Sri International

Colin Electronics Co., Ltd.

Ngk Insulators, Inc.

Other

Becton Dickinson and Company Limited

Mitutoyo Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Mitutoyo Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Joseph S Eckerle

Ronald E Pelrine

Roy D Kornbluh

Harsha Prahlad

Scott E Stanford

Thomas P Low

Richard P Heydt

Qibing Pei

Jonathan R Heim

Pablo E Garcia

Yukihisa Takeuchi

Kazuyoshi Shibata

Eric J Shrader

Brian Keith McCoy

Marcus Rosenthal

Chris D Smith

C Bruce Clark

Karen Shakespear Koenig

Seiki Chiba

Bryan Chavez

Jon Heim

Richard Mahoney

Hugh F Frohbach

Pablo Eduardo Garcia Kilroy

Allegra Anna Lenta Shum

Neville A Bonwit

Rudolf Elbrecht

Pablo E Garcia Kilroy

Patrick Denis Lincoln

Paul Gallagher

Alexander Steele Kernbaum

Mircea Stefan Despa

Seajin Oh

Sundeep Kankanala

Andrew Richards

Rukman Senanayake

Grit Denker

Dean C Winter

Dale W Ploeger

Eric A Edwards

James A Baer

Daniel McConnell Aukes

Charles B Clark

Donald E Czyzyk

Subramanian Venkat Shastri

Jose Luis Cordoba Matilla

Giovanni Zangari

Jonathon R Heim

Jonathan Hofius

Sierra J Lincoln

Steven T Holmes

Philip R Jeuck, Iii

Victor T Newton, Jr

Karl D Van Dyk

Geoffrey A Mangus

John P Marlow

Marisa De Souza

Russell T Wolfram

Roy David Kornbluh

A variety of brake and/or clutch mechanisms, and improvements thereof, are provided having improved braking power, reduced size and weight, and other benefits. The braking mechanisms include a wrap spring clutch that is operable to mechanically couple a rotating member to a brake rotor that is in consistent contact with a brake pad. Actuation of the wrap spring clutch allows the wrap spring to engage with the rotating member, coupling the rotating member to the brake rotor thus braking the rotating member. The combination of the wrap spring clutch with the brake rotor and pad provides an overall braking mechanism that exhibits the decreased power cost, weight, size, and engagement time of the wrap spring clutch while having a braking power that can be moderated by specifying the area, engagement force, coefficient of friction, or other properties of the brake rotor and pad.

Failsafe brake device for robotic and other applications

Systems and methods are shown for electrically controllably transmitting power from a motor involving electrically controllably coupling the first input hub to a shuttle so that power is transmitted from the first input hub to the shuttle, providing for one-way rotation between the shuttle and a stationary chassis, and coupling the shuttle to an output hub with a spring such that energy is stored and released from the spring as the output hub rotates. Examples are shown that include controlling engaged and disengaged time intervals of the first input hub and shuttle to maintain a torque level at the output hub, such as by utilizing pulse width modulation or pulse frequency modulation. Examples are also shown involving electroadhesively coupling the first input hub to the shuttle.

System and method for electrically controllable transmissions

Methods and apparatus related to electrolaminate clutches and transmissions are disclosed. A device can include: an input shaft that can be coupled to an electrolaminate sheet; an output shaft that can be coupled rigidly to a spring positioned over the input shaft, where the spring includes a tab that fits a groove of a spring capture ring that can be positioned over the input shaft; and a drum connected to an electrical ground between the electrolaminate sheet and the spring capture ring, where the drum can be coupled rigidly to the spring capture ring. Then, when a voltage is applied to the electrolaminate sheet, the electrolaminate sheet can clamp to the drum and impart rotation of the input shaft to the drum. The imparted rotation can cause the spring capture ring and the spring to rotate and clamp down on the input shaft, imparting rotation to the output shaft.

Electrostatic clutch and transmissions

A process for sorting materials using material-selective electroadhesive grippers is disclosed. At least one of an electroadhesive surface or a plurality of articles is manipulated such that multiple ones of the plurality of articles are at least intermittently proximate the electroadhesive surface. Voltage is applied to one or more electrodes in the electroadhesive surface to thereby cause the electroadhesive surface to selectively adhere to a subset of the plurality of articles based on the subset of the plurality of articles having different material properties than others of the plurality of articles. While the voltage is applied, the electroadhesive surface is moved with respect to the others of the plurality of articles to thereby separate the subset of the plurality of articles from the others of the plurality of articles.

Handling and sorting materials using electroadhesion

Described herein is a smart dose monitoring device. The dose monitoring device may include electronics such as motion sensors, orientation sensors, and timers related to monitoring the time of and amount of dose administered during an injection event.

Dose capture device for syringes

The present invention relates to an adaptable input/output device. One embodiment of a hardware device for facilitating an interaction between a computing system and a user includes: an interaction surface for supporting the interaction, a single actuator capable of driving a first region of the interaction surface, and a first selective clamping mechanism capable of restricting movement of one or more second regions of the interaction surface that partly intersect the first region, wherein a displacement of one or more desired portions of the interaction surface is dynamically controllable.

Adaptable input/output device

Described herein is electroadhesion technology that permits controllable adherence between two objects. Electroadhesion uses electrostatic forces of attraction produced by an electrostatic adhesion voltage, which is applied using electrodes in an electroadhesive device. The electrostatic adhesion voltage produces an electric field and electrostatic adherence forces. When the electroadhesive device and electrodes are positioned near a surface of an object such as a vertical wall, the electrostatic adherence forces hold the electroadhesive device in position relative to the surface and object. This can be used to increase traction or maintain the position of the electroadhesive device relative to a surface. Electric control of the electrostatic adhesion voltage permits the adhesion to be controllably and readily turned on and off.

Electroadhesive devices

An electroadhesive gripping device or system includes a plurality of electroadhesive gripping surfaces, each having electrode(s) and each configured to be placed against respective surface regions of a foreign object, such that one or more electroadhesive forces can be provided between the electroadhesive gripping surfaces and the foreign object. Such electroadhesive forces operating to hold the foreign object against the electroadhesive gripping surfaces while the foreign object is held or moved by the electroadhesive gripping system. The electroadhesive gripping surfaces can be arranged onto a plurality of continuous fingers, and various gripping surfaces on each finger can be coupled together and manipulated with respect to each other by an actuating component, such as a cable actuator. A variable voltage can be delivered to the electrodes to control the amount of electroadhesive force generated, such that only a portion of a foreign object is held or moved.

Electroadhesive gripping

Described herein is a generator with an electroactive polymer transducer. The transducer has a capacitance that varies with deflection of a polymer included in the transducer. The generator also includes a generator circuit, coupled to the electroactive polymer transducer, that includes a capacitor. The generator circuit is configured such that the capacitor collects electrical energy from the electroactive polymer transducer in response to a change in capacitance of the polymer.

Circuits for electroactive polymer generators

The invention describes devices for controlling fluid flow, such as valves. The devices may include one or more electroactive polymer transducers with an electroactive polymer that deflects in response to an application of an electric field. The electroactive polymer may be in contact with a fluid where the deflection of the electroactive polymer may be used to change a characteristic of the fluid. Some of the characteristic of the fluid that may be changed include but are not limited to 1) a flow rate, 2) a flow direction, 3) a flow vorticity, 4) a flow momentum, 5) a flow mixing rate, 6) a flow turbulence rate, 7) a flow energy, 8) a flow thermodynamic property. The electroactive polymer may be a portion of a surface of a structure that is immersed in an external fluid flow, such as the surface of an airplane wing or the electroactive polymer may be a portion of a surface of a structure used in an internal flow, such as a bounding surface of a fluid conduit.

Electroactive polymer devices for controlling fluid flow

Growing community of inventors

Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Joseph S Eckerle