A gripper and a method of using a robot with the gripper

A gripper for gripping an item, the gripper comprising:

• a base,
• a first jaw member and a second jaw member, at least one jaw member being movable towards the other jaw member to define a closed jaw position and away from the other jaw member to define an open jaw position, and
• a guard structure comprising a first guard and a second guard extending in an upright direction between a free end and the base and each forming a contact surface facing a contact surface of the other guard,
• wherein the jaw members are arranged, in response to movement to the closed jaw position, to lift the item in the upright direction to a position located between the contact surfaces of the guards, and
• wherein the jaw members are movable along a linear bearing structure and wherein each jaw member defines an inner surface facing an inner surface of the other jaw member and
• wherein the inner surfaces, by movement of the jaw members from the open jaw position to the closed jaw position, move from a distal position where a distance between the inner surfaces exceeds a distance between the contact surfaces, to a proximal position where the distance between the contact surfaces exceeds the distance between the inner surfaces.