Patent ID: 8534728

Claim:
A method for grasping an object, comprising: moving first and second gripping pads respectively to first and second locations in which a first face of the first gripping pad is opposed from a second face of said second gripping pad and spaced apart a distance, where the first gripping pad comprises a first plurality of pins each having a position on the first face which is offset from a position of a corresponding pin of a second plurality of pins of the second gripping pad; extending a first plurality of pins from at least said first face of the first gripping pad in a direction toward said second face of the second gripping pad; independently determining an extension distance for each of said first plurality of pins responsive to a resistance encountered by each of said first plurality of pins as a result of said extending; and as a result of said independently determining step, producing an object-defined gripping contour formed by distal ends of first pins of said first plurality of pins and a retainer wall surrounding a periphery of the object defined by meshed second pins of the first and second plurality of pins.