface, and a sidewall extending between the top planar surface and the bottom planar surface. The housing further includes an angled surface extending distally from the proximal end between the bottom planar surface and the top planar surface such that the angled surface forms a wedged nose at the proximal end along the bottom planar surface. A conveyor track is positioned along the angled surface and transports articles positioned thereon from the proximal end along the bottom planar surface toward the distal end along the top planar surface.

An apparatus and method for transporting a plurality of articles is disclosed. The apparatus includes a wheeled chassis, and a platform disposed on the wheeled chassis. The apparatus also includes a manipulator coupled to the wheeled chassis and operably configured to load a first article of the plurality of articles at a first position on the platform, or unload the first article of the plurality of articles from the first position on the platform. The apparatus further includes at least one actuator operably configured to cause successive relative rotational movements between the manipulator and the platform to provide access to successive rotationally spaced apart positions on the platform for loading or unloading each subsequent article in the plurality of articles.

A sample storage including a frame and an array of sample container holding areas disposed within the frame where a spacing between adjacent sample container holding areas is independent of a gripping area for sample containers held by the sample storage.

A gripper device includes at least one gripper unit which is at least designed to, in at least one work step, grip and/or move a tool and/or a tool holder with at least one tool, and at least one protective unit, which is designed to at least substantially encompass at least a work region of the tool at least in part during the work step. The protective unit is fastened, at least in part during the work step, at least to the gripper unit.

A robot with new camera design and method for operating the robot is disclosed. The robot includes a control module configured to control and drive a multi-degree-of-freedom attachment system. The multi-degree-of-freedom attachment system attaches to a target acquiring device. The target acquiring device is configured to acquire a target located on an axis of acquisition of a target, wherein the axis is an extension line going through the target acquiring device. The robot further includes a vision sensor, located on an axis of acquisition of a target. The vision sensor acquires the image signal on the direction of the axis of acquisition of a target while the robot operates. In accordance with the image signal, the control module drives the multi-degree-of-freedom attachment system to adjust the attitude of the target acquiring device so as to adjust the axis of acquisition of a target to the direction towards the target.

A conveyance apparatus includes two clamp mechanisms. Each of the clamp mechanisms is configured to freely change its state among a fully clamping state, a semi-clamping state, and a non-clamping state. When an object is delivered from a first clamp mechanism that is holding the object to a second clamp mechanism, the second clamp mechanism is brought into the semi-clamping state to temporarily hold the object. Then, the first clamp mechanism is brought into the non-clamping state and the second clamp mechanism is brought into the fully clamping state.

A holding device for food includes a second posture detecting part configured to detect that all the plurality of foods fed to the given positions are in the second posture, and a control part configured to control operation of the second holding part to hold the plurality of foods in the second posture so that the foods are piled up in the given direction, when the second posture detecting part detects that all the plurality of foods are in the second posture at the given positions.