IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,454,067
Granted Patent B2
US 12,454,067 · App. 18/165,707 · Granted Oct 28, 2025

Systems and methods for robotic grippers with fiber optic spectroscopy

Inventors: Taskin Padir (Westborough, MA); Akshay Vaidya (Westford, MA); Hillel Hochsztein (Brighton, MA); Nathaniel Hanson (Boston, MA); Kristen Dorsey (Roslindale, MA); Joel B. Willick (Olivette, MO); Tarik Kelestemur (Boston, MA); Deniz Erdogmus (Winchester, MA)
Assignee: Northeastern University
B25J19/025B25J15/08G01N21/255
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,454,067
App. No.
18/165,707
Granted
Oct 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments include systems for determining one or more properties of an object. In an embodiment, a system includes a gripping element, a light source, a probe element including an optical fiber, a spectrometer, and a processor. The gripping element is configured to grasp the object. The light source is configured to illuminate the object. The probe element is operatively coupled to the gripping element. The optical fiber is configured to transmit reflected light from the object. The spectrometer configured to: (i) receive the transmitted reflected light from the optical fiber and (ii) generate spectral data based on the received transmitted reflected light. The processor is configured to: (i) receive the generated spectral data from the spectrometer and (ii) determine one or more properties of the object based on the received generated spectral data.

Claims (31)

1. A system for determining one or more properties of an object, the system comprising:

a gripping element configured to grasp the object, the gripping element including one or more soft gripping fingers;

a probe element including a gripper pad, the gripper pad (i) attached to a soft gripping finger of the one or more soft gripping fingers and (ii) embedded with a light source and at least a portion of an optical fiber, the soft gripping finger including an exoskeleton, the light source configured to illuminate the object and cause light to be reflected from a surface of the object,

the optical fiber configured to convey the light reflected from the surface of the object;

a spectrometer configured to: (i) receive, from the optical fiber, the light reflected from the surface of the object and (ii) generate spectral data based on the received light reflected from the surface of the object; and

a processor configured to: (i) receive the generated spectral data from the spectrometer and (ii) determine one or more properties of the object based on the received generated spectral data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the probe element further includes a reflector and a lens at an end of the optical fiber, the lens being configured to focus the light reflected from the surface of the object onto the reflector and into the optical fiber.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gripper pad is an elastomeric gripper pad.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the light source is a full spectrum light source.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the full spectrum light source is a Quartz Tungsten Halogen lamp.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the light reflected from the surface of the object includes wavelengths in a range of 350-2200 nm.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to measure a spectral profile of the object based on the received generated spectral data.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more properties comprise one or more of color, composition, quality, class, material, contents, a chemical property, or a physical property.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the one or more properties of the object by comparing the spectral profile of the object to a spectral signature in a database.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the one or more properties of the object based on the spectral data using a machine learning model.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the machine learning model comprises a logistic model, a support vector machine, or a neural network.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the probe element further includes one or more auxiliary fibers;

the system further comprises an optical switch operatively coupled to (i) the spectrometer and (ii) the optical fiber and the one or more auxiliary fibers, the optical switch being configured to switch among the optical fiber and the one or more auxiliary fibers;

the spectrometer is further configured to: (i) receive auxiliary light reflected from the surface of the object and conveyed via the one or more auxiliary fibers and (ii) generate auxiliary data based on the received auxiliary light reflected from the surface of the object; and

the processor is further configured to: (i) receive the generated auxiliary data and (ii) determine the one or more properties of the object based on one or more of the received generated spectral data and the received generated auxiliary data.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein determining the one or more properties of the object based on one or more of the received generated spectral data and the received generated auxiliary data comprises averaging one or more of the received generated spectral data and the received generated auxiliary data.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gripping element further comprises a prosthetic hand that includes the one or more soft gripping fingers.

15. A computer-implemented method for determining one or more properties of an object, the method comprising:

providing a gripping element configured to grasp the object, the gripping element including one or more soft gripping fingers;

providing a probe element including a gripper pad, the gripper pad (i) attached to a soft gripping finger of the one or more soft gripping fingers and (ii) embedded with a light source and at least a portion of an optical fiber, the soft gripping finger including an exoskeleton, the optical fiber configured to convey the light reflected from the surface of the object;

via the light source, illuminating the object and causing light to be reflected from a surface of the object;

receiving, from the optical fiber, the light reflected from the surface of the object;

generating spectral data based on the received light reflected from the surface of the object; and

determining one or more properties of the object based on the generated spectral data.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the one or more properties of the object based on the spectral data comprises using a machine learning model.

Assignments (3)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Feb 10, 2025
From: NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
To: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 070158/0815 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEES ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 066058 FRAME: 0600. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jan 22, 2024
From: PADIR, TASKIN; VAIDYA, AKSHAY; HOCHSZTEIN, HILLEL; HANSON, NATHANIEL; DORSEY, KRISTEN; WILLICK, JOEL B.; KELESTEMUR, TARIK; ERDOGMUS, DENIZ
To: NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 066358/0271 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2023
From: PADIR, TASKIN; VAIDYA, AKSHAY; HOCHSZTEIN, HILLEL; HANSON, NATHANIEL; DORSEY, KRISTEN; WILLICK, JOEL B.; KELESTEMUR, TARIK; ERDOGMUS, DENIZ
To: NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 066058/0600 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63267677 · Feb 8, 2022
Related Publication 20230249368A1 · Aug 10, 2023
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Cited By (1)
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