A gripper assembly for a robotic manipulator
AssigneeOcado Innovation Limited
InventorsJan FRAS, Graham DEACON, Panagiotis SOTIROPOULOS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure concerns ascertaining a force applied to a finger element of a gripper assembly of a robotic manipulator during the manipulation of an object. In one aspect, it discloses a gripper assembly including a finger element, an actuator, a linkage assembly including a plurality of arms connecting the finger element to the actuator, and a sensor assembly configured to output signals indicative of force components applied to the plurality of arms as a result of a force being applied to the finger element.
Claims17
A control system configured for a gripper assembly of a robotic manipulator, which gripper assembly includes a finger element;
- an actuator;
- a linkage assembly including a plurality of arms connecting the finger element to the actuator;
- and a sensor assembly configured to output signals indicative of force components applied to the plurality of arms, the control system comprising a controller configured to:
- determine, based on signals received from the sensor assembly, values indicative of force components applied to each of the plurality of arms as a result of a force being applied to the finger element;
- determine, based on the values indicative of the force components, a value indicative of a resultant force vector applied to each of the plurality of arms;
- and
- determine, based on the values indicative of the resultant force vectors, a value indicative of an applied force vector indicative of a magnitude and a direction of the force applied to the finger element.
A method of determining a force applied to a finger element of a gripper assembly of a robotic manipulator, the gripper assembly including:
- an actuator;
- a linkage assembly including a plurality of arms connecting the finger element to the actuator;
- and
- a sensor assembly configured to output signals indicative of force components applied to the plurality of arms;
- the method comprising:
- determining, based on signals outputted by the sensor assembly, force components applied to each of the plurality of arms as a result of a force being applied to the finger element;
- determining, based on the force components, a resultant force vector applied to each of the plurality of arms;
- and
- determining, based on the resultant force vectors, an applied force vector indicative of a magnitude and a direction of the force applied to the finger element.
A gripper assembly for a robotic manipulator, the gripper assembly comprising:
- a finger element;
- an actuator;
- a linkage assembly including a plurality of arms connecting the finger element to the actuator;
- and
- a sensor assembly configured to, in use, output signals indicative of force components applied to the plurality of arms as a result of a force being applied to the finger element during a manipulation of an object.
(canceled)
A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more electronic processors, will cause the one or more electronic processors to carry out a method for controlling a controller of a robotic manipulator gripper assembly, which gripper assembly includes a finger element;
- an actuator;
- a linkage assembly including a plurality of arms connecting the finger element to the actuator;
- and a sensor assembly configured to output signals indicative of force components applied to the plurality of arms, wherein the method comprises:
- determining, based on signals outputted by the sensor assembly, force components applied to each of the plurality of arms as a result of a force being applied to the finger element;
- determining, based on the force components, a resultant force vector applied to each of the plurality of arms;
- and
- determining, based on the resultant force vectors, an applied force vector indicative of a magnitude and a direction of the force applied to the finger element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.