US 12,454,067 B2
Systems and methods for robotic grippers with fiber optic spectroscopy
Taskin Padir, Westborough, MA (US); Akshay Vaidya, Westford, MA (US); Hillel Hochsztein, Brighton, MA (US); Nathaniel Hanson, Boston, MA (US); Kristen Dorsey, Roslindale, MA (US); Joel B. Willick, Olivette, MO (US); Tarik Kelestemur, Boston, MA (US); and Deniz Erdogmus, Winchester, MA (US)
Assigned to Northeastern University, Boston, MA (US)
Filed by Northeastern University, Boston, MA (US)
Filed on Feb. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/165,707.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/267,677, filed on Feb. 8, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0249368 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. B25J 19/02 (2006.01); B25J 15/08 (2006.01); G01N 21/25 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 19/025 (2013.01) [B25J 15/08 (2013.01); G01N 21/255 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
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.
 
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.