A medical instrument may include multiple joint members and at least two pairs of tendons connected with the joint members and adapted to move at least one of the joint members relative to at least one other joint member. Each joint member may include a main structural body that may be a single piece and includes at least one convex contact surface. A main portion of each tendon contacts the medical instrument only on the convex contact surfaces.

A robotic cleaning apparatus for cleaning a dirty object includes a cleaning head and an articulated body. The articulated body is coupled to the cleaning head and mountable to the dirty object. The body has one or more actuators that collectively move the cleaning head into contact with surfaces of the dirty object. The one or more actuators, when activated, collectively rotate the cleaning head relative to the dirty object about first and second axes, and translate the cleaning head relative to the dirty object along an extension axis. A method of robotically cleaning is also disclosed.

A robotic surgery system comprises a mounting base, a plurality of surgical instruments, and an articulate support assembly. Each instrument is insertable into a patient through an associated minimally invasive aperture to a desired internal surgical site. The articulate support assembly movably supports the instruments relative to the base. The support generally comprises an orienting platform, a platform linkage movably supporting the orienting platform relative to the base, and a plurality of manipulators mounted to the orienting platform, wherein each manipulator movably supports an associated instrument.

A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb (310) of the arm relative to another limb (311) of the arm about two non-parallel rotation axes (20, 21), the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier (28) attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear (33) disposed about the first rotation axis and fast with the carrier, whereby rotation of the carrier relative to the first limb about the first rotation axis can be driven; a second drive gear (37) disposed about the second rotation axis and fast with the second one of the limbs, whereby rotation of the second one of the limbs about the second rotation axis relative to the carrier can be driven; at least one of the first and second drive gears being a sector gear.

A joint assembly for a robot, comprising a housing connected with an output part. The housing comprising a housing wall and a strain wave gearing system. The strain wave gearing system comprising a wave generator, a flexspline, and a circular spline connected to the output part. The wave generator is rotated by a rotor shaft. The rotor shaft is driven by an electric motor comprising a rotor magnet and a stator. The rotor magnet being affixed to the rotor shaft. The joint assembly further comprises one or more sensors comprising one or more magnetic field sensors and one or more pole rings arranged to measure a position of the output part in relation to the housing.

A robot system includes: at least one supporting unit, on which a person is placeable; a robot including a plurality of multi-jointed arms, each of which has a plurality of degrees of freedom, and at least one base provided with the plurality of multi-jointed arms; and at least one type of equipment mountable to the plurality of multi-jointed arms. The robot performs at least two nursing/medical actions on the person by operating the at least one type of equipment.

The present invention relates to a joint assembly (1) for a robot (100), comprising a housing (26) connected with an output part (8), the housing comprising a housing wall (26A), a strain wave gearing system (90) comprising a wave generator (7), a flexspline (13), and a circular spline (36) connected to the output part (8), wherein the wave generator (7) is rotated by a rotor shaft (3), the rotor shaft being driven by an electric motor (140) comprising a stator (15) and a rotor magnet (16), the rotor magnet (16) being affixed to the rotor shaft (3), and wherein the joint assembly (1) further comprises a rotor brake (30) configured to stop/prevent relative movement between the rotor shaft (3) and the flexspline (13), and sensors arranged to measure the position of the housing (26) in relation to the output part (8). Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a robotic arm (100) comprising a joint assembly according to the present invention and to the use of the joint assembly according to the present invention.

A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb (310) of the arm relative to another limb (311) of the arm about two non-parallel rotation axes (20, 21), the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier (28) attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear (33) disposed about the first rotation axis and fast with the carrier, whereby rotation of the carrier relative to the first limb about the first rotation axis can be driven; a second drive gear (37) disposed about the second rotation axis and fast with the second one of the limbs, whereby rotation of the second one of the limbs about the second rotation axis relative to the carrier can be driven; at least one of the first and second drive gears being a sector gear.

A robotic cleaning apparatus for cleaning a dirty object includes a cleaning head and an articulated body. The articulated body is coupled to the cleaning head and mountable to the dirty object. The body has one or more actuators that collectively move the cleaning head into contact with surfaces of the dirty object. The one or more actuators, when activated, collectively rotate the cleaning head relative to the dirty object about first and second axes, and translate the cleaning head relative to the dirty object along an extension axis. A method of robotically cleaning a dirty object.

A robotic arm system is provided. The system includes a one or more roll and/or angle actuators driven by a unidirectional drive. One or more clutches allow the actuators to engage and disengage with a drive shaft or a reverser assembly or angle drive coupled to the drive shaft, thereby permitting changes in rotational direction for the actuators without a change in the rotational direction of the drive.