A mechanical device includes opposed frame members and an actuator assembly. The opposed frame members are slidably coupled to each other in a longitudinal direction. The opposed frame members are biased away from each other. The actuator assembly is mounted to the opposed frame members and includes an actuator and a locking member. The actuator includes an engagement pad and at least one lateral protrusion. The actuator being slidably disposed relative to one of the opposed frame members along the longitudinal direction. The locking member is kinematically coupled to the actuator and slidably disposed relative to the other opposed frame member. The locking member includes an inclined surface adapted to engage the at least one lateral protrusion.

A plants management/treatment system is disclosed comprising at least one robotic arm system configured to reciprocally move along a longitudinal axis thereof towards or away suspension devices placed on a cable, a manipulator coupled to the at least one robotic arm and configured to grip one of the suspension devices between gripping fingers thereof and manipulate it to adjust at least one of suspension height of the plant coupled to the suspension device, or location of the suspension device along the cable, and at least one sensing unit coupled to the at least one robotic arm and configured to detect location of one of the suspension devices suspended from the cable, and generate signals/data to cause the at least one robotic arm to reciprocally move along the longitudinal axis to grip the suspension device and manipulate it.

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 chuck unit including a pair of fingers that capable of being freely opened and closed, an operation unit that includes an operation mechanism, which opens and closes the pair of fingers, connection mechanisms for attaching the chuck unit to the operation unit such that the chuck unit is freely attachable and detachable to and from the operating unit, and a locking mechanism that locks the pair of fingers such that the pair of fingers are capable of being freely opened and closed when the chuck unit is attached to the operation unit and such that the pair of fingers are not able to be opened or closed when the chuck unit is detached from the operation unit.

A gripping/clamping device for gripping/clamping objects includes a drive that drives an actuator, and a jaw movably coupled to the actuator. An elastically deformable spring element is provided between the actuator and the jaw. A braking unit is provided, by either the actuator, or a movably coupled component provided between the actuator and the drive, that is fixed when an object is gripped. The elastically deformable spring element is elastically deformed. The drive has a rotating drive shaft. The braking unit fixes the rotating drive shaft. A drive transmission with an output shaft is downstream of the drive shaft. The drive transmission is provided between the drive and the actuator. The actuator is a pinion that rotates about a rotational axis. The elastically deformable spring element is provided between the jaw and a gear rack section disposed on the jaw meshing with the pinion.

Finger parts flex and extend about joint sections. A wire is arranged along each finger part through the joint sections. A motor winds the wires to pull the wires in the flexing direction and cause the finger parts to flex. A polymer actuator arranged to correspond to a part of each wire is formed in an elongated shape of a polymer material and elastically deforms in response to an application of voltage and performs extension and contraction in the axial direction by being restored to the original shape in response to stoppage of the voltage application. A lock mechanism restricts relative movement between the wire and the motor after the wire has been wound up by the motor. The polymer actuator performs extension and contraction while relative movement is restricted by the lock mechanism, thereby pulling the wire in the flexing direction.

A soft robotic actuator is disclosed. The actuator includes a first portion with a substantially constant profile and a second portion with a regularly varying profile, and bends in a pressure-dependent fashion as the internal pressure within the actuator is increased or decreased.

A device for a robot includes a structure having a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism has an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration. The device also includes a receiving surface mechanically coupled to the locking mechanism. The receiving surface is configured to interact with a member of the robot to move the locking mechanism between the engaged configuration and the disengaged configuration.

The present disclosure relates to a gripping device includes a casing and at least two gripping assemblies. Each of the gripping assembly includes a fingertip, a connecting rod assembly and an attaching assembly. A first end of the connecting rod assembly is connected to the fingertip, and a second end of the connecting rod assembly is rotatably connected to the casing. The attaching assembly is disposed on a side of the connecting rod assembly facing the target object to be gripped. The gripping device is configured to be switched between a first gripping mode and a second gripping mode. In the first gripping mode, the gripping device clamps the target object by the fingertips cooperating with each other. In the second gripping mode, the gripping device adheres and/or adsorbs the target object by the attaching assemblies cooperating with each other to implement a gripping operation.

Various aspects of robotic grippers are disclosed herein. In one aspect, a robotic gripper may include three gripper fingers arranged on a mechanical end effector, the three gripper fingers configured to translate radially when actuated to contact and align with a gripper interface located on a part to enable manipulation of the part. In various embodiments, each gripper finger may include an elongated portion configured to contact an outer surface of the gripper interface when the gripper fingers are actuated. Each gripper finger may further include a hook portion configured to contact an inner surface of the gripper interface opposing the outer surface. In various embodiments, the hook portion may include a receptacle positioned to align with a complementary protrusion on the gripper interface.