A soft robotic gripper having component parts capable of being assembled in the field at the terminus of an industrial robot arm for providing adaptive gripping of a product. A hub includes a pneumatic inlet leading to outlets. Finger mounts with pneumatic passages hold inflatable fingers, and tension fastener(s) secure and compress the finger mounts toward the hub by passing through the pneumatic passages and fastening under tension in a direction of the hub.

A system for loading a warewasher, which is embodied as a commercial conveyor warewasher. The loading system includes a gripping system having at least one parallel gripper (1), wherein the at least one parallel gripper (1) includes at least two clamping jaws (2, 3), between which a gripping region of the parallel gripper (1) is defined, wherein at least one of the at least two clamping jaws (2, 3) is segmented such that the at least one clamping jaw (2) is preferably automatically and/or self-adjustable at least in regions to a surface contour of a piece of washware to be gripped by the at least one parallel gripper (1).

Various examples are provided related to end effectors for use in, e.g., automation of sewing robots. In one example, among others, a compliant perimeter end effector includes a mounting bracket having a contact mounting flange, a plurality of compliant material contact elements coupled about a perimeter of the contact mounting flange. The mounting bracket can couple to a manipulator including, e.g., an industrial robot or other manipulation assembly. The compliant material contact elements can include a contact interface that can engage with a piece of material. The compliant material contact elements can precisely transfer material on a workspace with surface irregularities while equally distributing force to the material.

Various examples are provided related to end effectors for use in, e.g., automation of sewing robots. In one example, among others, a compliant perimeter end effector includes a mounting bracket having a contact mounting flange, a plurality of compliant material contact elements coupled about a perimeter of the contact mounting flange. The mounting bracket can couple to a manipulator including, e.g., an industrial robot or other manipulation assembly. The compliant material contact elements can include a contact interface that can engage with a piece of material. The compliant material contact elements can precisely transfer material on a workspace with surface irregularities while equally distributing force to the material.

The present disclosure relates to a clamp (100). The clamp (100) may include a housing (110), a driving mechanism (120), and a clamping jaw assembly (150). The driving mechanism may be disposed in the housing (110). The clamping jaw assembly (150) may be partially disposed outside the housing (110). The clamping jaw assembly (150) may include at least two clamping jaws. The driving mechanism (120) may drive the clamping jaw assembly (150) to move, such that the clamping jaw assembly (150) switches between a first deformation state and a second deformation state. The at least two clamping jaws may be gathered with each other in the first deformation state, and the at least two clamping jaws may be separated from each other in the second deformation state. The clamp may pick up objects within a certain size range, and may also pick up small-sized and densely arranged objects.

The invention provides a method for regulation of a sample manipulator. The method includes generating a list of at least one first displacement for at least one pre-defined object; estimating a least one second displacement with respect to at least one location on the manipulator; comparing the estimated displacement with the list of first displacements to obtain an optimum displacement; and computing at least one second force at the given location from the obtained optimum displacement. The estimation of the optimum displacement facilitates regulation of the manipulator.

The invention provides a method for regulation of a sample manipulator. The method includes generating a list of at least one first displacement for at least one pre-defined object; estimating a least one second displacement with respect to at least one location on the manipulator; comparing the estimated displacement with the list of first displacements to obtain an optimum displacement; and computing at least one second force at the given location from the obtained optimum displacement. The estimation of the optimum displacement facilitates regulation of the manipulator.

The invention relates to an arrangement of a gripper finger and a clamp for use in an automated parallel gripper comprising first and second gripper fingers that are moveable in a direction of translation (y), whereby the clamp is connected to the gripper finger at an underside thereof, so as to be rotational about a vertical axis of rotation (135). The clamp has a front face with a contact surface for engagement with a lateral edge of an item to be gripped and has a default orientation in which the front face is parallel to a lateral direction (x) that is perpendicular to the direction of translation (y) and to the vertical rotation axis (135). The arrangement is additionally provided with a self-alignment feature which comprises first and second biasing mechanisms arranged at either side of the rotation axis (135) in lateral direction (x). Each biasing mechanism has a first part (151, 152) connected to the finger and a second part (131, 132) connected to the clamp and is configured to exert a centering force that urges the first and second parts of each biasing mechanism into alignment with each other. When the clamp is in the default orientation, each biasing mechanism is preloaded to exert an equal moment load on the clamp in the direction of translation (y).

The invention relates to an arrangement of a gripper finger and a clamp for use in an automated parallel gripper comprising first and second gripper fingers that are moveable in a direction of translation (y), whereby the clamp is connected to the gripper finger at an underside thereof, so as to be rotational about a vertical axis of rotation (135). The clamp has a front face with a contact surface for engagement with a lateral edge of an item to be gripped and has a default orientation in which the front face is parallel to a lateral direction (x) that is perpendicular to the direction of translation (y) and to the vertical rotation axis (135). The arrangement is additionally provided with a self-alignment feature which comprises first and second biasing mechanisms arranged at either side of the rotation axis (135) in lateral direction (x). Each biasing mechanism has a first part (151, 152) connected to the finger and a second part (131, 132) connected to the clamp and is configured to exert a centering force that urges the first and second parts of each biasing mechanism into alignment with each other. When the clamp is in the default orientation, each biasing mechanism is preloaded to exert an equal moment load on the clamp in the direction of translation (y).

A harvesting tool configured to independently grasp and twist a target object. Related systems and methods are also disclosed.