An operating device for a handling device, with a gripping section and a coupling for a gripping device, with at least a part of the coupling being at or in the gripping section, so that it is rotatable about an axis of rotation, with a reading device for reading out an information carrier with coded data being placed on the side of the griping section facing the coupling, where the reading device is designed to read out an information carrier of a gripping device coupled to the coupling regardless of the rotational position of the coupling.

A handling apparatus has an arm having a joint; a holding portion attached to the arm and configured to hold an object; a sensor configured to detect a plurality of the objects; and a control apparatus configured to control the arm and the holding portion, wherein the control apparatus is configured to calculate an ease of holding the object by the holding portion as a score based on information acquired by the sensor with respect to each object and each holding method, select the object to hold and the holding method according to the score, and calculate a position for holding the selected object and an orientation of the arm.

A robot system of the present invention includes: a first hand including first holders, a first link structure, and a first engager; a second hand including second holders, a second link structure, and a second engagement receiver; a first arm to which the first hand is connected; a second arm to which the second hand is connected; and a controller configured to perform: (A) operating the first arm and/or the second arm to engage the first engager with the second engagement receiver; and (B) operating the first arm to change a distance between the first holders after performing (A).

A vacuum gripping system for grabbing and releasing an object has a base frame for operably engaging a robotic arm. The base frame includes a pneumatic source connector. The system also includes an extendable member configured to extend and retract relative to the base frame. The extendable member has a distal end and a proximal end. The extendable member also has an extended position and a retracted position defining a range of motion therebetween. The system further includes a vacuum cup coupled to the distal end of the extendable member. Still further, the system includes a pneumatic pathway extending from the vacuum cup to the pneumatic source connector. The pneumatic pathway passes through the extendable member such that the vacuum cup remains in pneumatic communication with the pneumatic source connector throughout the range of motion of the extendable member.

The system comprising containment equipment is intended for the aseptic transfer of a powder, namely for emptying a container filled with powder into a collection container and/or for filling a container with powder from a storage container. The containment equipment has a working chamber surrounded by a housing. A robot is installed in the containment equipment, having an arm arrangement that moves over a pivot range. If there is a collection container it has an inlet leading from the working chamber, and if there is a storage container it has an outlet leading off into the working chamber. The container can be closed at least with a first closure element. A transfer head is mounted at the inlet into the collection container and/or at the outlet of the storage container, each protruding into the working chamber. The passive part forms the double flap together with an active part contained in the transfer head.

A substrate conveying robot has a robot arm including an end effector having a substrate holding unit holding a substrate, arm drive unit for driving the robot arm, an elevating drive unit for elevatingly driving the end effector, a robot control unit controlling the arm drive unit, the elevating drive unit, and the substrate holding unit, and a substrate detection unit having a substrate detection unit which detects a vertical position of the substrate and elevates coordinately with an elevating operation of the end effector. By this configuration, a vertical position of a substrate to be conveyed is detected with high accuracy so that a robot operation can be controlled based on the detection result.

A transfer device for transferring eggs from a conveyor belt to egg packaging, the transfer device includes a frame with at least one mounting plate of a mounting element, on which mounting plate a plurality of suction lifting elements that can be connected to a suction apparatus are mounted. The suction lifting elements are mounted on the mounting plate so as to be movable in the plane of the mounting plate by motorized or hydraulic means between a suction position and a release position.

A slim and long multifunctional gripping mechanism has a bending- and torsion-resistant structure, on which several finger, suction, magnetic head and other mechanisms for a multitude of tasks are arranged. The gripper arm is composed in sandwich configuration of several cages placed on top of each other, like a multi-stage tower. The individual cages consist of two plates in parallel in lightweight construction, with their mutual distance being ensured by several rods, spokes, wires, ropes and strings. Most of the drives are contained within the first cage after the flange. From that position, all mechanisms participating in the action of the gripper are driven by rods, shafts, ropes, chains or belts traversing the cages. Further cages are used to attach and accommodate the components of finger mechanisms. Movable cages are used as drives for finger, suction or magnetic head mechanisms. Several finger mechanisms perform a different task each.

A handling device according to an embodiment has an arm, a holder, a storage, and a controller. The arm includes at least one joint. The holder is attached to the arm and is configured to hold an object. The storage stores a function map including at least one of information about holdable positions of the holder and information about possible postures of the holder. The detector is configured to detect information about the object. The controller is configured to generate holdable candidate points on the basis of the information detected by the detector, to search the function map for a position in an environment in which the object is present, the position being associated with the generated holdable candidate points, and to determine a holding posture of the holder on the basis of the searched position. The function map associates a manipulability with each position in the environment in which the object is present. The manipulability is a parameter calculated from at least one joint angle of the holder.

A trajectory generation device generates a trajectory of a robot for conveying an object. A path condition acquisition unit acquires path condition information including at least coordinates of a first via point which is a position of a reference point of a suction nozzle of the robot when the suction nozzle comes into contact with the object, and a velocity, an acceleration, and a jerk of the suction nozzle at the first via point. A pressurization distance and coordinate calculation unit calculates coordinates of a second via point which is a position of the reference point when the suction nozzle is pushed into the object, based on the path condition information; and a trajectory generation unit generates the trajectory of the suction nozzle which satisfies the path condition information and reaches an end point from a predetermined start point via the first via point and the second via point.