Provided are a system, method(s), and apparatus for automatically harvesting mushrooms from a mushroom bed. The system, in one implementation, may be referred to herein as an automated harvester, having at least an apparatus/frame/body/structure for supporting and positioning the harvester on a mushroom bed, a vision system for scanning and identifying mushrooms in the mushroom bed, a picking system for harvesting the mushrooms from the bed, and a control system for directing the picking system according to data acquired by the vision system. Various other components, sub-systems, and connected systems may also be integrated into or coupled to the automated harvester.

A robotic arm mounted camera system allows an end-user to begin using the camera for object recognition without involving a robotics specialist. Automated object model calibration is performed under conditions of variable robotic arm pose dependent feature recognition of an object. The user can then teach the system to perform tasks on the object using the calibrated model. The camera's body can have parallel top and bottom sides and adapted to be fastened to a robotic arm end and to an end effector with its image sensor and optics extending sideways in the body, and it can include an illumination source for lighting a field of view.

A low-friction medical device includes a first link, a second link, and a tension member. The first link is coupled to an instrument shaft and a first guide path is defined in the first link. The second link is rotatable relative to the first link through an angular range. A distal end portion of the second link is rotatably coupled to a tool member. A curved guide path is defined within the second link between the tool member and the first guide path. A curved guide surface of the second link defines a portion of the second guide path. A first portion of the tension member is parallel to a centerline of the first guide path, and a second portion is coupled to the tool member. A third portion of the tension member between the first and second portions is in contact with the curved guide surface throughout a portion of the angular range.

Example systems and methods are described that are capable of gripping objects. In one implementation, a method involves identifying, by a processing system, an object to be gripped at a first location, commanding, by the processing system, a robotic actuator to move a gripper in a first direction so that the gripper makes contact with the object, wherein one or more teeth in a plurality of fingers associated with the gripper mechanically engage the object, and commanding, by the proceeding system, the robotic actuator to move the gripper in a second direction that is substantially opposite to the first direction, causing the gripper to grip the object.

A method is provided that includes controlling a robotic gripping device to cause a plurality of digits of the robotic gripping device to move towards each other in an attempt to grasp an object. The method also includes receiving, from at least one non-contact sensor on the robotic gripping device, first sensor data indicative of a region between the plurality of digits of the robotic gripping device. The method further includes receiving, from the at least one non-contact sensor on the robotic gripping device, second sensor data indicative of the region between the plurality of digits of the robotic gripping device, where the second sensor data is based on a different sensing modality than the first sensor data. The method additionally includes determining, using an object-in-hand classifier that takes as input the first sensor data and the second sensor data, a result of the attempt to grasp the object.

A low-friction medical device is provided having roller-assisted tension members and a friction-reducing curved guide path. The device includes a first link, a second link, and a tension member. A proximal end portion of the first link is coupled to an instrument shaft. A proximal end portion of the second link is rotatably coupled to a distal end portion of first link about a first axis. The second link defines a curved guide path and a cable extends from the first link through the curved guide path to a distal end of the second link and couples with a tool member. A roller having a roller surface is coupled to the second link such that the roller surface is aligned with a portion of the curved path and contacts the cable therein. The curved guide surface has a small fleet angle.

A robotic system includes an end effector with one or more fin grippers that have one or more vacuum ports. The fin grippers are made of elastic material. The fin grippers each include contact and exterior flanges joined together with a series of crossbeams. The crossbeams each define a tube opening to form a tube guide channel between the contact and exterior flanges. In one form, the vacuum ports are located at fingertip ends of the fin grippers, and the vacuum ports include vacuum cups.

A mechanical finger for a mechanical hand, has: a proximal phalanx pivotably mountable to a support of the mechanical hand to pivot relative to the support about a finger pivot axis; a distal phalanx pivotably connected to the proximal phalanx via a first living hinge to pivot relative to the proximal phalanx about a first pivot axis; and a skeleton member pivotably connected at one end to the distal phalanx via a second living hinge to pivot relative to the distal phalanx about a second pivot axis offset from the first pivot axis and at another end operatively connected to an actuator of the mechanical hand to be selectively movable by the actuator to pivot the distal phalanx relative to the proximal phalanx and to pivot the distal phalanx relative to the support when the finger is in use.

An apparatus for a robotic limb includes one or more limb segments connected via one or more joints. The robotic limb may feature one or more dual-reduction quasi-quasi-direct-drive joint actuators that permit the robotic limb to move throughout a scene. The robotic limb may further include an end-effector connected to a free end of the robotic limb with one or more opposable fingers comprising a four bar linkage. The end-effector may include a main actuator that actuates the one or more fingers via the four-bar linkages to complete various tasks.

The present disclosure provides a wheel hub carrying manipulator which comprises a stand column, a forearm driving device and a claw hand device, wherein the stand column is fixed in the vertical direction, the claw hand device can drive a claw hand assembly to clamp and release a wheel hub through a connecting rod, by the manipulator, assembly line operation can be realized, the production efficiency can be greatly improved, the structure is simple, and the maintenance cost is low.