Robot hand apparatus, robot hand system, and holding method

A holding method using a robot hand apparatus,

• the robot hand apparatus including
• a first holder having a first sucking surface that is bendable at any position and configured to suck an object using negative pressure,
• a second holder arranged to oppose the first sucking surface of the first holder, and
• a driving mechanism configured to change a distance between the first holder and the second holder,
• the method comprising:
• touching a distal end of the first holder on the object;
• pressing the distal end of the first holder to the object, and thus bending the first sucking surface at a first position;
• bending the first sucking surface convexly to cause a region of the first sucking surface between the first position and the distal end of the first holder to suck the object;
• extending the first sucking surface bent at the first position in a state in which the first sucking surface sucks the object;
• and
• decreasing the distance between the first holder and the second holder, and thus sandwiching the object between the first holder and the second holder.

A holding method using a robot hand apparatus,

• the robot hand apparatus including
• a first holder having a first sucking surface that is bendable at any position and configured to suck an object using negative pressure,
• a second holder having a second sucking surface that is bendable at any position and configured to suck the object using negative pressure, and
• a driving mechanism configured to change a distance between the first holder and the second holder,
• the first holder and the second holder being arranged such that the first sucking surface opposes the second sucking surface,
• the method comprising:
• touching a distal end of the first holder on a first side surface of an object, and touching a distal end of the second holder on a second side surface of the object that is non-parallel to the first side surface of the object;
• decreasing the distance between the first holder and the second holder, and thus bending the first sucking surface at a first position and bending the second sucking surface at a second position;
• causing a region of the first sucking surface between the first position and the distal end of the first holder to suck the first side surface of the object, and causing a region of the second sucking surface between the second position and the distal end of the second holder to suck the second side surface of the object;
• releasing the sucking of the second sucking surface to the second side surface of the object;
• and
• extending the first sucking surface bent at the first position and the second sucking surface bent at the second position while the distance between the first holder and the second holder is increased in a state in which the first sucking surface sucks the first side surface of the object.

A robot hand apparatus, comprising:

• a first holder having a first sucking surface that is bendable convexly at any position and configured to suck an object using negative pressure;
• a second holder arranged to oppose the first sucking surface of the first holder;
• and
• a rotary actuator configured to change a distance between the first holder and the second holder to sandwich the object between the first holder and the second holder.