Soft robotic actuators for positioning, packaging, and assembling
AssigneeSoft Robotics, Inc.
InventorsJoshua Lessing, Daniel Vincent Harburg, Sarv Parteek Singh, Jeffrey Curhan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Exemplary embodiments relate to applications for soft robotic actuators in the manufacturing, packaging, and food preparation industries, among others. Methods and systems are disclosed for fixing target objects and/or receptacles using soft robotic actuators, for positioning target objects and/or receptacles, and/or for diverting or sorting objects. By using soft robotic actuators to perform the fixing, positioning, and/or diverting, objects of different sizes and configurations may be manipulated on the same processing line, without the need to reconfigure the line or install new hardware when a new object is received.
Claims16
A method comprising:
- sensing a target object at an input location with a sensor;
- determining if the target object is of a first type or a second type;
- and
- diverting the target object to a diversion location if the target object is of the second type, the diverting comprising:
- providing the target object to a diversion location downstream of the sensor and accessible to a soft robotic actuator, the soft robotic actuator comprising an elastomeric body having a reservoir, and configured to be in a neutral state and to transition to an inflated state by supplying an inflation fluid to the reservoir, wherein the actuator curls in a circumferential direction during the transition and is positioned so that in the neutral state the soft robotic actuator is removed from a path of the target object at the diversion location and in the inflated state at least a distal tip of the soft robotic actuator curls into the path to divert the target object at the diversion location, and
- transmitting a control signal to a controller associated with the soft robotic actuator, the control signal comprising a command to transition the soft robotic actuator from the neutral state to the inflated state;
- or
- refraining from diverting the target object to the diversion location if the target object is of the first type.
An apparatus comprising:
- a sensor configured to sense a target object at an input location;
- and
- a hardware controller configured to:
- determine if the target object is of a first type or a second type;
- and
- divert the target object to a diversion location if the target object is of the second type, the diverting comprising:
- providing the target object to a diversion location downstream of the sensor and accessible to a soft robotic actuator, the soft robotic actuator comprising an elastomeric body having a reservoir, and configured to be in a neutral state and to transition to an inflated state by supplying an inflation fluid to the reservoir, wherein the actuator curls in a circumferential direction during the transition and is positioned so that in the neutral state the soft robotic actuator is removed from a path of the target object at the diversion location and in the inflated state at least a distal tip of the soft robotic actuator curls into the path to divert the target object at the diversion location, and
- transmitting a control signal to a controller associated with the soft robotic actuator, the control signal comprising a command to transition the soft robotic actuator from the neutral state to the inflated state;
- or
- refrain from diverting the target object to the diversion location if the target object is of the first type.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.