A robot hand includes a first proximal end finger having a first protrusion at a distal end of the first proximal end finger, a first distal end finger that is connected to the first proximal end finger in a relatively rotatable manner and has a first cutout allowable the first protrusion to pass, a second proximal end finger having a second protrusion at a distal end of the second proximal end finger, a second distal end finger that is connected to the second proximal end finger in a relatively rotatable manner and has a second cutout allowable the second protrusion to pass, an opening and closing drive unit that relatively moves the second proximal end finger with respect to the first proximal end finger, a first rotation drive unit that relatively rotates the first distal end finger with respect to the first proximal end finger, a second rotation drive unit that relatively rotates the second distal end finger with respect to the second proximal end finger, and a controller that actuates the opening and closing drive unit, the first rotation drive unit, and the second rotation drive unit.

A gripper includes at least one movable finger. Each movable finger includes a first motor, a second motor, a first motor link having a first end coupled to a rotor of the first motor, a second motor link having a first end coupled to a rotor of the second motor, a finger link having a first end in pivotal connection with a second end of the second motor link and a gripper pad, and a connecting link having a first end in pivotal connection with a second end of the first motor link and a second end in pivotal connection with the finger link. The gripper further includes at least one controller programmed or configured to actuate the first motor and the second motor of each of the at least one movable finger.

A robot application development system and method includes a robot application unit that determines a robot application, which defines the industrial robot in a robot workspace. An input interface receives robot application information. An object data interface receives work piece information. A gripper finger design unit determines a gripper finger design. The robot application unit determines the robot application using the robot application information. The gripper finger design unit determines the gripper finger design using the work piece information and the robot application information.

An end effector assembly and method for robot-enabled manipulation of round objects automates the gripping, rotationally manipulating, loading, and unloading of round objects, like an ophthalmic substrate, to a coating machine subassembly. A lens wheel carries spring-loaded retention pegs that grip and release the round object. Springs selectively generate tension on the retention pegs, causing retention pegs to articulate radially inward or outward, so as to press the round object to the lens wheel, or release the object. A retention peg actuator selectively engages the springs to generate tension and release tension from springs. A processor regulates articulation of the retention peg actuator. A sensor detects the position of the object, whereby at least one position of the round object triggers the sensor to transmit a signal commanding the retention peg actuator to articulate. A human-machine interface transmits command signals and displays positions of the lens wheel and retention pegs.

Force sensors capable of measuring only forces in xyz coordinate axis directions are installed in fingertips, respectively, and forces and moment forces acting on a robot hand are calculated based on positional information about each fingertip. This structure eliminates the need for using large force sensors to thereby enable downsizing of each fingertip, and enables detection of loads and moment forces acting on the robot hand.

The invention relates to a method for designing grippers and fixtures for handling objects in robotic manufacturing and pick-and-place tasks. To achieve this a method for determining a shape of the holding or support surface of the gripper or fixture is presented. This method includes steps of determining an initial shape of the support surface based on an outer shape of the object, applying a shaping function to different locations of the initial shape, determining modified shape points at locations of the initial shape by comparing the applied shaping function with the initial shape. If the application of the shaping function results in an extension of the initial shape G(xi,yj) at the neighbour location (xi, yj) this extension forms part of a modified support surface for the gripper or fixture. A method for determining an optimum shape of the support surface with respect to optimization conditions is also presented.

A method for autonomously generating an end effector for interfacing with a part at a manufacturing station includes: accessing a virtual model of an assembly and the part; based on the virtual model, identifying a set of unobstructed surfaces on the part when located in the assembly; selecting a target surface, from the set of unobstructed surfaces, on the part; calculating a virtual interaction surface spanning the target surface on the part defined in the virtual model; locating a virtual end effector base geometry relative to the virtual interaction surface; generating a virtual intermediate structure extending between the virtual interaction surface and the virtual base structure; compiling the virtual interaction surface, the virtual intermediate structure, and the virtual end effector base geometry into a three-dimensional end effector model; and queuing the three-dimensional end effector model for additive manufacturing to form the end effector for installation on a robotic arm.

Force sensors capable of measuring only forces in xyz coordinate axis directions are installed in fingertips, respectively, and forces and moment forces acting on a robot hand are calculated based on positional information about each fingertip. This structure eliminates the need for using large force sensors to thereby enable downsizing of each fingertip, and enables detection of loads and moment forces acting on the robot hand.

A robot design system, and associated method, that is particularly well-suited for legged robots (e.g., monopods, bipeds, and quadrupeds). The system implements three stages or modules: (a) a motion optimization module; (b) a morphology optimization module; and (c) a link length optimization module. The motion optimization module outputs motion trajectories of the robot's center of mass (COM) and force effectors. The morphology optimization module uses as input the optimized motion trajectories and a library of modular robot components and outputs an optimized robot morphology, e.g., a parameterized mechanical design in which the number of links in each of the legs and other parameters are optimized. The link length optimization module takes this as input and outputs optimal link lengths for a particular task such that the design of a robot is more efficient. The system solves the problem of automatically designing legged robots for given locomotion tasks by numerical optimization.

The disclosure provides a communication system and a gripping system. When two or more nodes transmit the frames at the same time, a communication system performs, among the nodes starting transmission at the same time, communication arbitration by stopping transmission except for the node transmitting the frame having a highest priority. The frame ID includes a type ID indicating a type of the node that is a transmission source, a change ID changeable by the node that is the transmission source, and a fixed ID specific to the node that is the transmission source. The type includes a master and slaves. When the type ID is the master, a priority of the frame is set higher than when the type ID is the slave. The master node is capable of transmitting to the bus an instruction signal instructing the slave node to change the change ID.