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 kinematic model arithmetic portion calculates a coordinate value (z.sub.e1 (θ.sub.e)) as distance information indicating the distance between a member that serves as a reference surface for the curve shape of a curvable portion and a member in the curvable portion that is closest to the reference surface. A switch determination unit determines based on the coordinate value whether to drive a wire for driving the curvable portion by a drive displacement calculated for the wire along with the coordinate value by the kinematic model arithmetic portion.

A kinematic model arithmetic portion calculates a coordinate value (z.sub.e1 (θ.sub.e)) as distance information indicating the distance between a member that serves as a reference surface for the curve shape of a curvable portion and a member in the curvable portion that is closest to the reference surface. A switch determination unit determines based on the coordinate value whether to drive a wire for driving the curvable portion by a drive displacement calculated for the wire along with the coordinate value by the kinematic model arithmetic portion.

A robotic surgical instrument comprises an articulation at its shaft's distal end and an instrument interface at its proximal end. The articulation is driveable by pairs of driving elements to articulate an end effector. The instrument interface comprises instrument interface elements configured to drive the driving elements. The instrument interface elements engage drive assembly interface elements of a drive assembly interface of a surgical robot arm when the robotic surgical instrument engages the surgical robot arm. A guide bar is located at an external face of the instrument interface, which, on engaging the instrument interface with the drive assembly interface, is received in the drive assembly interface prior to the instrument interface elements. Once received in the drive assembly interface, the guide bar constrains a relative orientation at which the instrument interface and the drive assembly interface are permitted to engage so as to align their longitudinal attitudes.

A tendon-driven robotic gripper is disclosed for performing fingertip and enveloping grasps. One embodiment comprises two fingers, each with two links, and is actuated using a single active tendon. During unobstructed closing, the distal links remain parallel, creating exact fingertip grasps. Conversely, if the proximal links are stopped by contact with an object, the distal links start flexing, creating a stable enveloping grasp. The route of the active tendon and the parameters of the springs providing passive extension forces are optimized in order to achieve this behavior. An additional passive tendon is disclosed that may be used as a constraint preventing the gripper from entering undesirable parts of the joint workspace. A method for optimizing the dimensions of the links in order to achieve enveloping grasps of a large range of objects is disclosed and applied to a set of common household objects.

An apparatus including a plurality of robot arm links movably connected to one another, where a first one of the robot arm links includes a frame, where the frame has a first end movably connected onto a second one of the robot arm links; and at least one vibration damper arrangement on the frame of the first robot arm link, where the at least one vibration damper arrangement includes at least one viscoelastic element connected to the frame of the first robot arm link by a connection such that, as the frame of the first robot arm link experiences vibrations, the at least one viscoelastic element dampens the vibrations in the frame of the first robot arm link based upon viscoelasticity and the connection of the at least one viscoelastic element to the frame of the first robot arm link.

Systems and methods for an actuation system including a plurality of single actuation units for modular control of a tendon-driven robotic mechanism are disclosed.

[Object] To provide a hybrid actuator attaining both driving force and responsiveness, capable of reducing inertia of a movable portion. [Solution] A pneumatic air muscle has a cylinder (112) provided in a flexible member (100) forming a pneumatic artificial muscle. At the center of an upper lid element (109) of the cylinder, a through hole is opened, and an inner wire (103) of a Bowden cable passes through this through hole and is coupled by means of a spring (106) to a bottom portion of the cylinder. When the pneumatic artificial muscle contracts, the inner wire (103) and the pneumatic air muscle move together because of the stopper (105), and the contraction force is transmitted. In contrast, when the pneumatic air muscle extends, the stopper (105) is disengaged, while the tension of inner wire (103) is kept by the spring (106) to prevent slacking.

The invention provides an articulating mechanism useful, for example, for remote manipulation of various surgical instruments and diagnostic tools within, or to, regions of the body. Movement of segments at the proximal end of the mechanism results in a corresponding, relative movement of segments at the distal end of the mechanism. The proximal and distal segments are connected by a set of cables in such a fashion that each proximal segment forms a discrete pair with a distal segment. This configuration allows each segment pair to move independently of one another and also permits the articulating mechanism to undergo complex movements and adopt complex configurations. The articulating mechanisms may also be combined in such a way to remotely mimic finger movements for manipulation of an object or body tissue.

A surgical instrument comprises a spacer element comprising a proximal region and a distal region, an end effector coupled to a distal end of the spacer element, a user hand interface at a proximal end of the spacer element, and a securing element for securing the proximal end of the spacer element to a user wrist. The user hand interface comprises an elongate member including a lumen and extending from a distal end to a proximal end of the user hand interface. The user hand interface further comprises an actuation cable extending within the lumen from the distal end to the proximal end of the user hand interface. The proximal region of the spacer element comprises a curved portion extending from the user hand interface. The user hand interface is movable in a manipulation space proximal of the distal region and distal of the proximal end of the spacer element.