A holding arm for medical purposes, in particular for holding surgical mechatronic assistance systems and/or surgical instruments, includes a proximal end for attaching the holding arm to a base and a distal end for receiving a surgical mechatronic assistance system and/or surgical instrument; at least one first and one second arm segment, wherein the first arm segment is connected to a first joint and the second arm segment is connected to a second joint, wherein each joint is releasable and lockable. An operating unit is provided for bringing the holding arm into a desired pose, wherein the operating unit is adapted to release the associated joint upon contact between an operator and one of the first and second arm segments. A corresponding method is also provided.

According to some embodiments, a tactile information estimation apparatus may include one or more memories and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to input at least first visual information of an object acquired by a visual sensor to a model. The model is generated based on visual information and tactile information linked to the visual information. The one or more processors are configured to extract, based on the model, a feature amount relating to tactile information of the object.

A holding arm for holding a surgical mechatronic assistance system or a surgical instrument is described. The holding arm includes a proximal end for attaching the holding arm to a base and a distal end for receiving the surgical mechatronic assistance system or the surgical instrument. The holding arm also includes a first arm segment connected to a first joint and a second arm segment connected to a second joint. The first joint and the second joint are releasable and lockable. The holding arm also includes a switch adapted to release both the first and second joints. The holding arm also includes a first contacting device with two contact elements arranged substantially opposite one another on the first arm segment. The first contacting device is adapted to release the first joint only when both of the two contact elements of the first contacting device are contacted.

A mechanical hand mimics a human hand having similar degrees of freedom and sensory abilities while appearing visually similar to human hand. The mechanical hand comprises a mechanical hand skeleton and resilient elastomer (e.g., silicone) skin that fully encloses the mechanical hand skeleton. The mechanical hand skeleton may advantageously be molded directly into the resilient elastomer (e.g., silicone) skin such that the hand appears, moves, and feels very similar to a real human hand. The mechanical hand may have applications in robotics, for example as an end-of-arm tool or end effector, or may have other applications. Robotic applications may include prosthetics applications.

A fenceless system and method for automatically moving one or more items between a structure at a source location and a destination using a robot is provided. The system comprises a robot having an end effector to selectively grasp an item. A trajectory planning controller directs the robot to move the item between a source location and a destination. A touch sensor detects a contact between an external object and a surface of the robot or a surface surrounding the end effector; and a proximity sensor detects a person in proximity to the robot. A vision sensor detects a location and orientation of items to be moved. The robot moves in proximity to a person without a safety fence preventing the person from contacting the robot. The system adjusts a speed of the robot in response to detecting a person in one of a plurality of zones around the robot.

An autonomous control system includes an acquirer configured to acquire state data of a robot, visual data of the robot, and tactile data of the robot and a processor configured to decide on an action of the robot capable of accomplishing a task given to the robot on the basis of the state data, the visual data, and the tactile data. The processor generates first compressed data having a smaller number of dimensions than data obtained by combining the visual data and the tactile data by fusing and dimensionally compressing the visual data and the tactile data. The processor generates second compressed data having a smaller number of dimensions than the tactile data by dimensionally compressing the tactile data. The processor decides on the action on the basis of combined state data obtained by combining the state data, the first compressed data, and the second compressed data into one.

Deformable sensors and methods for modifying membrane stiffness are provided. A deformable sensor may include a membrane coupled to a housing to form a sensor cavity. The deformable sensor may further include a rotational element having an adjustable vertical position and a modifiable rotation. The rotational element may be supported at a base of the sensor cavity. The rotational element may be configured to establish and withdraw contact with respect to the membrane to modify stiffness of the membrane. The rotational element may further be configured to modify stiffness of the membrane by withdrawing the rotational element from the membrane.

Deformable sensors and methods for magnetically modifying membrane stiffness are provided. A deformable sensor may include a membrane coupled to a housing to form a sensor cavity. The deformable sensor may further include a first magnet located on an inner surface of the membrane in the sensor cavity. The deformable sensor may additionally include a magnetic object located at a base within the sensor cavity. The magnetic object may be configured to modifiably repel the first magnet and modify stiffness of the deformable sensor based upon the modified repulsion.

A gripping device for handling sample containers is presented. The sample containers are closed by caps of a given cap type or are not closed by caps. The gripping device comprises a number of fingers configured to collectively cause gripping of a sample container, a tactile sensor device arranged at at least one of the fingers and configured to sample a longitudinal profile of the sample container and of the cap, if any, being gripped, and a control device coupled to the tactile sensor device. The control device determines if the sample container is closed by a cap or not closed by a cap based on the sampled longitudinal profile.

This application provides a capacitance detection circuit for detecting capacitance of a capacitor element within a capacitor array. The circuit includes a capacitance detection module for detecting a first capacitance of a first capacitor set, a second capacitance of a second capacitor set, and a third capacitance of the third capacitor set, the first capacitor set comprising the capacitor element and a row capacitor element in the same row of the capacitor array as the capacitor element, the second capacitor set comprising the capacitor element and a column capacitor element in the same column of the capacitor array as the capacitor element, the third capacitor set comprising the row capacitor element and the column capacitor element; and a processing module, configured to obtain the capacitance of the capacitor element according to the first capacitance, the second capacitance and the third capacitance.