A convertible display includes a number of video display panels which are movable between a first position in which the panels extend in the same plane to define a unified display and a configuration in which one or more of the panels are moved into other planes which allow them to form steps. Multiple of the rotated panels may form a sequence of steps, e.g. a staircase. The convertible display may be moved via a robotic mount, whereby the position or orientation of the convertible display may be changed.

A substrate transport apparatus including a drive section and a first movable arm assembly. The drive section includes a first motor. The first motor includes a stator and a passive rotor. The first movable arm assembly is connected to the first motor. The substrate transport apparatus is configured for the first movable arm assembly to be positionable in a vacuum chamber with the passive rotor being in communication with an environment inside the vacuum chamber.

An example actuator is provided to be used in robots and robotic devices. The actuator includes: a first plate, a second plate, and an elastic element disposed between the first plate and the second plate and including a center portion and an edge portion, the center portion corresponding to a first thickness and the edge portion corresponding to a second thickness larger than the first thickness, a first shear stress associated with the center portion being approximately equal to a second shear stress associated with the edge portion.

A robot assembly for transporting a substrate is presented. The robot assembly having a first arm and a second arm supported by a column, the first arm further having a first limb, the first limb having a first set of revolute joint/line pairs configured to provide translation and rotation of the distal most link of the first limb in the horizontal plane. The assembly further having a second arm further having a second limb, the second limb comprising a second set of revolute joint/link pairs configured to provide translation and rotation of a distalmost link of the second limb in the horizontal plane. The first limb and second limb further having proximal revolute joints having a common vertical axis of rotation and a proximal inner joint housed in a common housing. The assembly further having an actuator assembly coupled to the first set of revolute joint/link pairs and to the second set of revolute joint/link pairs to effect rotation and translation of the distalmost links of the first limb and the second limb, each of the first limb and the second limb defining, in conjunction with the actuator assembly, at least three degrees of freedom per limb, whereby the distalmost links of the first limb and the second limb are independently horizontally translatable for extension and retraction.

A drive apparatus includes a motor having a drive part that rotates a first shaft member; a transmission part that transmits rotation of the first shaft member to a second shaft member which is different from the first shaft member; a first detection device provided at the first shaft member to detect information regarding rotation of the drive part; a second detection device provided at the second shaft member to detect information regarding rotation of the transmission part; and a prevention part that prevents movement of foreign substance toward a detection part which includes at least one of the first detection device and the second detection device.

A robot includes a motor drive power source for converting a voltage supplied from a power source to a motor drive unit-grade voltage and outputting it, a motor drive unit for converting a motor drive unit-grade voltage output from the motor drive power source to a motor drive voltage and outputting it, a motor driven to be rotated by a motor drive voltage output by the motor drive unit, a robot arm on which the motor drive unit and the motor are arranged, and a robot controller which is provided independently of the robot arm and on which the motor drive power source is arranged.

A robot includes a first arm and a second arm. The first arm and the second arm have different mechanisms from each other.

A position detecting device detects the position of a moving body by using first and second detected signals that have voltage values changing in connection with a movement of the moving body. The position detecting device includes a difference computing unit that computes first and second difference values, the first being the difference between a center voltage of the first detected signal and the voltage value of the first detected signal, and the second being the difference between a center voltage of the second detected signal and the voltage value of the second detected signal. A ratio computing unit computes a difference-sum ratio index in accordance with the ratio of the difference value between the absolute values of the first and second difference values and the absolute value of the second difference value to the sum of the absolute values of the first and second difference values.

Provided is a robot arm including an upper arm, a forearm installed at the distal end of the upper arm, a wrist element installed at the distal end of the forearm to be rotatable around an axis line and having a hollow part through which the axis line penetrates, a motor installed in the forearm and rotating the element around the axis line, and a mechanism transmitting rotation of the motor to the element while reducing speed of rotation. The motor includes a rotation center axis extending obliquely downward on the opposite side of the upper arm. The mechanism includes a hypoid gear set including an output hypoid gear fixed to the element coaxially with the axis line and an input hypoid gear, and a gear set including a gear wheel fixed to the input hypoid gear and a pinion fixed to the motor.

A direct drive servo motor is provided and may include a quadrature encoder and a silicone rubber sleeve affixed to the encoder's shaft that is attached to the rotor hub and may also include an axle fixed to the rotor hub, inner and outer bearings, front and rear bearing plates, an outer stator, and an inner rotor rare earth magnet ring. A computer-controlled camera system is also provided and includes a direct drive camera gimbal; a pan-bar system; a robotic control system; a master interconnect unit; custom control software; and a track and gantry system. A universal camera tripod head adapter is also provided and includes front and rear clamps, a clamp handle, side and rear brackets and a silicone rubber sleeve affixed to the shaft of each encoder that rides on the pan and tilt axis lips of a camera tripod head.