A control circuit of a piezoelectric driving device includes: a signal generation unit that inputs a state inspection signal to a plurality of piezoelectric elements connected to each other in parallel; and a state detection unit that detects a state of the plurality of piezoelectric elements based on a state detection signal generated from the plurality of piezoelectric elements in accordance with the state inspection signal.

A robot includes: a base; an arm which is provided to be rotatable with respect to the base using a predetermined rotation shaft as the center of rotation; and an elongated object including a portion present in the base and in the arm, in which the elongated object is bound in a first binding position which is on the rotation shaft and in the base and a second binding position which is on the rotation shaft and in the arm.

Systems and methods related to construction, configuration, and utilization of humanoid robotic systems and aspects thereof are described. A system may include a mobile base, a spine structure, a body structure, and at least one robotic arm, each of which is movably configured to have significant human-scale capabilities in prescribed environments. The one or more robotic arms may be rotatably coupled to the body structure, which may be mechanically associated with the mobile base, which is preferably configured for holonomic or semi-holonomic motion through human scale travel pathways that are ADA compliant. Aspects of the one or more arms may be counterbalanced with one or more spring-based counterbalancing mechanisms which facilitate backdriveability and payload features.

A force transmission system as part of a surgical system which may be configured to be a minimally invasive and/or computer assisted surgical system. Operation of the system may be controlled by transmission of a force from a first section to a second section of the system. The first section and the second section may be separated by a partition or a barrier. The first section may be a non-sterile section and the second section may be a sterile section of the surgical system.

A substrate transport apparatus including a lower linearly driven effector structure with spaced paddles, and an upper linearly driven end effector structure with spaced paddles and no rotating joints above a paddle of the lower end effector structure. A drive subsystem is configured to linearly drive the lower end effector structure and to linearly drive the upper end effector structure independent of the lower end effector structure.

A planar actuator device, including a base plate including a first, second, and third pair of planar coils, each pair of planar coils having an inner coil and an outer coil, each pair of planar coils arranged along a first, second, and third linear motion axis, respectively, the first, second, and third linear motion axis arranged in a star configuration, and an actuation mechanism including a first, second, and third planar legs and a centerpiece, the first, second and third planar legs pivotably connected to the centerpiece, the planar legs including a first, second, and third sliding element and a first, second, and third middle section, respectively, a sliding element and middle section of a respective leg pivotably connected to each other, each sliding element including a permanent magnet.

Various medical devices and related systems, including robotic and/or in vivo medical devices, and various robotic surgical devices for in vivo medical procedures. Included herein, for example, is a robotic surgical system having a support beam positionable through an incision, and a robotic device having a device body, first and second rotating shoulder components coupled to the device body, and first and second robotic arms coupled to the first and second shoulder components, respectively.

A system may include a mobile base, a spine structure, a body structure, and at least one robotic arm, each of which is movably configured to have significant human-scale capabilities in prescribed environments. The one or more robotic arms may be rotatably coupled to the body structure, which may be mechanically associated with the mobile base, which is preferably configured for holonomic or semi-holonomic motion through human scale travel pathways that are ADA compliant. Aspects of the one or more arms may be counterbalanced with one or more spring-based counterbalancing mechanisms which facilitate backdriveability and payload features.

A substrate transport apparatus including a lower linearly driven effector structure with spaced paddles, and an upper linearly driven end effector structure with spaced paddles and no rotating joints above a paddle of the lower end effector structure. A drive subsystem is configured to linearly drive the lower end effector structure and to linearly drive the upper end effector structure independent of the lower end effector structure.

A force transmission system as part of a surgical system which may be configured to be a minimally invasive and/or computer assisted surgical system. Operation of the system may be controlled by transmission of a force from a first section to a second section of the system. The first section and the second section may be separated by a partition or a barrier. The first section may be a non-sterile section and the second section may be a sterile section of the surgical system.