A gripper head is for a robotic gripping system. The gripper head body has an attachment section and a tool section defining an attachment region for a tool. The attachment section is configured to attach the gripper head body to a mount of a robot. The gripper head body has a first port at the attachment section and a second port at the tool section. The gripper head body defines an internal channel mutually connecting the first port and the second port. The internal channel is configured to pass air between the first port at the attachment section and the second port at the tool section.

A gripping head for a handler in a sorting machine and an operating method thereof is disclosed. The gripping head includes: a support frame; a gripping tool having a socket for a control line and a first retainer; a revolver-shaped carrier on the support frame having a first releasable engagement unit coupled with the corresponding first retainer, the gripping tools furthermore having a second retainer; and a transfer platform equipped with second releasable engagement unit coupled with the second retainer. The transfer platform moves on the support frame between: a home position wherein the first retainers are engaged with the first releasable engagement unit of the carrier; an attachment position wherein the second releasable engagement units are coupled with the second retainer; and an operating position wherein the first retainers are uncoupled from the first releasable engagement units and the selected gripping tool is spaced away from the carrier.

An end effector attachment apparatus is an apparatus to be attached to an end effector of a robot. The end effector attachment apparatus includes a base plate, a mount plate on which the end effector is mounted, an attraction mechanism for attracting the mount plate to the base plate, and a bellows coupling the mount plate to the base plate. The front and rear edges of the bellows are sealed to the base plate and the mount plate to secure a sealed space inside the bellows.

The invention is notably directed to end effector (10, 10a) for an automated vehicle charging robot (1). The end effector (10, 10a) comprises: a connecting module (100), which is delimited by a reference plane (P) and is designed to enable a connection of the end effector (10, 10a) to a robotic arm (40) of the charging robot (1) on a first side of the reference plane (P); an electrical connector (106, 108) including a body (108) and a plug (106), the plug designed to connect to a charge port (220) and arranged at an end of the body (108), wherein the body (108) extends from the connecting module (100) to the plug (106) on a second side of the reference plane (P), the second side opposite to said first side, along an extension direction (De) that is transverse to the reference plane (P); and an actuator (114, 115) that protrudes from said body (108), transversely to said extension direction (De), the actuator (114, 115) designed to actuate a door (210) of the vehicle charge port (220). The invention is further directed to: a functionalized robotic arm (40), which includes such an end effector; an automated vehicle charging system (1), which includes such a robotic arm; and a method of electrically charging an electrical vehicle using such a functionalized robotic arm.

A system of equipment for creating artworks using a robot artist having a robotic arm. The system generally includes a gripper removably installed in the robotic arm, a magnetic brush clamp supporting a painting brush, and a brush stand with multiple compartments. The gripper includes a first magnetic material, and the magnetic brush clamp has a second magnetic material selected to removably attract to the first magnetic material of the gripper so as to removably attach the magnetic brush clamp with the painting brush to the gripper. Each compartment of the brush stand is sized and configured to removably receive the magnetic brush clamp with the painting brush therein. Relative positions and inclination angles between the gripper, the magnetic brush clamp and the brush stand are calibrated for optimal painting conditions for the robot artist.

A cleaning system is provided. The cleaning system includes a robot cleaner and a station. The robot cleaner includes a pad fixing part on which a cleaning pad is detachably mounted, a lifter to lift a part of the robot cleaner at which the pad fixing part is positioned, and a pad detacher to detach the cleaning pad mounted on the pad fixing part. The station includes a pad storage box in which a cleaning pad that is to be provided to the robot cleaner is stored, a pad coupling part on which a cleaning pad that is to be coupled to the robot cleaner is rested, and a pad supplier to supply the cleaning pad stored in the pad storage box to the pad coupling part.

A robotic system that includes a storage structure, a container handling robot, and a manipulator robot is provided herein. The storage structure includes vertical members supporting a grid having a first set of rails and a second set of rails that collectively define grid spaces, and a plurality of storage containers arranged in vertical stacks within a respective one of the grid spaces. The container handling robot is arranged to move along the first and second set of rails and includes a lifting device to extract one or more storage containers from the vertical stacks and to transport the one or more storage containers about the grid. The manipulator robot is installed within a footprint of a single grid space and includes one or more vacuum generators, and a picking arm provided with a pneumatic gripping tool for picking an inventory item from the one or more storage containers.