USER GUIDE

Please read carefully these instructions before use. Do not discard: keep for future
reference.
 www.qbrobotics.com

This page is intentionally left blank

 www.qbrobotics.com

Dear customer,
Thank you for purchasing our product.

The present document provides information at best of our knowledge at the time of
publication. This document could present differences from the product and it is subject
to changes without notice: the latest version is available on our webpage
www.qbrobotics.com.
qbrobotics s.r.l. does not assume any responsibility for errors or omissions.
In no case qbrobotics s.r.l. will be responsible for any loss, problems or damages to
persons or property arising from the use of this document.

The qb® logo and qbrobotics® are registered trademarks of qbrobotics s.r.l. The
indications of (R) are omitted.

Manifacturer:
qbrobotics s.r.l.
via Giuntini 13, 56023 Navacchio (PI), Italia

Release 1.7 17/01/2020

Summary
1 Preface .................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Using this document ......................................................................................... 3
1.2 Symbols and conventions ................................................................................. 3
2 Safety ...................................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Intended use ..................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Safety instructions ............................................................................................ 4
2.3 EC Directives on product safety ........................................................................ 5
2.4 Environmental conditions ................................................................................. 6
2.5 Environmental safety ........................................................................................ 6
2.6 Personnel qualification ..................................................................................... 7
2.7 Power supply .................................................................................................... 7
3 Description .............................................................................................................. 8
3.1 Device identification ......................................................................................... 8
4 Assembly ................................................................................................................. 9
4.1 SoftHand Industry mounting ............................................................................ 9
4.2 Cable connections ........................................................................................... 12
4.2.1 Set of cables ........................................................................................... 12
4.2.2 Driver ports ............................................................................................ 16
4.2.3 Connection sequence ............................................................................. 17
4.2.4 Digital I/Os cable “EC_CBL_26_CRMP24_WIRE_050” (OPTIONAL)........ 20
5 C++ API .................................................................................................................. 23
5.1 Example Installation........................................................................................ 23
5.2 Working with C++ API ..................................................................................... 24
6 Universal Robots URCap ....................................................................................... 28
6.1 Installation ...................................................................................................... 28
6.2 Working with URCap ....................................................................................... 29
6.2.1 Installation Node .................................................................................... 29
6.2.2 Program Node ........................................................................................ 31
6.2.3 e-Series Toolbar ..................................................................................... 33
6.2.4 Program Example ................................................................................... 33
6.2.5 URCap enabled script functions ............................................................. 34

1 15 ottobre 2019
7 qb SoftHand Industry technical data .................................................................... 36
7.1 Fingers workspace .......................................................................................... 40
7.2 Adjustable wrist .............................................................................................. 41
8 Maintenance and warranty .................................................................................. 43
9 Appendix ............................................................................................................... 45
9.1 Troubleshooting .............................................................................................. 45
10 Certifications ......................................................................................................... 46

15 ottobre 2019 2
 1 Preface
1.1 Using this document

The documentation must always be complete and in a perfectly readable

state.
Keep the document accessible to the operating and, if necessary,
maintenance personnel at all times.
Pass the document to any subsequent owner or user of the product.

1.2 Symbols and conventions

WARNING: identifies information about practice or

circumstances that can lead to damages on the
device and to personal injury.
Attentions help you identify a hazard, avoid a
hazard, and recognize the consequence.

Courier text Identifies file paths, file names and sw functions.

3 15 ottobre 2019
2 Safety
2.1 Intended use

The product design is intended for grasping objects in the weight range from
1 to 2000 g.
Fragile, sharp or sharp-edged objects shall not be grasped.
Objects having the ratio between the biggest and the smallest dimensions
≥8 and the main dimension greater than 300 mm shall not be grasped.
The product is intended for installation on robotic arms: the safety features
are stablished only for use as described in this document.
The safety of the product cannot be guaranteed in case of inappropriate use.
One, single, inappropriate use can result in a permanent damage to the
safety of the product. The responsibility for any damage caused by an
incorrect choice of the manipulated object is the responsibility of the user.

2.2 Safety instructions

WARNING:

• Check that all the content is intact after removing

it from the packaging.
• The device can be used only by specially trained
staff.
• Disconnect the power supply before installation,
cleaning or maintenance operations.
• Make sure that no residual energy remains in the
system.
• Always operate the product within the
specifications defined.
• Keep away from children and pets. Always set off
or unplug when not in use.
• Never use aerosol products, petroleum-based
lubricants or other flammable products on or near
the end-effector.

15 ottobre 2019 4
 • Do not use any damaged power cable, plug, or
loose outlet. It may cause damages to the product
or injury to people.
• Do not touch electrical components to avoid
damages due to electrostatic charges.
• Make sure the end-effector is properly and
securely bolted in place and cabled.
• Do not use if damaged or defective. Do not
disassemble.
• Do not insert any objects between moving parts
of the fingers.
• Keep head and face outside the reach of the end-
effector.
• Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry when
working with the end-effector.
• Disrespect of these precautions can affect safety
of the device.

2.3 EC Directives on product safety

• The following EC directives on product safety must be observed.

• If the product is being used outside the UE, international, national
and regional directives must be also observed.

Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC)

The Machinery Directive is applyed to our products. The products described
here are “incomplete machines”, so installation instructions are normally
issued by qbrobotics.
Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU)
The Low Voltage Directive applies for all electrical equipment with a nominal
voltage of 75 to 1500 V DC and 50 to 1000 V AC. The products described in
this device manual do not fall within the scope of this directive, since they
are intended for lower voltages.

5 15 ottobre 2019
2.4 Environmental conditions

Wrong environmental and operating conditions can lead to injuries, product

damages and/or significant reduction to the product’s life.

WARNING:
Any use or application deviating from intended use is
deemed to be impermissible misuse. This includes, but is not
limited to:
• Use before performing a risk assessment;
• Use outside the permissible operational conditions
and specifications;
• Use in not low-dust environment;
• Use in places with high temperature or humidity;
• Use in wet places;
• Use in potentially explosive atmospheres;
• Use in medical and life critical applications;
• Use close to a human’s head, face and eye area;
• Use as a climbing aid;
• Use in outdoor applications.

2.5 Environmental safety

The qb SoftHand Industry must be disposed of in accordance with the

applicable national laws, regulations and standards.
All the components of this product have been chosen in accordance with the
EU RoHS directive 2011/65/EU: they are produced with restricted use of
hazardous substances to protect the environment.
Observe national registration requirements for importers according to EU
WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU.

15 ottobre 2019 6
 2.6 Personnel qualification

If the personnel working with the product is not sufficiently qualified, may
occur serious injuries and damage.

• Observe the national safety regulations and rules and general

safety instructions.
• Before working with the product, the personnel must have read and
understood the complete assembly and operating manual.
• All work may only be performed by qualified personnel.

2.7 Power supply

The equipment must be powered from a PELV source in order to avoid

electrical hazards.
Typical input power supply for external driver:

• Power: 30W;
• Voltage: from 12V to 48V.

7 15 ottobre 2019
3 Description
qb SoftHand Industry is an anthropomorphic robotic hand based on soft-
robotics technology, flexible, adaptable and able to interact with the
surrounding environment, objects and humans while limiting the risk of
hurting the operators, spoiling the products to be handled, and damaging
the robot itself.
The qb SoftHand is adaptable and can grasp different objects without any
change in the control action, showing an unparalleled level of simplicity and
flexibility.
Thanks to its soft nature the hand by qbrobotics exploits the principles of
synergies in a simple and intrinsically intelligent design that is not only safe
in unexpected human-robot interaction, but also adaptable to grasp
different objects without any change in the control action.
The combination of these innovations results in a flexible prehensile device
that can grasp a wide variety of objects. The single-motor actuation makes
the hand plug-and-play and simple-to-control (one single motor requires
one single control signal to close and open the whole hand) and affordable.

3.1 Device identification

On the rear part of the device there is its serial number, that you can read
following the structure below.

a) family
b) model
c) progressive number

15 ottobre 2019 8
 4 Assembly
The qb SoftHand Industry Kit allows you to connect the device to your robot
arm. The kit consists of:
• N.1 qb Softhand Industry 24V;
• N.1 external driver “G-DCWHI2.5/100EES”;
• N.1 ethernet cable “EC_CBL_UTP_6_RJ45_BLK_050”;
• N.1 power cable “EC_CBL_22_02_L50_RR_200”;
• N.1 power cable “EC_CBL_22_01_L5_RR_100”;
• N.1 STO cable “EC_CBL_26_CRMP3_WIRE_050”;
• N.1 power line communication bridge with main cable of 3m
“EC_CBL_26_M8FA8_CRIMP_100”;
• N.1 USB pen drive:
o Manual;
o Datasheet;
• N.1 cylindrical pin EN ISO 8734 A d6x10 h6;
• N.4 metrical screws EN ISO 10642 M6x10;
• N.1 Allen hex key.

4.1 SoftHand Industry mounting

Use only the screws provided within the package. Longer screws could
damage the robot or the hand. To assemble the hand on the robot arm,
please follow the instructions of Table 4-1:

# instructions

Unlock by a single turn two

1 knobs (1) and rotate the
robot’s wrist (2).

9 15 ottobre 2019
# instructions

Keep (2) as shown in figure,

then tight the two knobs
2
(1).

Insert (3) into the 6 mm

3
hole on the wrist.

Center (2) on the wrist

4
diameter 63mm,

Fasten (2) to the robot’s

wrist by tightening the four
screws (4).
5
You need the 4mm
Allen wrench.

15 ottobre 2019 10
 # instructions

Unlock by one turn two

knobs (1) and rotate the
6
device until the desired
position.

Fix the device by tightening

7 the 2 knobs (1).

Table 4-1 Installation guidelines of the SoftHand Industry on robot arm. Referring to the
balloons in the pictures: (1) n.2 knobs M4; (2) SoftHand Industry flange ISO9409-1-50-4-M6;
(3) n.1 cylindrical pin EN ISO 8734 A d6x10 h6; (4) n.4 metrical screws EN ISO 10642 M6x12.

11 15 ottobre 2019
4.2 Cable connections

WARNING: do not use force on the cables to

remove the wiring. Act only on the connectors. Use
only the provided set of cables.

4.2.1 Set of cables

The provided cables are:

• Ethernet cable “EC_CBL_UTP_6_RJ45_BLK_050”

Figure 4-1 Ethernet cable.

• Power cable “EC_CBL_22_02_L50_RR_200”

Figure 4-2 Power cable to supply the external driver.

15 ottobre 2019 12
 • Power cable “EC_CBL_22_01_L5_RR_100”

Figure 4-3 Power cable to supply auxiliary port.

• STO cable “EC_CBL_26_CRMP3_WIRE_050”

This cable has a free end to allow the user to connect to a generic terminal
block.

Figure 4-4 Cables with connector and pin-out.

Activation of the Safe Torque Off (STO) function causes the drive to stop
providing power, which controls the motor movement and the motor can
only be electrically activated, when both STO inputs are active.
The STO may be used to prevent unexpected motor rotation while the drive
remains connected to a power supply.

Whenever one of the inputs is no longer active, power that can generate
motion is no longer provided to the motor by the drive.

13 15 ottobre 2019
The STO cable must be connected to a safety device and you can connect it
in two ways:

Conn. A) Connection to Robot control box. In this way the STO is

managed by the control box and its safety protocols.

Conn. B) External power connection. In this way you can keep the
motor enabled and you have to turn off the external power source
to disable it.

15 ottobre 2019 14
 • Main cable “EC_CBL_26_M8FA8_CRIMP_100”

Figure 4-5 Main cable to connect the Device to the external driver.

The pinning of the female M8 connector, 8 poles, is given below:

Figure 4-6 Pinning and contacts of the M8 8 pin female connector.

Referring to Figure 4-6, the connections are the following:

Pin n. Wire color Purpose

1 White SSI 5 VDC
2 Brown SSI GND
3 Green SSI clock +
4 Yellow SSI clock -
5 Gray SSI data +
6 Pink SSI data -
7 Blue motor phase 1
8 Red motor phase 2

Table 4-2 Signals and power connections.

15 15 ottobre 2019
4.2.2 Driver ports
Figure 4-7 shows the provided external driver with the indication of the
ports; Table 4-3 External Driver ports. indicates the characteristics of each
port.

Figure 4-7 External driver.

Port n. Type Function Pins

1 2.54 mm Pitch Molex STO 3
2 2.54 mm Pitch Molex Feedback port C and I/O 24
3 2.54 mm Pitch Molex Feedback port B 8
4 2.54 mm Pitch Molex Feedback port A 12
5 Phoenix 3.81 mm Pitch ‘HC’ Auxiliary supply input 2
6 Phoenix 5 mm Pitch ‘HC’ Main Power 3
7 Phoenix 5 mm Pitch ‘HC’ Motor phases 4
8 USB Device Mini-B USB 5
9 EtherCAT in RJ-45 8
10 EtherCAT out RJ-45 8

Table 4-3 External Driver ports.

15 ottobre 2019 16
 4.2.3 Connection sequence
# instructions
Assembly the motor phases of
the main cable to the 4-pin
connector for the port 7; block
the cables turning clockwise
the two screws.
Make sure to connect the red
cable to the M2 pin and the
1
blue cable to the M3 pin.

WARNING:
Pay attention to connect
cables in the correct
way.
You need the flathead
screwdriver.

Assembly the main cable to

the external driver.
2 Connect the 12-pin Molex
plug to the port 4 and the 4-
pin connector to the port 7.

Connect the STO plug to the

3
external driver port 1.

17 15 ottobre 2019
# instructions
Assembly the power cables to
the 3-pin connector for the
port 6 and the 2-pin
connector for the port 5; block
the cables turning clockwise
the three screws.
Make sure to connect the two
brown cables to the VP+ pin,
4 the white cable to the PR pin
and the other end of brown
cable to the VL+ pin.
WARNING:
Pay attention to connect
cables in the correct
way.
You need the flathead
screwdriver.

Connect the power cable to

the port 5, by the 2-pin
connector and the power
5 cable to the port 6, by the 3-
pin connector.
Driver nominal voltage 24V
(min 12V, max 95V)

Connect the Ethernet cable to

6
the port 9.

15 ottobre 2019 18
 # instructions
Insert the M8 connector (4) of
the main cable into the
receptacle on the hand.
Lock the M8 connector by
manually tightening its
threaded ring on the body of
the receptacle (max
tightening torque= 0.2 Nm).
7 WARNING:
Be careful to insert the
connector in the right
direction;
Do not rotate the M8
connector when
inserted into the
receptacle;
Minimum curve radius
of the cable (4) = 51mm.

Table 4-4 Assembly sequence of the cables.

Figure 4-8 Connection layout for the external driver.

19 15 ottobre 2019
4.2.4 Digital I/Os cable “EC_CBL_26_CRMP24_WIRE_050” (OPTIONAL)
In the event that it is not possible (or do not want) to control the SoftHand
Industry via the methods described in next chapters of this manual, it is
possible to use a generic industrial PLC with 24VDC digital inputs and
outputs. You will not have access to all the features of the device, but the
set of commands made available should be more than sufficient in most
applications.
This cable has a free end to allow the user to connect to a generic terminal
block. In the other end there is a Molex 24 pins connector, for the external
driver’s port 2. Figure 4-9 shows the pin-out of the cable.

Figure 4-9 Cable with connectors and terminal block to connect the digital I/OS pins.

Example of connection to a generic PLC control

Using just two digital outputs DO1 and DO2 (at 24VDC) on the control PLC, it
is possible to use the SoftHand Industry version by activating the logic states
of the two outputs (Figure 4-10). For example, switching DO1 to "1", the
hand will re-open completely, while setting DO2 will have a complete closure
(with maximum speed and force). This is because the called functions are
respectively the first and second digital inputs of the external driver of the
SoftHand Industry. For all other available configurations, see the next list of
entries.

15 ottobre 2019 20
 Figure 4-10 - Example of control via a generic PLC control.

In a similar way one can know the status of the driver and some auxiliary
information through its digital output (Figure 4-11). For example, DI1 will be
active whenever the SoftHand Industry is in a steady state, whether it is
related to a socket or a rest condition (it will be at "0" when the motor will
be moving). For all other states available, see the next list of outputs.

Figure 4-11 Example of status reading via a generic PLC control.

The digital inputs are:

IN_GND: digital inputs ground;
IN1: fully opening at maximum speed;
IN2: fully closing at maximum speed and force;
IN3: fully closing at 25% of speed and maximum force;
IN4: fully closing at maximum speed and 75% of force;
IN5: fully closing at 25% of speed and 75% of force;
IN6: correct termination procedure to use before switching off.

All these states are activated by a pulse of a few tenths of a second on the
respective 24VDC digital input (with respect to the IN_GND which acts as a
ground for digital inputs). If the input remains high, the others can still be
activated, but the high one will not activate until it returns to "0" (0 VDC)
and then again to "1" (24 VDC).

21 15 ottobre 2019
It is not possible to activate multiple commands simultaneously. To give the
next input, the previous one must already have been completed.

The digital outputs are:

OUT1: is "0" (0VDC) when the motor is stationary;
OUT2: is "0" (0VDC) when the number of cycles exceeds the
maintenance threshold;
OUT3: is "0" (0VDC) when there is an error in the program or in the
driver parameters;
OUT4: is "0" (0VDC) when the driver is in protection for some electrical
or mechanical problem.
OUT_VDD and OUT_GND: are the two references needed to define the
24VDC. Connect OUT_VDD to PLC 24V and OUT_GND to its ground
reference (0V).

# instructions

Connect the Digital I/Os

1
cable to the port 2.

WARNING: the termination procedure (IN6) is

called for every switching off and it’s needed for the
correct behavior of device and to limiting its
hysteresis.

15 ottobre 2019 22
 5 C++ API
5.1 Example Installation

Following this very basic installation steps you can build the example code
from scratch and test the qb SoftHand Industry functionalities.

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make
make install

The example code is stored under the src directory (it is called main.cpp as
usual). The building process generates an executable called
qbsofthand_industry_api_example in the base directory, that can be run in
any terminal.

The example prompt on screen the qb SoftHand Industry information and

close (and reopen) it just one time.

Before executing the example code, please be sure to have properly

connected and powered the device by following the official qb SoftHand
Industry User Guide.

Moreover, you need to be connected to the device through a proper

ethernet network. The device default parameters are the followings so
please set up your network adapter settings to fit this configuration (you may
change the device network parameters later).
* Network IPv4: 192.168.1.110
* Network Mask: 255.255.255.0
* Network Gateway: 192.168.1.1
* Network DHCP: disabled

For example, you may give the 192.168.1.100 static IPv4 to your network
adapter.

23 15 ottobre 2019
By exploring the simple example code above, you can understand most of
the features available for the user. Moreover, the documentation of the
whole library can be found both in the User Guide and in the
include/qbsofthand_industry_api/qbsofthand_industry
_api.h header file.

The C++ shared library (compiled for both 32- and 64-bit systems) can be
linked against your own project to include the control capability of the qb
SoftHand Industry.

If you need special architecture binaries, please make a dedicated support

request at support@qbrobotics.com.

5.2 Working with C++ API

For the API the description of the class functions is:

namespace qbsofthand_industry_api_
class qbSoftHandIndustryAPI

qbSoftHandIndustryAPI()
Initialize the qb SoftHand Industry API handler by opening the proper
UDP socket and by testing its communication. The constructor tries to
connect to the qb SoftHand Industry for at most 30 seconds and then
returns. Through the method 'isInitialized()' is possible to
test whether the initialization succeeded or not. The default IPv4
address used for the UDP socket connection is 192.168.1.110.

qbSoftHandIndustryAPI(const std::string &device_ip)

Initialize the qb SoftHand Industry API handler by opening the proper
UDP socket and by testing its communication. The constructor tries to
connect to the qb SoftHand Industry for at most 30 seconds and then
returns. Through the method 'isInitialized()' is possible to
test whether the initialization succeeded or not.

15 ottobre 2019 24
 device_ip
The IPv4 address used for the UDP socket connection. It must be a valid
IPv4 address.

~qbSoftHandIndustryAPI()
Close the UDP socket and perform the proper shutdown procedures.

float getCurrent()
Get the actual qb SoftHand Industry motor torque in percent value
w.r.t. the maximum value.

float getPosition()
Get the actual qb SoftHand Industry motor position in percent value
w.r.t. the maximum value.

float getVelocity()
Get the actual qb SoftHand Industry motor velocity in percent value
w.r.t. the maximum value.

std::string getStatistics()
Get the qb SoftHand Industry device information.

bool isInitialized()
Return true if the initialization procedure has succeeded. return `true`
on success.

int setClosure(const float &position)

Send the given percent-position closure command reference to the qb
SoftHand Industry.
Position
the percent-position command reference, in range [0, 100] % where `0`
is the fully open configuration, and `100` is the fully closed.
return `0` on success; `-1` if the position is out of range.

int setClosure(const float &position, const float &velocity, const float

&current)

25 15 ottobre 2019
 Send the given percent-position closure command reference to the qb
SoftHand Industry, together with the speed reference command and
the maximum force that should be applied during the grasp.
This is the most complete command to send a reference to the qb
SoftHand and should be used for special cases. In normal usage, the
simpler version above should be preferred. All the parameters are
expressed in percent w.r.t. the maximum possible value.
Position
the percent-position command reference, in range [\p 0, \p 100] %
where \p 0 is the fully open configuration, and `100` is the fully closed.
Velocity
the speed command reference, in range [12.5, 100] % where `12.5` is
the minimum velocity of the closure, and `100` is full speed.
Current
the current threshold for the motor, in range [62.5, 100] % where `62.5`
is the minimum force that the hand can apply, and `100` is the
maximum return `0` on success; `-1` if at least one of the percent values
is out of range.

int setIP(const std::string &net_ip, const std::string &net_mask, const

std::string &net_gateway)
Change the qb SoftHand Industry IPv4 address, network mask and
gateway of the device.
It is worth noticing that the device should be connected first to use this
command.
net_ip
the device network IP address, e.g. 192.168.1.110.
net_mask
the device network mask, e.g. 255.255.255.0.
net_gateway
the device network gateway, e.g. 192.168.1.1. return* `0` on success;
`-1` if at least one of the given IPv4-format addresses is wrong.

void waitForTargetReached()
Wait until the qb SoftHand Industry has reached the commanded
position.

15 ottobre 2019 26
 This method should be called after a `setClosure` one, to wait for
the action to be completed.

27 15 ottobre 2019
6 Universal Robots URCap
6.1 Installation

You can find the most up-to-date installation process in the official robot
manual provided by Universal Robots.

CB-Series
1. From the start view, go to "Setup Robot";
2. Then click on "URCap" to access the URCap settings;
3. Insert the provided USB flash drive and click on the "plus" at the
bottom of the page;
4. From there select the flash drive, choose the file named
qbsofthand-*.*.*.urcap in the root directory of the drive, and
click "Open";
5. A reboot is needed to set the custom URCap available in robot
system.
e-Series
1. From the main view, go to "Settings";
2. Then click on the tab "System" and on the sub-tab "URCap";
3. Insert the provided USB flash drive and click on the "plus" at the
bottom of the page;
4. From there select the flash drive, choose the file named
qbsofthand-*.*.*.urcap in the root directory of the drive, and
click "Open";
5. A reboot is needed to set the custom URCap available in robot
system.

The "asterisks" (*) in the above file names represent respectively the major,
minor and bugfix numbers of the software version, e.g. qbsofthand-
3.0.0.urcap.
To get more info about versioning, please refer to the Semantic Versioning
standard.

15 ottobre 2019 28
 WARNING: These steps may differ a little from the
real ones. Please refer to the official robot manual
in case this guide does not help you.

6.2 Working with URCap

The easiest solution to control the qb SoftHand from the Universal Robots
ecosystem is to exploit the URCap capabilities provided, and well described
below.
The images used in this chapter refer to the e-Series Polyscope 5+, but a very
similar interface is available in Polyscope 3+ for CB-Series robots.
6.2.1 Installation Node
The qbrobotics Installation tab is the place where all the information about
the qb SoftHand state and its stored settings are displayed all together.

Device Status Panel

The Device Status panel shows a led icon on its top right corner to quickly
identify the connection state:
• Red is for communication fault or non-connected device;
• Green, when everything looks good.
If there is a connection problem, the "Reconnect" button is enabled to
manually reset the communication to the robot controller.

In the same panel are shown the identification name of the device and the
IP address on which it is connected, e.g. “192.168.1.110”.

Below, the actual motor current in percent value w.r.t. to maximum one and
the actual hand closure state in percent value. If a program is running while
visiting the Installation Node, you can see these status bar varying
accordingly to the hand motion.

29 15 ottobre 2019
Teaching Mode Panel
To simplify the usability and re-usability of qb SoftHand, you can teach and
store a given grasp value to recall it whenever you need it in a given Program
Node.

For each, you can set the grasp command value through a percent position
slider, and you can test it buy pressing the "Grasp" button on the right of the
chosen line. If you are not happy with the given closure, just iterate this
procedure until you are fine with the teached grasp. All of this named grasp
value can be recalled by every Program Node at any time.

If a stored grasp previously set is modified at a given time, all its occurrences
used in any program are modified accordingly to the new value set. This is
possible thanks to a grasp database saved in the current Installation loaded.

WARNING: If you change or remove an Installation

file on your robot you may not be able to exploit this
linking capability any longer because the stored
grasp database no longer exists. On the other hand,
each saved program still behaves the same as
before because each qb SoftHand Program Node
stores the grasp value also inside the program data.

As it is shown in Figure 6-1, you can quickly and easily add or remove a grasp
value, which is visualized in a tabled fashion.

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 Figure 6-1 URCap installation interface.

6.2.2 Program Node

This Node aimed to send a command to the qb SoftHand at a given time in a
robot program.

Teaching Mode Panel

This panel is strictly linked to the one in the Installation Node since you can
recall, add, modify or remove a stored grasp value from the internal
database. The value shown in the slider is the one sent to the qb SoftHand
while the program is running.

If you have selected a stored grasp and change its command value through
the slider, you change not only the current Program Node value, but every
linked grasp with the same name.

While creating a robot program, you can check if the grasp command is
suitable by testing it through the "Grasp" button on the top right of the
panel.

31 15 ottobre 2019
Settings Panel
If you are grasping an object with a known mass, you can add it in the proper
field to automatically sum it up with the qb SoftHand one. Remember to set
it to 0 when you release the object.

Additionally, you can specify if this Node has to add a wait during the grasp
or not. You can choose one of the two predefined options:

• Wait for a given amount of time expressed in seconds;

• Wait until the grasp is stable.

If none are satisfying for the given application, feel free to add a Wait Node
after the qb SoftHand one.
If both the options are selected, they are evaluated in sequence: first it waits
for the specified custom time and then checks whether the grasp is already
stable or not.

Figure 6-2 URCap programming interface.

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 6.2.3 e-Series Toolbar
This toolbar lets you quickly check the qb SoftHand state and tech new grasp
values.
The two panels displayed are almost identical to the ones described in the
Installation and Program Nodes.

Figure 6-3 URCap toolbar.

6.2.4 Program Example

The following example is a simple pick-and-place robot program where the
qb SoftHand is used as grasping tool.

The example should be self-explainatory, but it is worth noticing that in

many cases a "pre-grasp" can help to accomplish a task in a better fashion.
This is strictly related to the specific task, but you can add as many qb
SoftHand Program Nodes as you need to let the hand pass in an even narrow
spot. For example, you may need a pre-grasp to be able to open a door
through its handle.

33 15 ottobre 2019
 Figure 6-4 URCap programming example.

6.2.5 URCap enabled script functions

Apart from the UI features described above, you can add some custom
function in your robot program by using our script methods:

• bool qbsofthand.industry_connect(string
ip_address): opens the UDP socket on the given IPv4 address
and tests its communication.
• void qbsofthand.industry_disconnect(): closes the
UDP socket and performs the proper shutdown procedures.
• int qbsofthand.industry_getCurrent(): returns
actual motor torque in percent value w.r.t. the maximum value.
• int qbsofthand.industry_getPosition(): returns
actual motor position in percent value w.r.t. the maximum value.
• string qbsofthand.industry_getStatistics():
returns details about device internal parameters and it is mainly
aimed to our support team during incident investigation.
• bool qbsofthand.industry_isReachable(): returns
"true" if the socket communication is active and responsive.

15 ottobre 2019 34
 • void qbsofthand.industry_setCommand(int
position): sends a reference position command to the device;
the integer parameter must be a percent value, i.e. in range 0 —
100.
• void qbsofthand.industry_setCommandFull(int
position, int speed, int force): sends a reference
position command to the device, together with a speed reference
and a force threshold; all the integer parameters must be percent
values, respectively in range 0 — 100, 12.5 — 100, 62.5 — 100.
• void qbsofthand.industry_setDeviceIP(string
net_ip, string net_mask, string net_gateway):
changes the IPv4 address, network mask and gateway of the device;
it is worth noticing that the device should be power off after this
command.
• void
qbsofthand.industry_waitForTargetReached():
waits until the hand has reached the commanded position; this
method should be called after a 'setCommand' one, to wait for the
action to be completed.

WARNING: These commands are meant to be used

by expert users only.

35 15 ottobre 2019
7 qb SoftHand Industry technical data
Figure 7-1 shows the overall dimensions of the qb SoftHand Industry.
Electrical and Mechanical characteristics of the hand are shown in Figure 7-1
and Table 7-1.

Figure 7-1 qb SoftHand Industry dimensions, which are the same for the left and right hand
(dimensions in mm and out of scale).

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 The Figure 7-2 represents the mechanical interface coordinate system ΣM
(OM; XM, YM, ZM) of an articulated robot, as defined by ISO 9787:2013. In
particular, the center of the coordinate system, OM, is on the interface
surface of the robot tool flange and the ZM axis is coincident with the tool
flange axis of symmetry.

Figure 7-2 mechanical interface coordinate system ΣM (OM; XM, YM, ZM) of a generic articulated
robot. Ri is the i-th revolute joint of the robot. (O1; X1, Y1, Z1) is the base coordinate system of
the robot.

The system ΣT (OT; XT, YT, ZT) is the Tool Coordinate System of the device.
The center, OT, coincides with the center OM. The ZT axis is normal to the
palm, outgoing positive, and the YT axis is normal to the flange plane.
This definition implies that ΣT is the same for left and right one. So, the
positive orientation of XT axis will be on the side of the thumb in the right
hand and on the side opposite to the thumb in the left hand.
Figure 7-3 shows the system ΣT.

37 15 ottobre 2019
 Figure 7-3 Definition of the Tool Coordinate System ΣT (OT; XT, YT, ZT).

1external driver for best integration

Table 7-1 gives also the position of the center of mass and the inertia tensor
of the SoftHand Industry respect to ΣT (OT; XT, YT, ZT) and wrist pre-set in 0°
position. All coordinate systems here described follow the orthogonal right-
hand rule.

MECHANCAL UNIT NOMINAL MIN MAX

weight [kg] 0.89 - -
wrist mounting range [deg] - 0 90
wrist mounting resolution [deg] 7.5 - -
power grasp payload [kg] - - 2.0
pinch grasp payload [kg] - - 0.6
hanging payload [kg] - - 5.0
full closing time [s] - - 1.2

CENTER OF MASS UNIT X Y Z

coordinates fully open [mm] 2.4 80.5 14.3
system ΣT fully closed [mm] 1.1 75.3 17.5

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 INERTIA TENSOR UNIT XX XY XZ YY YZ ZZ
coordinates fully open [kgmm2] -9535 -90 335 -9888 -1449 1343
system ΣT fully closed [kgmm2] -8090 -72 155 -7963 -1752 1371

ENVIRONMENTAL UNIT NOMINAL MIN MAX

operating temperature [°C] - -5 50
storage temperature [°C] - -20 50
noise level [dB] 52 40 61

ELECTRICAL UNIT NOMINAL MIN MAX

operating voltage [V] 24 12 50
power consumption [W] 13 3 15

CONTROL
communication protocols: EtherCAT, UDP

FEATURE
plug-and-play1
soft, human like fingers
adjustable wrist mounting position
splash, water, and dust resistance: IP65
interchangeable glove for special applications

NORMATIVE COMPLIANCE
ISO 12100
ISO/TS 15066
ISO 13849-1/-2
ISO 10218-1/-2
ISO 9409-1-50-4-M6
ISO/TR 20218-1
IEC 60529
IEC 61000-6-2/-6-4
1
external driver for best integration

Table 7-1 Basic data of the qb SoftHand Industry.

39 15 ottobre 2019
7.1 Fingers workspace

Figures below show the hand workspace, in particular the fingers’ range.

Figure 7-4 Fingers workspace (dimensions in millimeters).

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 7.2 Adjustable wrist

You can adjust the pitch pre-set of the wrist in twelve positions, from 0° to
90° with a step of 7.5° and without using any tool. The Figure 7-5 shows the
extreme positions of the wrist: in the first position (0°) the axis Z T is normal
to the palm and in the last position (90°) the axis YT is normal to the palm.

90° position

0° position

Figure 7-5 Extreme position of the wrist pre-set.

Figure 7-6 shows a top view of the hand and a detail of the locking
components, with the graduated scale.

WARNING:
Do not rotate the knobs more than one turn.

41 15 ottobre 2019
 Rotation
axis

Locking
knob

Figure 7-6 Rotation axis for wrist pre-set and locking knob to turn, in order to lock and unlock
the joint. The left joint has a graduated scale to read the angular position.

Follow the sequence below to change the wrist pre-set.

1) rotate the two knobs by a single counterclockwise turn;

2) rotate the hand at the desired angle (step of 7.5°);
3) lock the joints by turning clockwise the two knobs.

This feature will help you to assemble the hand to the robot flange.

15 ottobre 2019 42
 8 Maintenance and warranty
Products of the company qbrobotics s.r.l. are produced using the most
modern production methods and are subject of strict quality inspections. All
sales and deliveries are performed exclusively based on our General
Conditions of Sale and Delivery, which can be viewed on the qbrobotics
home page https://qbrobotics.com/terms-conditions/

qbrobotics s.r.l. (Seller) warrants that Products conform with specifications

and free of defects in materials and workmanship. Seller will guarantee the
conformity of Products within the period of one (1) year from their delivery
(the “Warranty Period”). Buyer shall notify the defects to Seller within eight
(8) days after the knowledge. The above-mentioned warranty will cover only
the defects which appear in the Products used under proper use, care and
maintenance in accordance with the instructions provided with the Product.
In particular, the warranty will expire automatically in
case of tampering with the device or with the software.
The warranty does not cover parts subject to wear, such as the glove, the
motor tendon and the elastic bands.
Buyer, upon written consent by the Seller, shall return at his own expenses
the defective Product to Seller. Seller shall repair or replace the defective
Product and the repaired or replaced item shall be delivered by Seller to
Buyer at Seller's cost. Insurance, taxes and levies shall be borne by Buyer.
Products replaced in accordance with this clause shell be subjected to the
foregoing warranty for the unexpired portion of the Warranty Period or for
thirty (30) days from the date of their return to Buyer, whichever expires the
later.
Unless otherwise restricted by mandatory applicable law, the warranty set
forth herein is expressly in lieu of all other warranties, whether expressed or
implied, including, without limitation, any and all warranties of
merchantability, quality and fitness for use and for purpose, any advice and
recommendation and any obligations or liabilities which may be imputed to
Seller, any and all of which are hereby expressly disclaimed, denied and
excluded. Buyer expressly agrees that no warranty that is not specifically
stated in this agreement will be claimed or otherwise adhered to by buyer
and/or by anyone acting on buyer’s behalf and/or by anyone deriving the
legality of its claim from buyer, nor that will any such warranty be valid.

43 15 ottobre 2019
Seller neither assumes nor authorizes any other person to assume for it, any
other liability in connection with the sale, use or handling of any and all
goods specified or contemplated by this document. No warranty is made
with respect to any of these goods which have been subject to accident,
negligence, alteration, improper care, improper storage, improper
maintenance, abuse or misuse.

The duration of the warranty shall not be extended by services rendered

under the terms of the warranty. Insofar as no warranty default exists,
qbrobotics s.r.l. reserves the right to charge the customer for replacement
or repair.
qbrobotics s.r.l. shall have no liability for indirect, incidental, consequential
or special damages of any kind. These limitations are agreed allocations of
risk. Under no circumstances shall Seller's liability with regard to the sale or
use of the Products exceed the purchase price paid by Buyer for the
Products. In particular, Seller shall have no liability in the integration of the
Product provided by third party.

For any support request please contact us at the email

support@qbrobotics.com.

15 ottobre 2019 44
 9 Appendix
9.1 Troubleshooting

# Problem Possible solution

Check the wiring is correct

If the hand is connected

to the power source of
The device presents the control box, make a
1 unusual behavior or power cycle of the robot
communication problems. Make a
power cycle If the hand is connected
to an external power
source, make a power
cycle of the driver.

Run the termination procedure by the

digital input six (IN6)

The device presents Execute any program and wait for its
2
unusual behavior end (the DESTRUCTOR performs the
shutdown procedure)

Restart the robot specific app

Unusual posture of
3 Check the glove’s position
fingers

For any other issue, please contact support@qbrobotics.com.

45 15 ottobre 2019
10 Certifications
Standards applied under development of the product is listed in this section.
When an EU Directive number is noted in brackets it indicates that the
standard is harmonized under that Directive.

ISO 12100:2010
EN ISO 12100:2010 (E) [2006/42/EC]
Safety of machinery – General principles for design – Risk assessment and
risk reduction.
The product is evaluated according to the principles of these standards.

ISO 10218-2:2011
EN ISO 10218-2:2011(E) [2006/42/EC]
Robots and robotic devices – Safety requirements for industrial robots Part
2: Robot systems and integration
The product is prepared for compliance with robot system requirements
defined in these standards.

ISO/TS 15066:2016
RIA TR R15.606
Robots and robotic devices – Safety requirements for industrial robots –
Collaborative operation This is a Technical Specification (TS), not a standard.
The product is prepared for easy integration in compliance with provisions
in this Technical Specification, see more in the safety chapter.

EN ISO13849-1:2015
EN ISO13849-2:2012
Part 1: Safety of machinery. Safety-related parts of control systems. General
principles for design.
Part 2: Safety of machinery - Safety-related parts of control systems - Part 2:
Validation
The product is evaluated according to these standards.

15 ottobre 2019 46
 ISO/TR 20218-1:2018
Robotics – Safety requirements for industry robots Part 1: Industrial robot
system end of arm tooling (end-effector)
This is a Technical Report (TR), not a standard. The product is designed
according to principles in this Technical Report.

ISO 9409-1:2004 [Type 50-4-M6]

Manipulating industrial robots – Mechanical interfaces
The EE flange conforms to type 50-4-M6 of this standard. Robots should also
be constructed according to this standard to ensure proper fitting.

EN 60529/A2:2013
Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code)
This standard defines enclosure ratings regarding protection against dust
and water. SoftHand Industry is designed and classified with an IP rating
according to this standard.

EN 61000-6-2:2005 [2014/30/UE]
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).
Part 6-2: Generic standards - Immunity for industrial environments.

EN 61000-6-4:2007/A1:2011
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).
Part 6-4: Generic standards – Emissions for industrial environment.

47 15 ottobre 2019