Bell Telephone Laboratories

At&t Bell Laboratories

Gerardo Beni

Joseph Leo Shay

Susan Hackwood

Lawrence M Schiavone

Lawrence A Hornak

William C Dautremont-Smith

Chinlon Lin

Thomas J Bridges

Harold G Craighead

James D McIntyre

Catherine E Rice

Shimshon Gottesfeld

A movable part of a robot, such as the fingers of the robot hand, are provided with an array of tactile elements mounted on a substrate. Each element includes a magnetic dipole embedded in a compliant medium on one side of the substrate and a magnetic sensor on the other side of the substrate. The dipole and sensor are in parallel planes. A force or torque deforms the compliant medium and displaces the magnetic dipoles with respect to the sensor. The sensor detects the change in magnetic field and produces an electrical signal which is used to control the robot. Magnetoresistive sensors are preferred. To detect torque, each element illustratively includes four sensors arranged at 90.degree. to one another and a magnetic dipole oriented at 45.degree. to each sensor. Also described is the handling of objects by a robot having such a tactile array in its gripper or hand, and the use of a robot to bring an object into contact with such a tactile array mounted, for example, on a table top, thereby enabling pattern recognition functions.

Robotic system utilizing a tactile sensor array

An articulating waveguide arm assembly, comprising long arm segments, (11, 12, 15, 17, 19) and short corner segments (13, 14, 16, 18) has a single-mode hollow dielectric waveguide located inside each segment and an optically reflecting device (33, 34, 37, 38, 39) located at the end of each segment. The waveguide assembly is mechanically affixed to a robot assembly having protruding side shields (65, 66). The robot assembly includes a pair of long arms (61, 62) corresponding to a pair of the waveguide arms (15, 17). Another waveguide arm segment (12) of the waveguide assembly passes over the protruding side shields and terminates in a pair of successive corner segments (13, 14) for enabling a laser beam propagating through this long arm segment to enter into one of the pair of long waveguide segments (61). The robot arm segments control the orientation of corresponding articulating waveguide arm segments, whereby a laser beam entering the articulating waveguide arm assembly will exit from the waveguide assembly positioned and oriented as determined by the positions and orientations of the robot arm segments.

Waveguide robot system for laser beam

Described is a robot having a proximity sensor which is based on the reentrant-loop magnetic effect. In one embodiment this sensor in a robot hand can detect the position and orientation of magnetized objects within about a 5 cm range, independently of the speed of approach.

Robot having magnetic proximity sensor and manufacturing method using

An optical change in a device is produced through modification of the surface tension between two materials by the change of an electric field. For example, such a device is formed by introducing an electrolyte and a metal such as mercury into a capillary tube. The surface tension between the two fluids is changed through application of a voltage between them. When the surface tension is altered the relative positions of the fluids in the tube also change. Thus, it is possible to introduce one fluid into a portion of the tube which contained the other before the change in voltage, i.e., the position of the interface between the fluids, is moved. If the two fluids have different colors, the translation produces a color change if the area of the tube near the initial interface position is viewed.

Devices based on surface tension changes

Electrochromic devices utilizing an electrochromic iridium oxide electrode and a tantalum oxide counterelectrode exhibit a voltage threshold and short circuit memory. The short circuit memory and voltage threshold allow the use of these devices in matrix addressing schemes.

Matrix addressable electrochromic devices

A display cell having at least two states of different opacity, comprises a first material having a first index of refraction, a second material dispersed within the first material and having a second index of refraction, the difference between the first and the second indices of refraction being variable over a range of values, and means for varying the difference in index of refraction over a portion of the range. When the indices of refraction of the first and second material are substantially the same, the display is substantially transparent. Otherwise it is opaque or substantially less transparent.

Refractive index switchable display cell

Electrochromic devices based on anion transfer have been made. These devices utilize an iridium oxide electrochromic electrode in conjunction with an electrolyte that provides a source of anions with formula weight in the range 18 to 33.

Electrochromic device

Electrochromic devices based on electrochromic iridium oxide electrodes are disclosed. These electrodes are iridium oxide entities produced by vacuum deposition techniques such as by sputtering from an iridium target in the presence of an oxygen atmosphere. All solid state electrochromic devices utilizing such electrodes are possible.

Iridium oxide based electrochromic devices

It is possible to significantly increase the efficiency of the electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen while maintaining stability of the anode. This efficiency increase is obtained by using an iridium oxide anode which is produced by vacuum deposition techniques.

Electrolytic process useful for the electrolysis of water

Electrochromic devices based on anodic iridium oxide as the electrochromic material have been made. These devices exhibit long term stability, memory, and good response times, e.g., less than 80 msec. for reflectivity changes of about 70% (50 msec. for 50% changes). Devices using an anodic iridium oxide film immersed in a sulfate electrolyte have been operated for more than 6.times.10.sup.5 coloration/bleaching cycles at 0.5 Hz without noticeable change in properties. Response times and stability are also improved by a heat treatment of the anodic iridium oxide at temperatures between 40 and 100 degrees C.

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Old Bridge, NJ, United States of America

Gerardo Beni