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 head for a swing arm assembly is provided for a spot welding machine. The head can accommodate a tip dresser or a tip exchanger.

A swing arm assembly is provided for a spot welding machine. The swing arm assembly can accommodate a tip dresser or a tip exchanger and can include a shifter that can translate the tip dresser from a first position to a second position along a lateral axis.

An apparatus comprises a continuously flexible device and an actuation mechanism that acts to bend and straighten the continuously flexible device. The apparatus also includes a sensor apparatus that generates bend information about at least a portion of the continuously flexible device. The apparatus also includes an electronic data processor. The electronic data processor generates (i) external force information about at least one of a magnitude or a direction of an external force applied to the continuously flexible device, or (ii) both the external force information and internal force information about a bending force applied to the continuously flexible device by the actuation mechanism from (a) the generated bend information and (b) information representing at least one mechanical property of the continuously flexible device.

An industrial robot may include a robot main body; and an elevating mechanism to raise and lower the robot main body. The robot main body may include a hand, an arm to which the hand is joined, a main body portion to which the arm is joined, and an arm-elevating mechanism. The center of rotation on the base end side of the arm may be located farther toward the third direction side than the center of the main body unit when viewed in the up-down direction. In the standby state, part of the arm may be positioned farther toward the fourth direction side than the main body unit. The main body unit may be secured to the elevating mechanism. The elevating mechanism may be arranged on one or both sides of the main body unit in the first direction and/or on the fourth direction side.

An industrial robot includes a robot main body and an elevating mechanism to raise and lower the robot main body. The robot main body may include a hand, an arm to which the hand is joined, a main body portion to which the arm is joined, and an arm-elevating mechanism. The center of rotation on the base end side of the arm may be located farther toward the third direction side than the center of the main body unit when viewed in the up-down direction. In the standby state, part of the arm may be positioned farther toward the fourth direction side than the main body unit. The main body unit may be secured to the elevating mechanism. The elevating mechanism may be arranged on one or both sides of the main body unit in the first direction and/or on the fourth direction side.

A robotic surgical system includes a surgical instrument and a processor. The surgical instrument includes an elongate, hollow shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a flexible section. The surgical instrument further includes a sensor apparatus configured to generate sensor data about the flexible section and a force transmission mechanism coupled to the proximal end of the shaft. The processor is communicatively coupled to at least the sensor apparatus. The processor is configured to receive the sensor data about the flexible section from the sensor apparatus and to combine the sensor data received from the sensor apparatus with known information regarding stiffness of the surgical instrument to derive an internal actuation force applied by the force transmission mechanism.