US 11,780,100 B2
Four-dimensional-printed pneumatically actuated flexible robotic joints
Grace Xiang Gu, Berkeley, CA (US); Kahraman Gufran Demir, Berkeley, CA (US); and Zhizhou Zhang, Berkeley, CA (US)
Assigned to THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Oakland, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/260,504
Filed by THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Oakland, CA (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 13, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/051014
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 14, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/056254, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 19, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/731,264, filed on Sep. 14, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0268663 A1, Sep. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. B25J 15/00 (2006.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01); B25J 9/14 (2006.01); B25J 15/10 (2006.01); B25J 19/00 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 15/0009 (2013.01) [B25J 9/142 (2013.01); B25J 15/10 (2013.01); B25J 19/007 (2013.01); B25J 19/0029 (2013.01); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic grasping system, comprising:
a first three-dimensional (3D) printed joint;
at least one first stiff portion coupled with the first 3D-printed joint;
a first plurality of internal tubes within the first 3D-printed joint;
at least one first bellows coupled with the first 3D-printed joint and at least one of the first plurality of internal tubes;
a pressure source configured to cause the first plurality of internal tubes to pressurize or depressurize the at least one first bellows;
a second 3D-printed joint;
at least one second stiff portion coupled with the second 3D-printed joint;
a first plurality of external tubes coupled with the second 3D-printed joint; and
at least one second bellows coupled with the second 3D-printed joint and at least one of the first plurality of external tubes.