Systems and methods for object processing using a passively collapsing vacuum gripper
AssigneeBerkshire Grey Operating Company, Inc.
InventorsJason Yap, Aidan ROSE, Gabriel NELSON, Matthew T. MASON, Christopher GEYER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An end-effector for a programmable motion device is disclosed. The end effector includes a body that includes a contact portion, said body providing an open interior through which a vacuum may be provided to the contact portion, and the body includes at least one feature that is adapted to facilitate the contact portion to become substantially non-planar while grasping.
Claims44
An end-effector for a programmable motion device, said end effector comprising a body that includes a contact portion, said body providing an open interior through which a vacuum may be provided to the contact portion, and said body including at least one feature that is adapted to facilitate the contact portion to become substantially non-planar while grasping.
An end-effector for a programmable motion device, said end-effector comprising a body that includes a contact portion, said body providing an open interior through which a vacuum may be provided to the contact portion, and said contact portion including at least one surface that is adapted to be drawn inward responsive to the vacuum such that the at least one surface may remain in contact with an object while the at least one surface faces at least partially inward toward the open interior.
A method of grasping an object with an end-effector that includes a body that provides an open interior that is coupled to a vacuum, said method comprising:
- contacting a contact portion of the body with the object;
- applying a vacuum through the contact portion to the object to primarily engage the object through tension force between the contact portion and the object;
- and
- permitting any of the contact portion or a periphery thereof to become non-planer while grasping the object such that the object becomes primarily engaged with the object via a shear force that is greater than the tension force between the contact portion and the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.