Coaxial finger face and base encoding
AssigneeX Development LLC
InventorMarc Strauss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein are implementations that relate to determining tactile information using encoders coupled to one or more fingers of a robotic gripping device. The robotic gripping device may include a finger. The finger may include a deformable front face, a base link, a first encoder, and a second encoder. The first encoder may be coupled to the base link of the finger, and configured to detect a grip angle of the finger while the robotic gripping device is gripping an object. The second encoder may be coupled to the deformable front face of the given finger, proximate to the base link of the finger. Additionally, the second encoder may be configured to detect a bend angle of the deformable front face of the finger while the robotic gripping device is gripping the object.
Claims20
A robotic gripping device comprising:
- a finger, wherein the finger comprises:
- a deformable front face;
- a base link proximate to a first end of the finger, wherein motion of the base link actuates the finger to cause the deformable front face thereof to engage an object;
- a first encoder proximate to the first end of the finger and coupled to the base link of the finger, wherein the first encoder is configured to detect a grip angle of the finger while the robotic gripping device is gripping the object;
- and
- a second encoder coupled to the deformable front face of the finger, wherein the second encoder is proximate to the first end of the finger, wherein the first encoder and the second encoder are aligned on a same rotational axis, and wherein the second encoder is configured to detect a bend angle of the deformable front face of the finger while the robotic gripping device is gripping the object.
A method comprising:
- gripping, by a finger of a robotic gripping device, an object, wherein the finger comprises a deformable front face and a base link proximate to a first end of the finger, and wherein motion of the base link actuates the finger to cause the deformable front face thereof to engage the object;
- detecting, by a first encoder coupled to the base link of the finger and proximate to the first end of the finger, a grip angle of the finger while the robotic gripping device is gripping the object;
- and
- detecting, by a second encoder coupled to the deformable front face of the finger and proximate to the first end of the finger, a bend angle of the deformable front face of the finger while the robotic gripping device is gripping the object, wherein the first encoder and the second encoder are aligned on a same rotational axis.
A robot comprising:
- a robotic gripping device comprising:
- a finger, wherein the finger comprises:
- a deformable front face;
- a base link proximate to a first end of the finger, wherein motion of the base link actuates the finger to cause the deformable front face thereof to engage an object;
- a first encoder proximate to the first end of the finger and coupled to the base link of the finger, wherein the first encoder is configured to detect a grip angle of the finger while the robotic gripping device is gripping the object;
- and
- a second encoder coupled to the deformable front face of the finger, wherein the second encoder is proximate to the first end of the finger, wherein the first encoder and the second encoder are aligned on a same rotational axis, and wherein the second encoder is configured to detect a bend angle of the deformable front face of the finger while the robotic gripping device is gripping the object;
- and
- a control system configured to:
- receive sensor data indicative of the grip angle of the finger from the first encoder of the finger;
- and
- receive sensor data indicative of the bend angle of the deformable front face of the finger from the second encoder of the finger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.