SYSTEMS, DEVICES, ARTICLES, AND METHODS FOR PREHENSION

1 . A device comprising:

a base;

an actuator coupled to the base;

a first underactuated finger coupled to the base, wherein the first finger includes:

a proximal link coupled to the base, wherein the proximal link comprises:

a distal end; and

a guide for a first tendon spaced a first distance away from the distal end of the proximal link;

a distal link coupled to the proximal link and which extends along a first axis, wherein the distal link comprises:

a lever arm disposed on a proximal side to the distal pad and which extends in a volar direction from the first axis; and

a node disposed on the lever arm sized and shaped to receive a first tendon.

2 . The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a first revolute joint compliant in a first direction disposed between the base and the proximal link; and

a second revolute joint compliant in the first direction disposed between the proximal link and the distal link.

3 . The device of claim 2 further comprising:

a first spring that biases the proximal link to a first open position; and

a second spring that biases the distal link to a second open position.

4 . The device of claim 3 wherein:

a first net torque biases the proximal link to the first open position;

a second net torque biases the distal link to the second open position; and

the first net torque is less than the second net torque.

5 . The device of claim 3 wherein:

a first tensile force along the first tendon actuates the proximal link relative to the base;

a second tensile force along the first tendon actuates the distal link relative to the proximal link; and

the first tensile force is less than the second tensile force.

6 . The device of claim 1 wherein the distal link further comprises:

a distal pad disposed on a volar side of the first axis.

7 . The device of claim 1 wherein the proximal link further comprises:

a proximal pad disposed on a volar side of the proximal link.

8 . The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a second finger.

9 . A system comprising:

a base;

an actuator coupled to the base;

a plurality of fingers coupled to the base, wherein at least one of the plurality of fingers includes:

a proximal link comprising a first body and a guide;

a first joint that couples the proximal link to the base, wherein the first joint is compliant in a first direction;

a distal link comprising:

a first axis;

a distal pad disposed on a volar side of the first axis; and

a lever arm disposed on a proximal side to the distal pad and which extends in a volar direction from the first axis; and

a second joint that couples the distal link to the proximal link; and

a plurality of tendons, wherein a first respective tendon in the plurality of tendons:

is associated with the first respective finger;

couples to a first lever arm of a first distal link of the first respective finger;

routes through a first guide included in a first proximal link of the first respective finger; and

couples to the actuator.

10 . The system of claim 9 further comprising:

an adhesion gripper coupled to the base.

11 . An end-effector comprising:

a base;

a plurality of underactuated fingers coupled to the base; and

an adhesion gripper coupled to the base.

12 . The end-effector of claim 11 wherein the adhesion gripper is a vacuum gripper comprising:

a suction cup facing a distal direction;

a vacuum passage in fluid communication with the suction cup; and

a vacuum source in fluid communication with the vacuum passage.

13 . The end-effector of claim 12 wherein:

the base comprises a rest;

the suction cup comprises a distal periphery; and

the distal periphery of the suction cup sits proud of the rest.

14 . The end-effector of claim 12 wherein the adhesion gripper is an electrostatic gripper comprising:

a dielectric body coupled to the base;

a plurality of electrodes embedded in the dielectric body; and

a power source selectively electrically coupled to the plurality of electrodes.

15 . A system comprising:

a robot including an end-effector;

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the end-effector; and

at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and which stores processor-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive, at the at least one processor, tactile sensor data from a plurality tactile sensors;

temporally difference, by the at least one processor, the tactile sensor data;

compute, by the at least one processor, a plurality of correlations for the temporally differenced tactile sensor data;

mask, by the at least one processor, a set of masked pairs of tactile sensor data in the tactile sensor data;

detect, by the at least one processor, one or more non-zero correlations in the plurality of correlations; and

create, by the at least one processor, at least one output signal that includes information that represents the one or more non-zero correlations in the plurality of correlations.

16 . The system of claim 15 wherein the plurality of tactile sensors includes a plurality of force sensors, or a plurality of pressure sensors.

17 . The system of claim 15 wherein the plurality of tactile sensors is coupled to the end-effector.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein to receive the tactile sensor data from a plurality tactile sensors, when executed, the processor-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

receive, at the at least one processor, a plurality of spatial values and a plurality of temporal values.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein, when executed, the processor-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

store the plurality of spatial values and the plurality of temporal values.

20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein to compute the plurality of correlations for the temporally differenced tactile sensor data, when executed, the processor-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

compute, by the at least one processor, a covariance matrix from the plurality of spatial values and the plurality of temporal values.

21 . The system of claim 15 , wherein to mask the set of masked pairs of tactile sensor data in the tactile sensor data, when executed, the processor-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

mask, by the at least one processor, a set of correlations in the plurality of correlations for the temporally differenced tactile sensor data that correspond to the set of masked pairs of tactile sensor data.

22 . The system of claim 15 , wherein, when executed, the processor-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

cause an increase in prehension on an item in contact with the end-effector.

23 . The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the end-effector includes a plurality of fingers; and

to cause the increase in prehension on the item in contact with the end-effector, when executed, the processor-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

tighten a grip on the item by the plurality of fingers.

24 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the end-effector includes an adhesion gripper; and wherein to cause the increase in prehension on the item in contact with the end-effector, when executed, the processor-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

actuate the adhesion gripper.

25 . - 28 . (canceled)