Patent ID: 8740202

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a piston; a gripper arm mechanically coupled to the piston, the gripper arm being configured to grip a device under test; a cavity in which the piston is configured to slide, wherein the piston is configured to slide in an inward direction and an outward direction within the cavity, the inward direction being a direction in which the piston is configured to slide when causing the gripper arm to grip a device, and wherein the cavity includes a vacuum cavity portion located on an inward side of the piston; a pneumatic control port coupled to the vacuum cavity portion on the inward side of the piston; and a pneumatic controller configured to control pressure in the vacuum cavity portion via the pneumatic control port, wherein the pneumatic controller is configured to generate a vacuum in the vacuum cavity portion so as to cause the piston to slide in the inward direction within the cavity, and wherein the pneumatic controller is configured to generate a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure in the vacuum cavity portion so as to cause the piston to slide in the outward direction within the cavity.