A remote center manipulator for use in minimally invasive robotic surgery includes a base link held stationary relative to a patient, an instrument holder, and a linkage coupling the instrument holder to the base link. First and second links of the linkage are coupled to limit motion of the second link to rotation about a first axis intersecting a remote center of manipulation. A parallelogram linkage portion of the linkage pitches the instrument holder around a second axis that intersects the remote center of manipulation. The second axis is angularly offset from the first axis by a non-zero angle other than 90 degrees.

An exoskeleton for interfacing with a joint includes a base configured to be coupled to a user, a platform configured to be coupled to the user proximate the joint, and a plurality of substructures extending between the base and the platform. The substructures are actuated in parallel in order to move the platform.

A base for a parallel kinematics robot including a plurality of gear cavities. Each gear cavity having a first bearing seat configured to receive an output shaft bearing. The base consists of one piece in homogeneous material, and thereby interfaces negatively affecting the accuracy of the robot are omitted.

Robots for moving relative to a surface, robotic systems including the same, and associated methods are disclosed. A robot includes a body, at least two legs, and at least two feet. Each leg has a proximal end region operatively coupled to the body at a respective body joint with one rotational degree of freedom and a distal end region operatively coupled to a respective foot at a respective foot joint comprising two rotational degrees of freedom. Each foot is configured to be translated relative to the surface with two degrees of translational freedom. Robotic systems include one or more robots and a surface along which the one or more robots are positioned to move. Methods of operating robots and of operating robotic systems include translating at least one foot of a robot to operatively move the body of the robot with six degrees of freedom.

A multi-motion-platform parallel robot, comprising an original parallel mechanism; and a plurality of N.sub.1 derivative parallel mechanisms, wherein: each of the parallel mechanisms possesses N.sub.2 degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) and shares an identical set of DOF properties; N.sub.1 is an integer greater than 1; N.sub.2 is one of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6; the original parallel mechanism includes an original base platform, an original movable platform and a plurality of N.sub.2 original chains; the plurality of original chains connect the original base platform and the original movable platform; each of the original chains includes a plurality of generalized kinematic pairs interconnected in series; the derivative parallel mechanism includes a derivative base platform, a derivative movable platform and a plurality of (N.sub.2N.sub.1) derivative chains; and the plurality of derivative chains connect the derivative base platform and the derivative movable platform.

A remote center manipulator for use in minimally invasive robotic surgery includes a base link held stationary relative to a patient, an instrument holder, and a linkage coupling the instrument holder to the base link. First and second links of the linkage are coupled to limit motion of the second link to rotation about a first axis intersecting a remote center of manipulation. A parallelogram linkage portion of the linkage pitches the instrument holder around a second axis that intersects the remote center of manipulation. The second axis is angularly offset from the first axis by a non-zero angle other than 90 degrees.

The present invention is related a redundant parallel positioning table device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a redundant parallel positioning table device for a precise positioning of heavy load samples, instrument and/or apparatus, e.g. in the context of diffractometer machines for synchrotron facilities.

A telescopic differential screw mechanism based 3-DOF Parallel Manipulator system to enable differential length and omnidirectional bending is provided. The telescopic differential screw mechanism based 3-DOF Parallel Manipulator system includes a first circular rotating plate 102, a second circular rotating plate 104, three or more telescopic screw assemblies 106A-C and three or more actuators 108A-C. Each telescopic screw assembly 106 includes a pair of master screws 110, a pair of successive screws 112 and a universal joint 116. The three or more telescopic screw assemblies 106A-C are actuated differentially using the three or more actuators 108A-C to achieve omnidirectional bending with high angular rotations in a range of 0 to 75 degree.

Implementations described and claimed herein involve a shoulder exoskeleton having a spherical parallel manipulator with a plurality of parallel linear actuators connected to a base coupled to a user's arm. A passive slip mechanism is operatively coupled to the spherical parallel manipulator as well as being coupled to the user's arm. The slip mechanism increases system mobility and prevents joint misalignment caused by the translational motion of the user's glenohumeral joint from introducing mechanical interference.

A mass measurement device comprises a force sensor, a hose, a base part, an article-holding part, and a computation unit. The force sensor has a fixed end and a free end, and outputs a sensing signal in accordance with the magnitude of a force in a sensitivity direction. The hose is configured to pass suctioned air through it. The fixed end is fixed to the base part. The article-holding part is fixed to the free end, one end of the hose is connected to the article-holding part, and the article-holding part holds an article by air suction. The computation unit computes the mass of the article based on the sensing signal.