Apparatus and method for the positional interchange of IT hardware nodes at an IT hardware rack. The present apparatus and method is particularly suitable for use with a variety of different IT hardware rack configurations. The present apparatus comprises a mount, a body supported at the mount, grippers movably attached to the body and engagers provided at the grippers configured to enable insertion and/or withdrawal of IT hardware nodes at an IT hardware rack.

A robot hand includes a first finger, a second finger, and a first moving mechanism that brings the first and second fingers close to each other in a predetermined moving direction so that the first and second fingers grip a workpiece. The first moving mechanism includes a first movable pulley, a first wire that has two ends, one of which is connected to the first finger and the other is connected to the second finger, and is wrapped around the first movable pulley, and a first air cylinder that moves the first movable pulley. The first air cylinder moves the first movable pulley so that a tension of the first wire acts on the first and second fingers and to bring the first and second fingers close to each other.

A robot including an extendable device capable of extending and contracting in at least one direction, at least two end effectors that are respectively connected to at least two end portions of the extendable device, and a control unit capable of causing the extendable device to extend and contract, wherein each of the at least two end effectors includes at least one grasping unit that extends outward, and the robot is operable to grasp a target by the at least two end effectors by the control unit causing the extendable device to extend or contract.

Apparatus and method for the positional interchange of IT hardware nodes at an IT hardware rack. The present apparatus comprises a primary and a secondary articulator independently controlled and configured for actuation to engage and grip IT hardware nodes and to insert and/or withdraw the nodes at an IT hardware rack.

A robot gripper includes a main gripper body that has a connection flange designed to secure the rotational gripper to a tool flange of a robotic arm; a base element that is mounted on the main gripper body such that it can rotate about a first rotational axis by a first rotational joint able to be adjusted automatically by a first drive motor; a first gripper finger mounted such that it can rotate about a second rotational axis aligned parallel to the first rotational axis, relative to the base element, by a second rotational joint which can be adjusted automatically by a second drive motor; and at least one additional gripper finger. The second rotational joint is configured to adjust the first gripper finger individually, using the second drive motor, independently of the at least one additional gripper finger.

A finger mechanism includes a base portion and a plurality of finger portions supported by the base portion, wherein each of the finger portions includes a first bone member, a second bone member rotatably coupled to one end portion of the first bone member, and a pair of third bone members each being rotatably coupled to another end portion of the first bone member and the base portion, and forming a parallel link mechanism between the first bone member and the base portion.

Safety is one of the most important factors in the robot interaction with unknown and dynamic environments. Recent studies have shown that the use of compliant components as a solution to the safety issue, especially in the physical human-robot interaction. To overcome performance degradation caused by including compliant elements into the systems, variable stiffness approaches have been introduced at the cost of an extra actuator. A variable stiffness gripper is presented. Embodiments of the disclosed gripper may have, for example, with two parallel fingers (jaws). Compliance of the system may be generated by using magnets as the nonlinear springs. Based on the presented design, the position and stiffness level of the fingers can be adjusted simultaneously by changing the air gap between the magnets.

A finger mechanism includes a base portion and a plurality of finger portions supported by the base portion, wherein each of the finger portions includes a first bone member, a second bone member rotatably coupled to one end portion of the first bone member, and a pair of third bone members each being rotatably coupled to another end portion of the first bone member and the base portion, and forming a parallel link mechanism between the first bone member and the base portion.

A device for gripping an object that includes a main body having a first and a second endplate, a baseplate, at least one guide rail, and a first jaw and a second jaw, each receiving the at least one guide rail. The device also includes a first pulley assembly and a second pulley assembly respectively attached to the baseplate and a chain loop respectively attached to the first pulley assembly and the second pulley assembly. The chain loop includes a first chain length and a second chain length and a first link and a second link that attaches the first chain length and the second chain length. Each of the first link and second link include at least one dowel pin. The chain loop is attached to the first jaw and the second jaw by the at least one dowel pin of each of the first link and second link.

The invention relates to a robot gripper comprising: a main gripper body that has a connection flange designed to secure the rotational gripper to a tool flange of a robotic arm; also a base element that is mounted on said main gripper body such that it can rotate about a first rotational axis by means of a first rotational joint able to be adjusted automatically by a first drive motor; and a first gripper finger mounted such that it can rotate about a second rotational axis aligned parallel to the first rotational axis, relative to the base element, by means of a second rotational joint which can be adjusted automatically by a second drive motor; as well as at least one additional gripper finger, said second rotational joint being designed to adjust the first gripper finger individually, using the second drive motor, independently of said at least one additional gripper finger.