A retainer apparatus configured to releasably retain an article, comprising a face plate member each having a front face, a plurality of vacuum cups and a plurality of support pins each extending distally relative to the front face, respectively, wherein the vacuum cups and the support pins are laterally spaced from one another, wherein the plurality of vacuum cups retain the article to the retainer apparatus in a presence of vacuum, wherein the plurality of support pins are extendable/retractable relative to the face plate member, wherein each of the support pins have a longitudinal axis, respectively, and are configured to contact the article to support the article against movement along the longitudinal axis and support the article against movement transverse to the longitudinal axis, and a locking mechanism configured to inhibit the support pins from being retractable and extendable when the locking mechanism is engaged.

An object of an embodiment is to provide a robot hand with high versatility for various kinds of workpieces. A robot hand according to the embodiment has a pair of grasping sections that are disposed to face each other to grasp a workpiece. The pair of grasping sections are equipped with a pair of workpiece contact sections. The pair of grasping sections are moved in directions to move close to and separate from each other by a moving mechanism. The workpiece contact section is a vacuum suction section including flexibility. The vacuum suction section grasps a workpiece while vacuum-sucking the workpiece.

An information processing apparatus for determining an area of a packaged object in a packaging material to suctioned by a suction device for picking up the packaged object includes an input unit configured to input an image obtained by capturing the packaged object, and a determining unit configured to, based on a state of a surface of the packaging material regarding a degree of ease of suction in each area of the surface of the packaging material identified based on the image, determine the area to be suctioned by the suction device.

According to one embodiment, a gripping tool includes a gripper. The gripper is flexible and includes a first portion contacting a workpiece, a second portion opposing the first portion, and a granular material provided between the first portion and the second portion. The first portion includes a concave portion and a convex portion. The concave portion is recessed in a first direction. The first direction is from the first portion toward the second portion The convex portion is provided around the concave portion and protrudes in a second direction. The second direction is the reverse of the first direction. The concave portion has a groove having a ring configuration recessed outward from a center of the gripper.

The invention concerns a lifting tube as well as a vacuum lifting device with such a lifting tube. The lifting tube has a tube wall extending about a lengthwise axis and enclosing a tube interior, while the lifting tube can be reversibly deformed along its lengthwise axis into an elongated configuration and, with reduction of the tube interior, a contracted configuration. The tube wall has a plurality of outer crease lines, along which the tube wall can buckle to produce the contracted configuration, while the outer crease lines run obliquely to each other so that, when deformed into the contracted configuration, the tube wall experiences a torsion about the lengthwise axis in some sections.

A robotic system includes a robot, an end-effector assembly disposed at a distal end of a main boom, rotatable parallel frame rails, and tool support branches. Tool modules are connected to a tool support branch and rotatable/translatable with respect to a respective branch axis. A configuration tool has a control block engaged by a wrist of the robot and a work tool. A controller commands the robot to automatically configure the end-effector assembly by adjusting the frame rails and/or tool support branches or tool modules using the work tool, doing so in response to an identified work task. Engagement of the wrist with the tool changer is commanded and the identified work task is executed using the end-effector assembly. A configuration stand may automatically flip the end-effector assembly to a configuration location, command engagement of the wrist with the tool changer, and configure the end-effector assembly.

A method for palletizing by a robot includes positioning an object at an initial position adjacent to a target object location, tilting the object at an angle relative to a ground plane, shifting the object in a first direction from the initial position toward a first alignment position, shifting the object in a second direction from the first alignment position toward a second alignment position, and releasing the object from the robot to pivot the object toward the target object location.

It is a major problem encountered in criminology studies, to match the fired bullet with the firearm. One of the acts being featured in the solution of this problem is to provide a holding appropriate for the fired bullet. This invention is about a vacuum powered bullet holder system to be used in forensic analysis of marks on fired bullet.

The present invention provides a sheet glass alignment system. The sheet glass alignment system comprises: an upper alignment platform and a lower alignment platform (1, 3) which are oppositely located; the upper alignment platform (1) is capable of moving up and down relative to the lower alignment platform (3); the upper alignment platform and the lower alignment platform (1, 3) respectively comprise a plurality of first and second stepped holes (13, 33) penetrating upper and lower surfaces thereof, and each of the first stepped holes (13) comprises a first wide portion (131) facing the lower alignment platform (3) and a first narrow portion (132) connecting to the first wide portion (131), and each of the second stepped holes (33) comprises a second wide portion (331) facing the upper alignment platform (1) and a second narrow portion (332) connecting to the second wide portion (331); first and second sucking discs are respectively installed on the first and the second wide portions (131, 331); a plurality of first and second push rods (19, 39) are respectively inserted into the plurality of first and second stepped holes (13, 33) and capable of moving up and down along axes of the plurality of first and second stepped holes (13, 33) where the plurality of first and second push rods (19, 39) are positioned therein.

An automated truck unloader (10) 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 (56), a distance measurement subassembly, and a control subassembly (62). Under the operation of the control subassembly, an industrial robot (56) having a suction cup-based gripper arm selectively removes boxes from the trailer and places the boxes on a powered transportation path (88). The control subassembly (62) coordinates the selective articulated movement of the industrial robot (56) and the activation of the drive subassembly based upon a perception-based robotic manipulation system.