A laminated-type multi-joint portion drive mechanism includes a bone member having at least two elastic deformation portions, a laminated-type pneumatic tube member having at least twoline-tubes which are stacked on the bone member and which are connected to a pneumatic drive source, and a planar-type joint-portion deformation member which is stacked on the laminated-type pneumatic tube member and has pneumatic operation chambers which are placed at joint portions confronting the deformation portions, respectively, and which are connected to the tubes, wherein when pneumatic pressure is applied to one of the pneumatic operation chambers, the joint portion corresponding to the pneumatic operation chamber to which the pneumatic pressure is applied is deformable.

Laminated-type multi-joint portion drive mechanism and manufacturing method therefor, grasping hand and robot arm provided with the same

The present application relates to gripping apparatuses that may be used for gripping or otherwise handling objects. A gripping apparatus may include one or more gripping members configured to act as an actuator and to grip an object. A first gripping member having an asymmetrical shape may comprise of an integrated actuator that includes an asymmetrical cross- section, wherein the first gripping member is configured to be displaced upon actuation of the actuator in a direction based on the asymmetrical cross-section of the actuator. The gripping apparatus may further include an actuating source configured to provide an actuating medium for actuating each actuator of the one or more gripping members. The present application further provides methods for manufacturing gripping apparatuses and methods for using the gripping apparatus.

Gripping apparatus and method of manufacturing a gripping apparatus

Exemplary embodiments relate to improvements in robotic systems to reduce biological or chemical harborage points on the systems. For example, in exemplary embodiments, robotic actuators, hubs, or entire robotic systems may be configured to allow crevices along joints or near fasteners to be reduced or eliminated, hard corners to be replaced with rounded edges, certain components or harborage points to be eliminated, shapes to be reconfigured to be smoother or flat, and/or or surfaces to be reconfigurable for simpler cleaning.

Food handling gripper

A robot hand includes a finger unit that is in contact with an object. The finger unit includes: a first member in which a tip portion and a base portion connected to the tip portion are formed as a single member; and a second member that covers a surface of the first member.

Robot hand, robot device and method of manufacturing robot hand

Exemplary embodiments provide modular robotic systems that allow one or more operation parameters of a robotic actuator, or group of actuators, to be dynamically configured or reconfigured. The operation parameters may be, for example, the X, Y, and/or Z position of the actuator or group of actuators with respect to other actuators, the arrangement of the actuator(s) into an array or matrix, the rotation or pitch of an actuator, the distance between actuators, the grip strength or grip surface of an actuator, etc. Accordingly, the same robotic manipulator(s) may be used for multiple purposes in multiple different contexts, manipulators can be swapped out on-the-fly, and robotic systems may be dynamically reconfigured to perform new tasks.

Modular robotic systems

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robot hand finger capable of reducing its manufacturing cost for molding material and a core. SOLUTION: For a robot hand finger, a hollow bag shaped figer former A with the base end open and a preset length of part as a bellows 15 is molded of elastic resin and bent and deformed with the supply pressure of fluid from a fluid supply part into a hollow part to be elastically recovered with the discharge of the fluid while the base end of the finger former A is supported by a supporting member. The finger former A is molded for the bellows 15 to be formed in a circularly annular shape on all periphery of the finger former A. Liquid resin is poured therein and solidified for a groove 10 in peripheral part at the inner face side of the bellows 15 to be filled therewith into one unit. COPYRIGHT: (C)1998,JPO

Robot hand finger

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a head-feeding combine harvester having such a construction that a steering section is installed on one side of the flank in the front of the traveling machine body while a reaping section on the other side and, on the front end of the reaping section, multiple raisers of chain-transversely turning specification are installed in parallel to each other, ensuring the reaping section to be miniaturized while being furnished with a raising mechanism enabling ordinary turningly reaping operation and intermediately dividing operation. SOLUTION: The head-feeding combine harvester has the following construction. The transversely turning moving width of the lower end of the raiser 7R situated closest to the steering section among the raisers 7R and 7L is set greater than that on the lower end of the other raiser 7L, and the part of the reaping section side in the front of a steering column 51 set upright on the front end of the steering section is recessedly retreated. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Head-feeding combine harvester

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reaping part lifting and lowering structure for a combine harvester with which a harvesting operation is carried out at relatively stable reaping height without installing an automatic reaping height controller. SOLUTION: The reaping part lifting and lowering structure for a combine harvester has constitution that energizing force for lighten a load in the rising direction is applied to a reaping part 3 and the reaping part 3 freely rises and falls by grounding and following. A divider support rod 23 arranged at the lower part of a raising apparatus 7 is detachably connected to the front edge of a frame rod 21 arranged in a forward cantilever state on the lower end part of the reaping part 3. A sleigh-like grounding body 25 is connected and fixed to the lower part of the divider support rod 23, the grounding body 25 is extended to the lower part of the frame rod 21 and its extension part is received and supported by the frame rod 21. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Reaping part lifting and lowering structure for combine harvester

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify structure and control for changing the position of an article takeout part, to reduce a manufacturing cost. SOLUTION: In this constitution, an article takeout part supporting member 15 is made so that it can reciprocatively oscillating between first and second positions A and B on both the sides of a virtual line L with an attitude in parallel to the virtual line L kept following the oscillation of an oscillation arm 14, by pivotally connecting separately one end side and another side of an article takeout part supporting member 15 to the oscillation end part of the oscillation arm 14 supported oscillation freely around a first oscillation axis core X, and the oscillation end part of an auxiliary oscillation arm 18 supported oscillation-freely around a second oscillation axis core Y. A position sensor for detecting the position of the oscillation arm 14 is provided, and a controlling means is provided which is stopping oscillation arm 14 so that it can not be overlapped with the virtual line L based on the detection information of the position sensor in switching the supporting member 15 in oscillation to a standby condition.

Article feeding device

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reaping portion-lifting or lowering structure of a combine harvester, in which the reaping portion upward or downward swingably disposed in the front of a travel machine frame is lifted or lowered, while following the ground, and which can reduce the size of a balance structure for supporting the weight load of the reaping portion and can easily move and open the reaping portion. SOLUTION: This reaping portion-lifting or lowering structure of the combine harvester is characterized by disposing an elastic balance mechanism 50 for elastically receiving and supporting the reaping portion 3, separably contact-supporting the reaping portion 3 lowered in a reaping work field with the elastic balance mechanism 50, and setting the reaping portion 3 to a position (n) lower than a travel ground (G) and higher than a mechanical lowering limit (m) in a state that the elastic recovery force of the elastic balance mechanism 50 deformed by the contact support of the reaping portion 3 is balanced on the weight of the reaping portion 3. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Kazuaki Matsubara

Papers

Robot hand finger

Head-feeding combine harvester

Reaping part lifting and lowering structure for combine harvester

Article feeding device

Reaping portion-lifting or lowering structure of combine harvester