A system and method directed for a tumbler insert which secures a tumbler from the inside without contacting any exterior surfaces, the insert having a plurality of flexible members or claws that may be bent or contracted when pressed into the tumbler, which creates sufficient tension to secure the holder within the vessel.

A system and method directed for a tumbler insert which secures a tumbler from the inside without contacting any exterior surfaces, the insert having a plurality of flexible members or claws that may be bent or contracted when pressed into the tumbler, which creates sufficient tension to secure the holder within the vessel.

Methods, systems, and methods of manufacture for soft robotic actuators are described herein. In one aspect, a soft robotic actuator can include an elastomeric material defining a cavity; a volume of liquid metal (LM) positioned within the cavity; and an energy source coupled to the LM, where the energy source is adapted or configured to alter a temperature of the volume of LM, whereby altering the temperature of the volume of LM initiates an actuation of the elastomeric material.

A robot control system includes a state candidate generation unit that generates a state candidate that is a state transition destination of a robot at next time, a control amount estimation unit that estimates a control amount for transitioning to the state candidate, a state candidate evaluation unit that calculates a distance between the target state of the robot and the state candidate, calculates a coincidence degree between (i) a state at next time estimated from a state at current time of the robot and the control amount and (ii) the state candidate, and sets a sum of the distance and the coincidence degree to be an evaluation value, and a selection unit that selects a state candidate with a minimum evaluation value from state candidates and generate a motion corresponding to the selected state candidate.

A method of automatically orienting symmetric and asymmetric food items, such as apples for example, is provided. Individual items of food are manipulated by a programmable manipulator within the view of one or more depth imaging cameras. Digital three dimensional characterizations of the surface of the food items are generated by the depth imaging camera or cameras and are utilized by a computer connected to the depth imaging camera or cameras to locate the stem and blossom of each food item. Asymmetric food items, such as apples with dropped shoulders as well as symmetric food items can be properly oriented and processed automatically.

A method of automatically orienting symmetric and asymmetric food items, such as apples for example, is provided. Individual items of food are manipulated by a programmable manipulator within the view of one or more depth imaging cameras. Digital three dimensional characterizations of the surface of the food items are generated by the depth imaging camera or cameras and are utilized by a computer connected to the depth imaging camera or cameras to locate the stem and blossom of each food item. Asymmetric food items, such as apples with dropped shoulders as well as symmetric food items can be properly oriented and processed automatically.

A gripping device for a robot for gripping objects, including at least two gripping units each having a gripping finger and being transferable by a controlled movement between a release position and a gripping position gripping an object, the gripping units each having gripper elements which, in the gripping position, can be brought into contact with the object to be gripped, in which the gripper elements are rotatably mounted on the gripping fingers of the gripping device.

A gripping device for a robot for gripping objects, including at least two gripping units each having a gripping finger and being transferable by a controlled movement between a release position and a gripping position gripping an object, the gripping units each having gripper elements which, in the gripping position, can be brought into contact with the object to be gripped, in which the gripper elements are rotatably mounted on the gripping fingers of the gripping device.

Gripper structures can be used to conform to and support complex surfaces. For example, a system described herein can include a gripper structure. The gripper structure can include a plurality of iterations in a series of layers. The series of layers can be arranged in a progression in which each successive layer is adjacent to a preceding layer. The series of layers can include an anchor layer including a single shape of the pattern. The series of layers can include intermediate layers including a plurality of shapes that are copies of the single shape and are more numerous and smaller than shapes in its preceding layer. The series of layers can include a base layer including the most and smallest shapes in the series of layers. The series of layers can also include a plurality of joints. Each shape on the base layer can include an adhesion promoting mechanism.

A soft robotic gripper having component parts capable of being assembled in the field at the terminus of an industrial robot arm for providing adaptive gripping of a product. A hub includes a pneumatic inlet leading to outlets. Finger mounts with pneumatic passages hold inflatable fingers, and tension fastener(s) secure and compress the finger mounts toward the hub by passing through the pneumatic passages and fastening under tension in a direction of the hub.