A method for controlling a gripping device (2) for a robot (20) comprising two or more gripping structures (4, 4′) movably arranged relative to each other and being configured to grip an object (8, 16) is disclosed. The method comprises actively restricting the displacement (ΔD) of at least one of the two or more gripping structures so that said displacement is less than or equal to a predefined maximum displacement (ΔD.sub.max). The method comprises the steps of detecting when at least one of the gripping structures is in contact with the object and increasing the force (F) exerted by at least one of the two or more gripping structures to the object from a predefined first level (F.sub.1) to a predefined second level (F.sub.2) when it has been detected that at least one of the two or more gripping structures is in contact with the object.

According to one embodiment, a holding device includes a first holder and a first sensor. The first holder includes a first member and a second member. The first holder is configured to hold an object by interposing the object between the first member and the second member. The first sensor is in the first member. The first sensor is configured to detect a vibration.

A robotic device includes an end effector device, a first sensor, and a controller. The end effector device includes two fingers for gripping a workpiece. The first sensor detects a pressure distribution on a gripping position on the workpiece by the two fingers. The controller performs, based on a temporal variation in the pressure distribution when the workpiece is lifted, posture control including rotation of the end effector device.

Provided is a robot including a hand and a control unit that operates the hand. The control unit rotates a first object around a predetermined position of the first object with the hand and moves the first object with respect to a second object, based on a captured image including the hand and the first object.

An adaptable end effector useful to accommodate a wide variety of components, component geometries and variations in component geometries. In one example, the end effector includes a movable arm and at least three fingers each having a gripping tool for engagement of the component with variable and/or programmable holding force preventing relative movement.

According to one embodiment, a holding device includes a first holder and a first sensor. The first holder includes a first member and a second member. The first holder is configured to hold an object by interposing the object between the first member and the second member. The first sensor is in the first member. The first sensor is configured to detect a vibration.

An information processor calculates, for a robot hand including a plurality of fingers, a gripping pose at which the robot hand grips a target object. The information processor includes a candidate single-finger placement position detector that detects, based on three-dimensional measurement data obtained through three-dimensional measurement of the target object and hand shape data about a shape of the robot hand, candidate placement positions for each of the plurality of fingers of the robot hand, a multi-finger combination searcher that searches for, among the candidate placement positions for each of the plurality of fingers, a combination of candidate placement positions to allow gripping of the target object, and a gripping pose calculator that calculates, based on the combination of candidate placement positions for each of the plurality of fingers, a gripping pose at which the robot hand grips the target object.

A method creates gripping-task-specific gripper sequence programs of an item gripper which is controlled by a gripper control module and has a gripper main body and a gripping tool. The item gripper transmits a gripper-main-body-specific identification signal to the gripper control module. The gripper control module assigns a gripper dataset from a database to this identification signal. The dataset has an allowable value range for each settable parameter of the item gripper. A gripping-task-specific configuration dataset for the item gripper is created by a peripheral device. The gripper control module determines gripping-task-specific target values and test criteria. A processing unit of the item gripper establishes the time profile of the actuation of the gripper drive from the target values and determines gripper-specific test values from the test criteria. The present method creates both a sequence program for closing the item gripper and a sequence program for opening the item gripper.

An orientation designated in advance as an orientation that a grip unit is to take to grip an object having a shape of rotational symmetry with respect to at least one axis is acquired as a reference orientation. The relative position and orientation of the object and grip unit when the grip unit grips the object is acquired as a taught position and orientation. The position and orientation of the object is recognized from an image, and an initial position and initial orientation in which the grip unit grips the object are derived based on the recognized and taught positions and orientations. A grip orientation to grip the object is decided based on the reference and the initial orientation, and a grip position and orientation in which the grip unit grips the object is decided based on the grip orientation and the initial position.

An adaptable end effector useful to accommodate a wide variety of components, component geometries and variations in component geometries. In one example, the end effector includes a movable arm and at least three fingers each having a gripping tool for engagement of the component with variable and/or programmable holding force preventing relative movement.