A variable conductive apparatus responsive to an applied external force for use in a variable pressure sensor, monitoring system, or other devices. The variable conductive apparatus comprises a first conductive path that includes a first conductive surface; a second conductive path that includes a second conductive surface, a part of the second conductive surface having a conductive contact surface area with a part of the first conductive surface when there is no applied external force, another part of the second conductive surface separate from another part of the first conductive surface when there is no applied external force, wherein the applied external force increases conductive contact surface area between the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface and results in an increase in conductivity between the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface.

The present invention relates to gripping tongs, particularly pneumatically operated gripping tongs. The gripping tongs comprise a housing in which a preferably pneumatically operable linear drive is formed. A first and a second gripper jaw movable relative to each other and relative to the housing, in particular pivotably mounted, are further provided. To be able to detect whether a workpiece (object to be gripped) has been effectively gripped, particularly in the case of miniature gripping tongs of this type, the invention provides for one of the two gripper jaws of the gripping tongs to itself be designed as a sensor and thereby serve to emit a corresponding signal when the gripper jaws of the gripping tongs have gripped a workpiece and/or when the gripping tongs are in their closed state.

Gripper pads are provided for use, augmentation or retrofitting in a robot manipulator. The gripper pads distinguish a dry adhesive layer with dry adhesive wedges that would interface with an object that is desired to be manipulated. The plurality of dry adhesive wedges is organized in a pattern such that the pattern has at least two different orientations for the direction of the plurality of wedges. The gripper pads further distinguish a sensor array underneath the dry adhesive layer. The data obtained from the sensor array provides an estimate of the shape and size of the contact between the gripper pad and the object when the dry adhesive layer is in contact with the object.

A sensorized covering, prearranged for covering at least part of a movable structure of an automated device. The sensorized covering is useful for sensing an actual impact or anticipating an imminent impact to the automated device. The sensorized covering includes one or more covering modules wherein each covering module may include contact sensors and/or proximity sensors, a loading bearing structure and/or controls. The individual sensorized modules may be independently connected or controlled, or connected together and collectively controlled. Examples of the automated device my include a movable robots or an automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

Emergency stop pressure sensors 17 are installed on both side surfaces of a movable link 11 of a robot arm 14 of an assembly robot. When a worker S unintentionally walks in a swing range Ra of the robot arm 14 and contacts the emergency stop pressure sensor 17, a detection signal is transmitted to a control unit 19, and the control unit 19 shuts power transmission to a driving source swinging the robot arm. The emergency stop pressure sensor 17 has a first electrode and a second electrode constituting a pair of electrodes and an intermediate layer formed of rubber or a rubber composition, which is disposed between the pair of electrodes, the intermediate layer generating power upon deformation caused by contact with a contacted body (the worker). A side of the intermediate layer in a laminate direction undergoes surface modification treatment and/or inactivation treatment. With this treatment, the one side and the other side of the intermediate layer have different degrees of deformation to the same deformation adding force.

A force detector includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a circuit board provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, and an element mounted on the circuit board and outputting a signal in response to an external force, wherein a hole is formed in the circuit board at a location where the element is placed, and a first convex part inserted into the hole and protruding toward the element is provided on the first substrate. Further, the element is placed within a periphery of the first convex part as seen from a direction perpendicular to the first substrate.

A soft robot having an integrated electrical component includes an expandable or collapsible body, the body comprising an inlet that is configured to communicate with a fluid source and a flexible strain limited layer secured to a portion of the expandable or collapsible body, wherein the strain limited layer includes at least one electrical component.

A force detection apparatus includes a first member, a second member placed to be opposed to the first member, a sensor device placed between the first member and the second member and including a force detection element having at a piezoelectric element that outputs a signal according to an external force, and a pressurization bolt provided in an outer periphery of the sensor device in a plan view as seen from a direction in which the first member and the second member overlap and pressurizing the sensor device, wherein the first member has a groove which is between the sensor device and the pressurization bolt in the plan view.

A force detection apparatus includes a first member, a second member, a piezoelectric sensor device sandwiched by the first member and the second member and outputting electric charge according to an external force, and a conversion and output circuit converting an electric charge output from the piezoelectric sensor device into a voltage and outputting the voltage. When a detectable range of a component of the external force in a predetermined axis direction is a first range, the external force is detected within the first range. When the detectable range is a second range different from the first range, the external force is detected within the second range.

A control device controls the arm such that a first contacting operation of setting an object to a first orientation and bringing the object into contact with an inserted object is performed, and an inserting operation of setting the object to a second orientation different from the first orientation and inserting the object by moving the object in a first direction is performed. Between the first contacting operation and the inserting operation, the control device performs a second contacting operation of bringing the object and the inserted object into contact in a portion different from a contact portion in the first contacting operation by performing force control such that a component of a target force in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction is set to a value greater than 0 based on an output from the force sensor at an orientation at which the object is tilted.