An automated truck unloader for unloading/unpacking product, such as boxes or cases, from trailers and containers is disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile base structure provides a support framework for a drive subassembly, conveyance subassembly, an industrial robot, a distance measurement subassembly, and a control subassembly. Under the operation of the control subassembly, an industrial robot having a suction cup-based gripper arm selectively removes boxes from the trailer and places the boxes on a powered transportation path. The control subassembly coordinates the selective articulated movement of the industrial robot and the activation of the drive subassembly based upon a perception-based robotic manipulation system.

A lift device includes a body having a cylindrical shape and an elastic member having an annular shape. The body includes, at an axial end thereof, a flat surface configured to hold a workpiece. The elastic member is disposed on an outer periphery of the flat surface of the body, and includes an annular protruding portion that protrudes beyond the flat surface of the body in an axial direction of the body. The annular protruding portion has a circular-arc-shaped cross-section. Air supplied to the body flows along the flat surface of the body and the annular protruding portion of the elastic member.

A state monitoring system for monitoring a state of a robot configured to perform work on a workpiece executes: a step of obtaining state data from a sensor and deriving a deterioration index parameter based on the obtained state data; a step of determining whether or not the deterioration index parameter is greater than a first threshold that is preset to a level lower than a level at which corrective maintenance is required; a step of further determining whether or not a frequency of having determined that the deterioration index parameter is greater than the first threshold is greater than a preset frequency threshold; and a step of suppressing an operation of the robot without stopping the robot if it is determined that the frequency is greater than the frequency threshold.

An example robot includes inks comprising a first link and a second link, together with joints among the links. A joint between the first link and the second link is configured to enable relative movement between the first link and the second link. An end effector is connected in series with one of the joints. A hose assembly is connected to the end effector. The hose assembly includes a hose having a first end for making connection to a vacuum source and a second end for making connection to the end effector. An elasticity of the hose assembly is greater along the length of the hose assembly than along the cross-section of the hose assembly.

A deterioration determination apparatus according to one or more embodiments may include: an information obtainment unit configured to obtain information on deformation of a suction portion that is configured to hold an object by suction with negative pressure and elastically deforms by the negative pressure; and a deterioration determination unit configured to determine whether or not the suction portion has deteriorated, depending on the deformation of the suction portion occurring when the suction portion holds the object by suction.

A vertical surface cleaning device comprising a main body, a cleaning arm, a cleaning head, and leg mechanisms with grippers. The cleaning head applies a cleaning fluid on a surface to carry out a cleaning operation. A waste collector is provided to collect a waste material arising from the cleaning operation. The grippers may remain in a grip or in a release state. The segments of the leg mechanisms are articulatable to configure a first group of the leg mechanisms to stably hold the main body at a first place with the grippers remaining in the grip state. A second group of the leg mechanisms move in a desired direction with their grippers in release state while the first group stably holds the main body. The first group of the leg mechanisms then moves in the same direction while the second group holds the main body at a second place.

This semiconductor device manufacturing device comprises: a stage; a bonding head; a copying mechanism provided on the bonding head; and a controller that executes the copying process to adjust a facing surface to be parallel to a reference plane by having the facing surface, which is a holding surface or a chip end face, follow the reference plane 110, which is a planar surface of the stage or a substrate. In the copying process, the controller moves the bonding head relative to the surface direction of the reference plane with the facing surface left abutting the reference plane in a state with the copying mechanism switched to a free state, until the axial direction position of the bonding head reaches a stipulated reference position, and when the axial direction position reaches the reference position, switches the copying mechanism to a locked state.

A gripper snorkel arrangement, configured for use on gripper unit of a robotic arm is disclosed. The gripper snorkel arrangement comprises an interface plate and a snorkel, wherein the interface plate is provided with at least one hole in fluid communication with an inner lumen of the snorkel. Further to this, a gripper assembly and a method for selectively removing misplaced packaging containers is presented.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for assembling a prism, and a production facility. The apparatus includes: a first station, configured for placement of the prism; a second station, configured for placement of a fitting body; a manipulator, configured to grasp the prism; a first drive unit, connected to the manipulator, and configured to drive the manipulator to be lifted or lowered; and a second drive unit, connected to the first drive unit, and configured to drive the first drive unit to reciprocate between the first station and the second station; a clamping device, disposed in the mounting slot of the fitting body, and configured to clamp the prism; and a controller, connected to the manipulator, the first drive unit, and the second drive unit.

A vacuum gripper for gripping an object surface using vacuum suction is configured to be portable or operated by a hoist. Battery conservation measures are included to provide a long term vacuum generation capability, together with manually rechargeable mechanism. A manually-operated vacuum pump is also integrated to the vacuum gripper as a safeguard for the battery-operated vacuum pump failure. The vacuum gripper includes an elastic deformable vacuum seal for gripping objects with irregular surfaces, together with press rods or pin array configured to assist the vacuum seal in filling any gaps between the vacuum seal and the object surface.