A device for gripping an object includes a base element and at least two gripping arms held on the base element. The at least two gripping arms are movable relative to one another and the base element into a configuration suitable for gripping and picking up the object. Preferably at least three gripping arms are provided, with each arm being able to move independently of one another relative to the base element, and a sensor such as a camera provides signals to electronics which can determine the position of the at least three gripping arms and control movement of the gripping arms into position to grip and pick up the object. A method for gripping and picking up an object using the gripping device is also provided.

An automated food production work cell includes a robotic system that utilizes a food-grade robotic gripper to transfer individual food items. The robotic gripper is constructed using food-grade materials and includes finger structures that are linearly movably connected by linear bearings to parallel guide rods and are independently driven by a non-contact actuating system to grasp targeted food items disposed on a first work surface, to hold the targeted food items while the robotic system moves the gripper to a second work surface, and to release the targeted food items onto the second work surface. Encoding and external sensing systems facilitate fully automated food transfer processes. Optional sensor arrays are disposed on tip portions of the finger structures to provide feedback data (e.g., grasping force/pressure). Two or more pairs of independently controlled finger structures are provided to facilitate the transfer of multiple food items during each transfer process.

The system can include: a container 110, a set of sensors 120, and a controller 130. The system can optionally include a robot 140. However, the system 100 can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The system functions to monitor and/or maintain a fullness level of a container. The system can additionally or alternatively function to enable robotic picking out of the container (e.g., in a pick-and-place setting). The system can additionally function to maintain candidate objects within reach of the robot's end effector to increase robot uptime while minimizing the extent of the robot's required motion (e.g., in the z-axis).

A robotic system for arranging packages at a destination according to a stacking sequence. The robotic system uses a storage area for temporarily storing packages that arrive out-of-sequence until they are next-in-sequence for placement at the destination. The robotic system processes an incoming package, determines if it is next-in-sequence for placement at the destination, and if it is, places the package at the destination. On the other hand, if it is not next-in-sequence for placement at the destination, it stores the package in the storage area. A package in the storage area is transferred to the destination when it is next-in-sequence for placement at the destination. By using the temporary storage for storing out of sequence packages, the robotic system eliminates the need for receiving the packages in a stacking sequence, which also eliminates the need for sequencing machines.

Provided an automatic feeding device for automotive wheel hub, comprising a separable material rack having material rack units capable of being stacked in turn, a first roller table for conveying the separable material rack containing the wheel hub to a second roller table, and a material rack separating device having a support frame and material rack inserting and taking devices; the second roller table, under which a lifting platform is mounted, is located at a first end of lower part of the material rack inserting and taking device; the material rack inserting and taking device splitting the separable material rack into units, and placing to a third roller table being arranged at a second end of the lower part thereof; a manipulator, for grasping and placing the wheel hub from the material rack unit to a fourth roller table being on a second side thereof.

A system and method for determining a misdetection of an object and subsequent response is disclosed. A robotic system may use a motion plan, which is derived based on an initial detection result of a package, to transfer the package from a start location to a task location. During implementation of the motion plan, the robotic system may obtain additional sensor data, which can be used to deviate from the initial motion plan and implement a replacement motion plan to transfer the package to the task location.

Provided is a transport robot and a substrate treating apparatus including the transport robot. The substrate treating apparatus includes a transport chamber having a long shape on one side, and for providing a moving space of a substrate, a load lock chamber connected to the transport chamber to provide an exchange space between the transport chamber and a substrate before a process or a substrate after a process, a process unit connected to the transport chamber to perform a process for a substrate transferred from the transport chamber, a track provided in the transport chamber to provide a moving path of a substrate, and a transport robot capable of moving along the track in a non-contact manner, and entering or exiting the load lock chamber to perform a substrate exchange between the load lock chamber and the transport chamber.

The transfer operation of moving the slider between one fixed linear module and the movable linear module while locating the movable linear module in the facing range facing toward the one fixed linear module, out of the plurality of linear modules arranged in parallel, is performed. At this time, a judgement process of judging whether or not the coordinate axis of the one fixed linear module and the coordinate axis of the movable linear module are continuous is performed. If it is judged that the coordinate axes are not continuous, the transfer operation is performed while the speed control is executed for the slider. Thus, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation where the transfer operation of moving the slider between the movable linear modules cannot be performed due to the discontinuity of the coordinate axes respectively set for the movable linear modules.

A work transfer system includes a robot having a hand which holds a workpiece and a sensor which can detect external force acting on the hand, a balancer connected to the hand and can generate lifting force for lifting the hand in a vertically upward direction, a shape measuring device which conducts measuring of a shape of the workpiece, and a controller controlling the robot and the balancer based on the shape of the workpiece, and the controller adjusts a holding position of the workpiece by the hand based on the shape, and controls the lifting force so that an absolute value of the external force in the vertical direction detected by the sensor becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined first threshold when the workpiece is held at the adjusted holding position and lifted.

A conveyor system includes a first robot singulator, a second robot singulator, and a picking area from which parcels of a bulk flow of parcels can be engaged and transferred by the first robot singulator or the second robot singulator. The conveyor system further includes a first place conveyor positioned downstream of the picking area and configured to receive parcels transferred by the first robot singulator. The conveyor system further includes a second place conveyor positioned downstream of the picking area and the first place conveyor, the second place conveyor configured to receive parcels transferred by the second robot singulator and to receive parcels from the first place conveyor. A buffering conveyor is positioned between the first place conveyor and the second place conveyor for regulating a rate at which parcels offloaded by the first place conveyor are transferred to the second place conveyor.