Aspects of the disclosure relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for actuating a soft robot. An actuation system includes a camshaft, a motor configured to drive the camshaft to rotate around a rotational axis, and an air bladder configured to expel fluid from the air bladder during compression and draw fluid into the air bladder during decompression. The system further includes a cam coupled to the camshaft that is configured to rotate around the rotational axis when the camshaft is driven and compress or decompress the air bladder based on a physical profile of the cam as the cam rotates around the rotational axis. The system also includes a soft robot coupled to the air bladder, wherein the soft robot is actuated to move based on the fluid inserted into the soft robot during compression or the fluid removed from the soft robot during decompression.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for actuating a soft robot. An actuation system includes a camshaft, a motor configured to drive the camshaft to rotate around a rotational axis, and an air bladder configured to expel fluid from the air bladder during compression and draw fluid into the air bladder during decompression. The system further includes a cam coupled to the camshaft that is configured to rotate around the rotational axis when the camshaft is driven and compress or decompress the air bladder based on a physical profile of the cam as the cam rotates around the rotational axis. The system also includes a soft robot coupled to the air bladder, wherein the soft robot is actuated to move based on the fluid inserted into the soft robot during compression or the fluid removed from the soft robot during decompression.

A rake adjustment assembly for a steering column system includes a rake lever that is rotatable. The rake adjustment assembly also includes a rake bolt operative coupled to the rake lever and positioned to selectively exert a clamping force to lock and unlock the rake position of the steering column system. The rake adjustment assembly further includes a cam assembly comprising an outer cam formed of stamped steel and press fit within a pocket defined by an outer face of the lever. The outer cam includes a main body. The outer cam also includes a plurality of legs extending from the main body.

A rake adjustment assembly for a steering column system includes a rake lever that is rotatable. The rake adjustment assembly also includes a rake bolt operative coupled to the rake lever and positioned to selectively exert a clamping force to lock and unlock the rake position of the steering column system. The rake adjustment assembly further includes a cam assembly comprising an outer cam formed of stamped steel and press fit within a pocket defined by an outer face of the lever. The outer cam includes a main body. The outer cam also includes a plurality of legs extending from the main body.

A lift truck employs forward and reverse pedals connected through respective cams having different upper and lower cam profiles that engage to provide asymmetric reciprocal pedal motion. For example, first pedal depression causes a first cam upper profile to engage with a second cam upper profile and cause increased elevation of a second pedal, and first pedal depression causes a first cam lower profile to disengage with a second cam lower profile associated with the second pedal, such that first pedal depression is greater than the increased elevation of the second pedal.

A unidirectional spring assembly for controlling a rotating rod. The unidirectional spring assembly includes a reduced disc mounted fixedly onto the rotating rod, a rotary clutch member, and a spring assembly. The reduced disc rotates synchronously with the rotating rod around a first axis. The reduced disc includes a concave surface and a push pin. The rotary clutch member includes a clutch arm and a circular slot on a side surface of the rotary clutch member. The spring assembly includes a guide rod configured to move along a second axis, a roller attached to a distal end of the guide rod, and a spring coupled to the guide rod.

A wind turbine having a tower having a top end and a bottom end; a first eccentric mechanism connected to a turbine rotor, the turbine rotor at the top end of the tower; a second eccentric mechanism connected to an electric generator, the electric generator being at the bottom end of the tower; and a plurality of tensile links connecting the first and second eccentric mechanisms.

A wind turbine having a tower having a top end and a bottom end; a first eccentric mechanism connected to a turbine rotor, the turbine rotor at the top end of the tower; a second eccentric mechanism connected to an electric generator, the electric generator being at the bottom end of the tower; and a plurality of tensile links connecting the first and second eccentric mechanisms.

A cam having at least two part cams are arranged axially behind one another along a longitudinal axis includes an undercut between the cam parts. The part cams have running faces which lie radially on the outside of the part cams and have different variable running face contours. The undercut has a profile with a variable contour which is dependent in each case on that adjacent running face contour which is at a smaller radial spacing from the longitudinal axis than the other running face contour.

Proposed is a strain wave generator for a harmonic reducer, the strain wave generator including: a cam formed with a plurality of segmented cams on a long-diameter side and the same number of segmented cams on a short-diameter side alternately abutted along a circumferential direction, wherein each of the segmented cams on a long-diameter side has an outer circumference surface of a certain cylindrical surface of a small radius, each of the segmented cams on a short-diameter side has an outer circumference surface of a certain cylindrical surface of a large radius, and the cylindrical surface of each of the segmented cams on a long-diameter side and the cylindrical surface of each of the segmented cams on a short-diameter side, abutted each other, have a common tangent line at a meeting point thereof.