An end effector for harvesting edible crowns of broccoli plants. The end effector may include a body, fingers pivotably coupled to the body, and a rotary actuator disposed in the body. The rotary actuator operably couples to the fingers via one or more linkages and is configured to transition the fingers between an open position and a closed position. In the closed position, an edible crown is retained within the end effector, while in the open position, the edible crown is released from the end effector. A cutting mechanism of the end effector severs the edible crown from a stalk of the broccoli plant. A robotic arm may position the end effector relative to the edible crown for harvesting.

An interactive laboratory robotic system is described that includes devices for use in a laboratory including a robotic assistant that can perform tasks and that can be controlled and configured by humans. The robot may assist personnel in performing repetitive tasks within a laboratory, and capture and store transactional and analytical data, such as during a DNA sequencing process. The robot may include sensors and/or cameras to detect, recognize, and track objects in an environment, and a manipulable arm having a hand for grasping objects. Other components of the system may include a sample tray graspable by the robot; a tray carriage for holding sample trays within equipment; an interactive shelf for holding sample trays; a mobile cart for mating with and charging the robot; and an accessory unit to enable the robot to open doors of equipment. The system may help to reduce or eliminate mistakes by personnel.

A hand intended to equip a humanoid robot, the hand includes a palm and at least one finger extending along a first axis, the hand being capable of picking up an object, the finger comprising a first phalanx linked to the palm by a first motorized pivot link and a second phalanx consecutive to the first phalanx linked to the first phalanx by a second pivot link. The finger comprises a first mechanism linking the palm to the second phalanx configured such that the rotation of the first phalanx about the second axis causes the second phalanx to rotate about the third axis, and a second mechanism linking the palm to each of the phalanges configured to actuate the finger in such a way that the finger wraps around the object to be picked up, and the second mechanism is configured to deform the first mechanism.

The present invention relates to a gripping apparatus (100) for gripping objects, comprising a sleeve-like main body (200), a permanent magnet (210) accommodated in the main body (200), and an armature element (220) which is arranged coaxially with the permanent magnet (210) and is designed to be movable between a first position close to the permanent magnet and a second position remote from the permanent magnet, wherein: the sleeve-like main body (200) comprises at least two gripping fingers (230) which are each designed to be connected to the armature element (220) by means of an actuating bar (240), and the gripping fingers (230) are moved towards one another when the armature element (220) is moved into the first position, and moved away from each other to a release position when the armature element (220) is moved into the second position; and the gripping apparatus (100) comprises a switchable coil (300) which, when in the switched state, is designed to generate a magnetic field that opposes the permanent magnet (210).

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.

A pizza transfer tool incorporating a vertical shaft; an upper member mounted to the vertical shaft for upward and downward motions; a lower member mounted to the vertical shaft for upward and downward motions; a circumferential array of upper pivot arms having proximal ends pivotally mounted to the upper member; a circumferential array of lower pivot arms having proximal ends pivotally mounted to the lower member; a circumferential array of linking members having inner ends and outer ends, wherein each outer end is pivotally mounted to a distal end of one of the upper pivot arms, and wherein each inner end is pivotally mounted to a distal end of one of the lower pivot arms; and a circumferential array of spatulas attached to the linking member's inner ends.

A hand 100 includes a first gripper 2 and a second gripper 5. The second gripper 5 grips a workpiece located on a predetermined axis E. The first gripper 2 includes two first fingers 21 that are opened and closed in a predetermined opening/closing direction. Each of the first fingers 21 includes a first part 22 including a distal end and a second part 23 including a proximal end, and is bent or curved such that the first part 222 moves between an interference position M1 at which an imaginary region X defined by projecting the first part 22 in the opening/closing direction A interferes with the axis E and a non-interference position M2 at which the imaginary region X does not interfere with the axis E.

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 gripper apparatus including a gripper frame and a gripper beak; an actuation mechanism for actuating the gripper beak; a clamping force generator biased to exert a clamping force on the gripper beak; a transmission mechanism including an input member that is vertically displaceable with respect to the gripper frame, wherein the transmission mechanism engages the actuation mechanism such that a high position of the input member corresponds to a closed position of the gripper beak while a downward displacement of the input member corresponds to a transition of the gripper beak to an open position; a vertically displaceable carrier coupling device that in a lower rest position presses down on the input member; and a latch mechanism, preferably of alternate push-push type, for holding the gripper beak in its open position.

A fine work assistance system is configured such that a parallel link mechanism is used for a slave manipulator activated by a master operation, and a precise motion for microsurgery or the like is performed by remote control. In a slave unit of a master-slave manipulator, the parallel link mechanism with multiple degrees of freedom is used for a link mechanism in which an end effector is movable with respect to a base. Moreover, a tip operation part is driving by a hydraulic driving mechanism such that a plurality of linear actuators supported by the base move one ends of links so as to move the end effector, and the slave unit is activated in response to a user operation on the master unit. This achieves the precise motion of the end effector and causes the end effector to perform operations for a precise work.