Soft Robotics, Inc.

Appharvest Technology, Inc.

Schmalz Flexible Gripping Inc.

Harvard College

Oxipital Ai Inc.

Ryan Richard Knopf

Joshua Aaron Lessing

Daniel Vincent Harburg

Kevin Alcedo

Carl Everett Vause

Mark Chiappetta

Grant Thomas Sellers

Jeff Curhan

Daniel Harburg

Michael T Rosenstein

Sarv Parteek Singh

Noel McLellan

Jason A Chrisos

Marc Graham

Jeffrey Curhan

Kevin Galloway

Michele Pratusevich

Shreyas Aditya

Mark J Chiappetta

Carl Vause

Michael Rosenstein

Noel Mclellan

Daniel V Harburg

Carl E Vause

Exemplary embodiments relate to user-assisted robotic control systems, user interfaces for remote control of robotic systems, vision systems in robotic control systems, and modular grippers for use by robotic systems. The systems, methods, apparatuses and computer-readable media instructions described interact with and control robotic systems, in particular pick and place systems using soft robotic actuators to grasp, move and release target objects.

User-assisted robotic control systems

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 robotics systems

A soft robotic actuator is disclosed. The actuator includes a first portion with a substantially constant profile and a second portion with a regularly varying profile, and bends in a pressure-dependent fashion as the internal pressure within the actuator is increased or decreased.

Soft robotic actuators utilizing asymmetric surfaces

Exemplary embodiments provide enhancements for soft robotic actuators. In some embodiments, angular adjustment systems are provided for varying an angle between an actuator and the hub, or between two actuators. The angular adjustment system may also be used to vary a relative distance or spacing between actuators. According to further embodiments, rigidizing layers are provided for reinforcing one or more portions of an actuator at one or more locations of relatively high strain. According to further embodiments, force amplification structures are provided for increasing an amount of force applied by an actuator to a target. The force amplification structures may serve to shorten the length of the actuator that is subject to bending upon inflation. According to still further embodiments, gripping pads are provided for customizing an actuator's gripping profile to better conform to the surfaces of items to be gripped.

Soft robotic actuator enhancements

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.

Soft actuator having a texturizable gripping surface

Exemplary embodiments relate to improvements in soft robotic systems that permit a soft robotic end effector to be a self-contained system, without reliance on a tether to deliver inflation fluid to the actuator(s) of the end effector. According to some embodiments, a robotic system may be provided including a soft actuator and a hub. The body of the hub may include an integrated pressure source configured to supply inflation fluid through the actuator interface to the soft actuator. The pressure source may be, for example, a compressor (such as a twin-head compressor) or a reaction chamber configured to vaporize a fuel to create a high-temperature pressurized gas and deliver the pressurized gas to the actuator One or more accumulators may receive inflation fluid (or a partial vacuum) from the compressor over time, and store the inflation fluid under pressure, thus allowing actuation over a relatively short time period.

Self-contained robotic gripper system

A hub assembly for coupling different grasper assemblies including a soft actuator in various configurations to a mechanical robotic components are described. Further described are soft actuators having various reinforcement. Further described are and soft actuators having electroadhesive pads for improved grip, and/or embedded electromagnets for interacting with complementary surfaces on the object being gripped. Still further described are soft actuators having reinforcement mechanisms for reducing or eliminating bowing in a strain limiting layer, or for reinforcing accordion troughs in the soft actuator body.

Soft robotic actuator attachment hub and grasper assembly, reinforced actuators, and electroadhesive actuators

Harvesting tools are disclosed which may comprise a gripper including a set of finger elements constructed and arranged to envelop a target object pertaining to agricultural produce, and a manipulator carriage configured to actuate the gripper during operation to grasp the target object. Related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Gripper with tunable compliance for dexterous object manipulation

Provided is a method for three-dimensional imaging a plant in an indoor agricultural environment having an ambient light power spectrum that differs from a power spectrum of natural outdoor light. The method comprises directing a spatially separated stereo pair of cameras at a scene including the plant, illuminating the scene with a non-uniform pattern provided by a light projector utilizing light in a frequency band having a lower than average ambient intensity in the indoor agricultural environment, filtering light entering image sensors of each of the cameras with filters which selectively pass light in the frequency band utilized by the light projector, capturing an image of the scene with each of the cameras to obtain first and second camera images, and generating a depth map including a depth value corresponding to each pixel in the first camera image.

Depth and vision sensors for challenging agricultural environments

A harvesting tool configured to independently grasp and twist a target object. The harvesting tool comprising a pneumatic cylinder, a pneumatic coupling communicating with the pneumatic cylinder; bearings supporting the pneumatic cylinder for rotation relative to the pneumatic coupling; and a gear assembly configured to rotate the pneumatic cylinder relative to the pneumatic coupling. Related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Gripper tools for object grasping and manipulation

Exemplary embodiments relate to the use of servo-pneumatic control systems for actuation and de-actuation of soft robotic actuators. Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for using a servo-pneumatic control system in fluid communication with the soft robotic actuator and configured to maintain a closed loop in which at least one of pressure, mass of fluid, or volume of fluid is controlled within the soft robotic actuator. The embodiments may be used to prevent deformation of grasped objects; detect grasping, collision, and releasing objects; and other operations with a rapid servo-pneumatic response.

Growing community of inventors

Melrose, MA, United States of America

Ryan Richard Knopf