According to one embodiment, a holding mechanism includes a first holding part, a second holding part, a first guide, a second guide, a third guide, a fourth guide, and a driving mechanism. The second holding part faces the first holding part in a first direction. The first guide is connected to the first holding part and capable of moving the first holding part in the first direction. The second guide is connected to the second holding part and capable of moving the second holding part in the first direction. The third guide is capable of moving the first guide in the first direction. The fourth guide is capable of moving the second guide in the first direction, and aligned with the third guide in the first direction. The drive mechanism changes a distance between the first holding part and the second holding part.

A controller for a commissioning device for storing piece goods such as medicinal packages is provided. The controller includes a delivery table that extends in a first direction, two elongated clamping jaws disposed above the delivery table, the jaws having clamping surfaces that face one another, and a clamping jaw guide apparatus with a frame structure, at least one first and one second guide which are separated from one another in the first direction and extend in a second direction, and at least four clamping jaw carriages which are coupled to the guides and driven in the second direction. Two clamping jaw carriages each are associated with a guide and at least two clamping jaw carriages separated from one another in the first direction are coupled to one clamping jaw, respectively.

A workpiece supply-and-discharge device includes a fixed portion, and a swivel portion that swivels on a bed. The fixed portion is provided with a plurality of fixed rails having an arc shape and separated from each other. Movable rails enter or exit from gaps left between the fixed rails as reciprocating actuators operate. Workpiece gripping portions configured to grip a workpiece are provided with sliders. When the workpiece gripping portions carry the workpieces while swiveling integrally with the swivel portion, the sliders transfer from the movable rails to the fixed rails or from the fixed rails to the movable rails.

A hand includes a base, two first fingers extending from the base and bendable, and an opening/closing actuator disposed in the base and moves the two first fingers in a predetermined opening/closing direction so that the two first fingers grip a workpiece. Further, there is a bending actuator disposed in the base and causes the two first fingers to bend. Each of the first fingers includes a second part extending from the base and a first part coupled to the second part to be rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the opening/closing direction. The first part is bendable with respect to the second part. The first part includes a damper that causes the first part to elasticity extend and contract in an extension direction of the first part.

Embodiments provide shelves, bracket systems, automated picker robots, totes, and other features that may be used with delivery vehicle configurations that have automated cargo areas. A delivery vehicle may include a picking robot that selectively retrieves packages for delivery without requiring substantial human intervention for locating those packages. The cargo area of the delivery vehicle may further comprise a plurality of customizable shelving units that generate custom-sized shelves for packages. The shelves may include a plurality of individually movable shelf brackets having retaining members that pivot between an extended and retracted position to hold the package in place and to enable the picking robot to retrieve the package from the shelf. Another embodiment provides for a tote having a drive mechanism to hold letters so that a letter may be automatically retrieved from the cargo arear and provided at a delivery location.

Systems and methods for automated assembly of a B.sub.0 magnet assembly for use in a point-of-care MRI system are provided herein. A gripper capable of gripping a permanent magnet with a high clamping force is provided for positioning the permanent magnet in the B.sub.0 magnet assembly in accordance with a permanent magnet layout. A robot having multiple degrees of freedom is provided for positioning the gripper. Components of the system described herein have been developed to withstand the effects of strong magnetic forces generated by high-strength magnetic fields surrounding the B.sub.0 magnet assembly.

A transmission module for transmitting torques having a base, a first drive shaft, a second drive shaft parallel thereto, a first output shaft and a second output shaft, both rotatable about a common axis, the axes of the drive shafts are arranged parallel to the axis of the output shafts, a gear unit, where the two drive shafts, the gear unit and the first output shaft are rotatably supported in the base, and the second output shaft is rotatably supported in the first output shaft and the gear unit is designed in such a way that a synchronous rotary movement of the two output shafts can be effected by a rotary movement of the first drive shaft and a relative rotary movement of the two output shafts can be effected by a rotary movement of the second drive shaft.

A gripping device includes a rotating member having a pinion and rotating about a center axis of the pinion, a drive piezoelectric unit having a vibrating portion that vibrates with expansion and contraction of a piezoelectric material, and a convex portion provided in the vibrating portion, being in contact with the rotating member, and transmitting vibration of the vibrating portion to the rotating member, a rack meshing with the pinion and moving with rotation of the pinion, and a gripping part coupled to the rack, wherein a contact portion in which the convex portion and the rotating member are in contact is located outside of an outer circumference of the pinion in a plan view from a direction of a rotation axis of the rotating member.

A remote controlled luggage handler apparatus for loading and unloading luggage from tour buses includes a carrier body having a pair of drive tracks. A multi-axis arm has a base pivot unit coupled to a body top side, a proximal segment coupled to the base pivot unit, a distal segment, and a head pivot unit. A jaw comprises a jaw support coupled to the head pivot unit, a fixed mandible coupled to the jaw support, and a sliding mandible slidably coupled to the jaw support to secure a suitcase between the fixed mandible and the sliding mandible. A CPU, a first transceiver, and a battery are coupled within the carrier body. A remote control is in operational communication with the first transceiver to control the drive tracks and the arm. A charging port is configured to be installed within a storage bay of a tour bus to charge the battery.

Embodiments relate to a cart assembly having a lower deck, an upper deck, and a gantry. The lower deck has designated areas for empty containers and for filled containers. The gantry includes a gripper system configured to grab at least one container from the empty-container staging area and transport it to a receiving site, where a crop harvesting apparatus deposits a crop in the container. Once the container is filled, the gantry moves the filled container so as to position it within a filled-container staging area of the lower deck. The gripper system then releases the container. The process is continued while the cart assembly is transported throughout a crop harvesting facility to harvest crops.