The present application discloses an automated restaurant comprising: a kitchen; a customer-tracking area comprising a dining area; and a plurality of vehicles. The kitchen comprises a storage apparatus to store ingredient containers, a transfer apparatus to move ingredient containers, and one or more cooking stations. Each vehicle is configured to move one or more food containers from cooking stations to dining tables. A tracking system comprises cameras, lidars, etc., which are fixedly mounted. The tracking system can dynamically map out the fixtures, humans and vehicles in the restaurant. Information from the tracking system is used to control the motion of the vehicles. The tracking system can dynamically track the positions of customers in the customer-tracking area, so that foods ordered by specific customers may be automatically sent by vehicles to the customers' locations.

A modular robotic kitchen system is conveniently adaptable to perform a wide range of cooking applications. The modular robotic kitchen system can include a plurality of discrete modular units organized in a small footprint such that multiple types of cooking applications can be performed without a need to replace the modular units. Exemplary modular units include an ingredient module, robotic arm module, assembly and packaging module, and warming module. Optionally a transport unit or sled moves the modules into position. The modular kitchen system includes a central processor operable to carry out different cooking applications upon downloading software corresponding to the specific cooking application and without retooling the existing modules. Related methods are also described.

A robot arm comprising a plurality of limbs articulated relative to each other, the robot arm extending from a base to a distal limb carrying a tool or an attachment point for a tool, the distal limb being attached by a revolute joint to a second limb, and the robot arm comprising a motor having a body and a drive shaft configured to drive rotation of the distal limb relative to the second limb about the revolute joint, wherein the body of the motor is fast with the distal limb.

A method of operating a mobile cleaning robot can include receiving a privacy mode setting from a user interface, where the privacy mode setting is based on a user selection between at least two different privacy mode settings for determining whether to operate the mobile cleaning robot in an image-capture-restricted mode. An image stream of an image capture device of the mobile cleaning robot is permitted in an absence of a user-selection of a more restrictive one of the privacy settings. At least a portion of the image stream is restricted or disabled based at least in part on a user-selection of a more restrictive one of the privacy settings.

A robot control device for a robot comprises a case and a connector board which is coupled to the case and includes a plurality of connectors which are disposed in a first region and a second region adjacent laterally to the first region. The plurality of the connectors may comprise a power connector which is disposed at a bottom of one of the first region or the second region and is coupled with a power supplier; and a processor connector which is disposed in a region different from that of the power supplier and is coupled with a processor.

A passive load balancer (1) having a flexible transmission element (60) connected to a hinged arm (10) and to a resilient element (40), a first flexible transmission element deflector (50), and a second flexible element deflector (51), the second flexible element deflector (51) being connected to the structure (2). An exoskeleton including a passive load balancer.

A chassis for an autonomous mobile robot comprises a moulded frame having a stable support for any payload or additional machinery loaded on top of the mobile robot, while ensuring a rigidity of the chassis which again ensures that the supporting elements for the sensors are kept in a stable position relative to each other. The chassis has several separated compartments for EEE placement. These EEE compartments are accessible from the sides and ends of the mobile robot by removing detachable cover parts. A removable top cover is mounted on top of the moulded frame providing a top covering for central inside compartment and outside side compartments. Side covers and end covers are provided for outside compartments and are removable.

A telescopic device (100) and a carrying robot (1000). The telescopic device (100) comprises: a loading base plate (10), telescopic arm assemblies (20), and a driving mechanism (30). The telescopic arm assembly (20) comprises at least two which are provided opposite to each other in a width direction of the loading base plate (10); each telescopic arm assembly (20) comprises a fixed arm (21) and a first sliding arm (22), the fixed arm (21) is mounted at the loading base plate (10), and the first sliding arm (22) is slidably provided at the inner side of the fixed arm (21). The driving mechanism (30) is used for driving the first sliding arm (22) to slide with respect to the fixed arm (21) along a length direction of the loading base plate (10). Because the telescopic device can achieve bi-directional extension and retraction, thereby improving carrying efficiency of the carrying robot.

In a soft actuator, a soft actuator assembly having the soft actuator, and a wearable robot having the soft actuator or the soft actuator assembly, the soft actuator includes a first spring bundle, a first conductive pad and a second conductive pad. The first spring bundle has a plurality of fine wires, and is configured to be capable of being changed between a contraction state and a relaxation state according to a change of temperature. The first conductive pad has a first connector electrically connected to a first end of the first spring bundle. The second conductive pad has a second connector electrically connected to a second end of the first spring bundle. The first connector is fixed between the first conductive pad and the first spring bundle, and the second connector is fixed between the second conductive pad and the first spring bundle.

In order to allow for the mounting of two transported objects without increasing the width of a transport vehicle, a mobile manipulator (1) is provided with: an unmanned transport vehicle (2); a robot base portion (3) mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle; a robot arm (4) mounted on the robot base portion; and brackets (5), (6) for mounting cassettes (11) over the robot base portion. The bracket (5) holds the cassettes in an inclined state, and a part of the bracket (6) overlaps the bracket (5) in plan view.