Robotic manipulation system utilizing patterned granular motion

• Main Author: A.D. WISSNER-GROSS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.05.2007
• Subjects: APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY IONIMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT THEREOF; METALLURGY; NANOSTRUCTURES FORMED BY MANIPULATION OF INDIVIDUAL ATOMS,MOLECULES, OR LIMITED COLLECTIONS OF ATOMS OR MOLECULES ASDISCRETE UNITS; NANOTECHNOLOGY; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

A system (100, 100', 100'') and method for robotic manipulation of objects (130) is provided wherein particulates (110, 110') are agitated by the transfer of energy thereto to establish patterned granular motion of the particulates (110, 110'). The patterned granular motion of the particulates (110, 110') forms standing waves (112). The objects (130) align themselves with the standing waves (112) and thus are dynamically arranged in a configuration established by the location of the standing waves (112). The location of the standing waves (112) can be predetermined by controlling the waveform of the signals applied to the energy application system (140). The predetermined waveforms are supplied from the signal source (150, 154) to the energy application system (140).