An object pick-up, transfer and placement apparatus which does not employ a source of negative pressure. A flexible bellows is connected to an egg interface. The flexible bellows defines a collapsible interior chamber and a through-bore at its top in communication with a source of gas at atmospheric or greater pressure via a valve assembly including a valve. The flexible bellows is collapsed when the apparatus is made to contact a target object, and the valve is closed, preventing gas from entering the collapsible interior chamber. When the apparatus is used to remove the object from a bottom support the flexible bellows expands, causing static reduced pressure in the collapsible interior chamber relative to the local atmospheric pressure, securing the object to the object interface. When the object is over a desired destination, the valve opens, allowing entry of air to the collapsible interior chamber, and release of the egg from the egg interface. This invention prevents contamination on egg shell surfaces to become air-born and cross-contaminate the entire egg pack, equipment surfaces, floors and other facility surfaces which in turn creates a hazardous working environment.

The present disclosure discloses a method and apparatus for motion planning of a robot, a method and apparatus for path planning of a robot, and a method and apparatus for grasping of a robot. The method includes: when the robot operates on an object to be operated, performing, in combination with a space model of a real scene where the object is located, collision detection on the object and a collision subject in the space model; and determining a motion planning scheme for the robot corresponding to a result of the collision detection based on collision sensitivity of the object and collision sensitivity of the collision subject, the motion planning scheme being formed by the robot operating on the object.

A pneumatic controlled soft gripper includes a chamber having a negative-pressure action space defined therein and having an opening communicating with the negative-pressure action space; a sucker extending radially outwardly from the opening of the chamber and having an annular contact surface; an expandable and contractible protuberance protruding from a top face of the negative-pressure action space opposite to the opening, wherein the protuberance is received in the negative-pressure action space, and has a gas pocket defined therein; and a gas channel extending from an outer face of the chamber into the gas pocket, wherein gas flows into and out of the gas pocket through the gas channel.

A pad of a pad-equipped lift device has a connecting portion that is attached to an end of a body and a flexible skirt portion that expands toward the distal end of the skirt portion, and the distal end of the skirt portion is deformed so as to shrink inward when air flowing along an end surface of the body flows on the inner side of the skirt portion.

A lens manipulator that includes an over-sleeve with a suction cup and lumen therethrough that forms a pore in the suction cup and a rod opening at the opposite end for receiving an adjustment rod. Adjustment of the length of the adjustment rod in the lumen controls the amount of suction force generated under the suction cup against a contact lens. Removal of the adjustment rod from the lumen eliminates the suction force and acts as a safety release against excessive pull force on an eye when removing a contact lens.

A substrate suction-holding structure includes a conductive pad main body including an annular contact portion and a bottom wall portion closing a first vacuum chamber bottom surface surrounded by the contact portion, a conductive blade main body including an upper surface and a second vacuum chamber formed by depressing the upper surface, a conductive support column provided either on the second vacuum chamber or on the pad main body, causing the contact portion to be further on an upper side than the upper surface, and swingably supporting the pad main body with respect to the second vacuum chamber, a cover secured to the blade main body and covering the second vacuum chamber, and a suction path extending from the first vacuum chamber and passing through the bottom wall portion, the second vacuum chamber, and the blade main body in this order, the suction path connected to a vacuum source.

A method of manipulating boxes includes receiving a minimum box size for a plurality of boxes varying in size located in a walled container. The method also includes dividing a grip area of a gripper into a plurality of zones. The method further includes locating a set of candidate boxes based on an image from a visual sensor. For each zone, the method additionally includes, determining an overlap of a respective zone with one or more neighboring boxes to the set of candidate boxes. The method also includes determining a grasp pose for a target candidate box that avoids one or more walls of the walled container. The method further includes executing the grasp pose to lift the target candidate box by the gripper where the gripper activates each zone of the plurality of zones that does not overlap a respective neighboring box to the target candidate box.

The present invention will provide a device in which the gripping action is achieved by a compliant membrane manipulated by electromagnetic forces. The gripping force provided by the present invention is best suited for delicate objects, as it gently applies the gripping force necessary for displacement. This is accomplished through a chamber, a membrane, a plunger attached to the membrane, and a solenoid configured to manipulate the plunger, and thus, the membrane.

According to one embodiment, a gripping tool includes a gripper. The gripper is flexible. A granular material is provided in an interior of the gripper. The gripper is configured to grip a workpiece by being in close contact with the workpiece in a state in which an outer perimeter of the gripper is held, and by the interior of the gripper being depressurized.

There is discussed a method of picking and placing bulbs, in which bulbs are supplied on a supply surface of a bulbs supply system; the bulbs being identified and picked from the supply surface with a pick-and-place head; wherein picked bulbs are transferred from the pick-and-place head, shoot-first and roots-last to a transfer-receptacle comprising at least one bulb-receptor, wherein the bulb-receptor temporarily clutches said bulb.