The invention discloses a robotic dexterous hand including a plurality of finger mechanisms, the finger mechanisms comprises: an actuator; a connecting element with one end fixed to the actuator; a plurality of fingers including a plurality of knuckles, the knuckle includes a fixed knuckle positioned at the other end of the connecting element, the fixed knuckles are arranged in parallel and jointly form a palm of the robotic dexterous hand; wherein the actuator drives the flexion of the fingers to perform the gripping of a target object. The fingers and the palm are built from the multiple knuckles having a same structure. Design is required merely for the structure of a single knuckle, the need for discretely designing the structure of the fingers and that of the palm is obviated, thus greatly reducing the types of components, at the same time, simplifying the structure, and favoring the production and management.

An articulatable member includes a distal end, a proximal end, an actuation member, and a constraint member. The actuation member extends from the proximal end to the distal end. The actuation member transmits force to bend the articulatable member from a neutral position. The constraint member extends from the proximal end to the distal end. The constraint member may have opposite ends that are fixed to the distal end and the proximal end. In one embodiment, the constraint member follows a helical path along at least a portion of the articulatable member from the proximal end to the distal end. In another embodiment, the actuation member follows a helical path along at least a portion of the articulatable member.

A robot configured to use a gripper to grasp one or more tools is disclosed. In various embodiments, the robot comprises a robotic arm having a gripper disposed at a free moving end of the robotic arm, and a set of two or more tools configured to grasped or otherwise engaged by the gripper. Each tool in the set of two or more tools may be disposed in a corresponding tool holder, optionally attached to the robot or situated near the robot. The robot is configured to use the gripper to retrieve a selected tool from its tool holder to perform a task; use the tool to perform the task; and return the tool to its tool holder.

The invention discloses a robotic dexterous hand including a plurality of finger mechanisms, the finger mechanisms comprises: an actuator; a connecting element with one end fixed to the actuator; a plurality of fingers including a plurality of knuckles, the knuckle includes a fixed knuckle positioned at the other end of the connecting element, the fixed knuckles are arranged in parallel and jointly form a palm of the robotic dexterous hand; wherein the actuator drives the flexion of the fingers to perform the gripping of a target object. The fingers and the palm are built from the multiple knuckles having a same structure. Design is required merely for the structure of a single knuckle, the need for discretely designing the structure of the fingers and that of the palm is obviated, thus greatly reducing the types of components, at the same time, simplifying the structure, and favoring the production and management.

A robot includes a replacement determination unit (73) determining timing to replace a cover attachable to and detachable from part of a surface of a robot main member in accordance with a determination standard corresponding to usage of the robot, and a cover replacement unit (77, 78) controlling processing of replacing the cover with the robot main member on the basis of a result of the determination.

An air chuck includes: a finger support part including a pair of fingers and a pair of lock shafts; a chuck main body part including an operation mechanism operable to open and close the fingers; and linking mechanisms that detachably link the finger support part to the chuck main body part. Each of the linking mechanisms causes the corresponding lock shaft to shift to a non-lock position so as to render the pair of fingers capable of being opened and closed when the finger support part is linked to the chuck main body part. Each of the linking mechanisms causes the corresponding lock shaft to shift to a lock position and locks the pair of fingers so as to render the pair of fingers incapable of being opened and closed when the finger support part is detached from the chuck main body part.

An air chuck includes: a finger support part including a pair of fingers; a chuck main body part including an operation mechanism operable to open and close the pair of fingers; and linking mechanisms that detachably link the finger support part to the chuck main body part. The linking mechanisms each include: a linking shaft that extends from the finger support part; a shaft insertion hole formed in a body of the chuck main body part; a catch body that becomes elastically caught on a catch surface of the linking shaft when the linking shaft is inserted into the shaft insertion hole; and a delinking member that is manually operated so as to release the catch body caught on the catch surface when the finger support part is detached from the chuck main body part.

Retention mechanisms are used for coupling two objects, such as coupling end-of-arm tooling to a robotic arm system. The retention mechanisms may include two mounting members, each of which may be attached to a respective object to be coupled, such as an end effector and a robotic device appendage. The retention mechanisms may use interlocking alternating fingers on each mounting members to cooperatively form a tapered annular channel into which an external retaining ring or disc spring fits and applies pressure to secure the opposing mounting members in tight proximity to each other.

A gripping device for the gripping, holding and guiding of in particular bottle-like containers includes at least one gripper arm pair of a first gripper arm as well as a second gripper arm of complementary form to the first gripper arm, wherein the gripper arms each comprise a respective base body and gripping section; at least one closing means for closing the gripper arm pair from an open position into a gripping position as well as at least one opening means for opening the gripper arm pair from the gripping position into the open position. The at least one closing means or the at least one opening means is thereby arranged on the gripping device so as to be replaceable.

An attaching-detaching mechanism (23, 63) of a gripping device includes: a tubular support member (44, 84) provided to a movable member (3, 4) to protrude in the guide hole (24, 64); engagement members (46, 86) respectively inserted in support holes (45, 85) of the support member (44, 84) so as to be radially movable; an operation portion (49, 89) inserted in a guide hole (24, 64); wedge portions (50, 90) provided on an inner peripheral wall of the operation portion (49, 89); a connecting rod (53, 93) provided to protrude from a claw member (22, 62) and configured to be insertable into a tubular hole (51, 91) of the support member (44, 84); and a lock portion (56, 96) provided on an outer peripheral wall of the connecting rod (53, 93).