Robot gripper
AssigneeSRI International
InventorsCurt Salisbury, Mike Stevens, Zachery Shivers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compact lightweight robotic end-effector has a large range of possible applied force. The end-effector includes one or more underactuated appendages, where each appendage is driven by a single motor connected to a driving cable wound throughout the appendage. The driving cable may be a flat cable or a cable with another non-circular cross section. The driving cable may be wrapped through a series of pulleys and/or bearings within the appendage to reduce frictional losses. The design of the pulley path may allow a desired mechanical response by the appendage, and the mechanical response may be optimized for a grasping process.
Claims24
A robotic end-effector, comprising:
- a base;
- a first appendage extending from the base, the first appendage comprising:
- a first appendage link coupled to the housing at a first joint;
- a first joint pulley rotationally coupled to the first joint, the first joint pulley comprising a contact section having a first outer diameter;
- a second appendage link coupled to the first appendage link by a second joint;
- a second joint pulley rotationally coupled to the second joint, the second joint pulley comprising a contact section having a second outer diameter different than the first outer diameter of the contact section of the first joint pulley;
- a motor disposed within the base;
- a hub disposed within the base and rotationally coupled to the motor;
- and
- a driving cable coupled to the hub at a first end and coupled to the first appendage at a second end, the driving cable in contact with the contact sections of the first joint pulley and the second joint pulley such that rotation of the hub alters a tension in the driving cable and induces rotation of at least one of the first or second appendage links;
- and
- a tension sensing structure biased against a portion of the driving cable extending between the hub and the first joint and having a position dependent upon the tension in the portion of the driving cable extending between the hub and the first joint.
A robotic finger assembly, comprising:
- a proximal appendage link configured to rotate about a first joint;
- a first joint pulley coupled to the first joint and having a first outer diameter;
- a distal appendage link coupled to the proximal link by a second joint;
- a second joint pulley coupled to the second joint and having a second outer diameter different than the first outer diameter of the first joint pulley;
- a motor;
- and
- a driving cable coupled to the motor and in contact with contact sections of the first joint pulley and the second joint pulley such that rotation of a hub alters the tension in the driving cable and induces rotation of at least one of;
- and
- a tension sensing structure biased against a portion of the driving cable extending between the hub and the first joint and having a position dependent upon the tension in the portion of the driving cable extending between the hub and the first joint.
A robotic hand end-effector, comprising:
- a base;
- a plurality of appendages, each appendage comprising a plurality of appendage segments, each appendage segment configured to rotate relative to a joint located at the proximal end of the appendage segment;
- a plurality of motors disposed within the base;
- and
- a plurality of driving cables, each driving cable connected to a motor and routed through the plurality of appendage segments of an appendage and configured to induce rotation of each of the plurality of appendage segments in response to a change in tension of the;
- and
- a tension sensing structure biased against a portion of the driving cable extending between the hub and the first joint and having a position dependent upon the tension in the portion of the driving cable extending between the hub and the first joint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.