A holding arm for medical purposes, in particular for holding surgical mechatronic assistance systems and/or surgical instruments, includes a proximal end for attaching the holding arm to a base and a distal end for receiving a surgical mechatronic assistance system and/or surgical instrument; at least one first and one second arm segment, wherein the first arm segment is connected to a first joint and the second arm segment is connected to a second joint, wherein each joint is releasable and lockable. An operating unit is provided for bringing the holding arm into a desired pose, wherein the operating unit is adapted to release the associated joint upon contact between an operator and one of the first and second arm segments. A corresponding method is also provided.

Methods, apparatus, computing devices, computing entities, and/or the like associated with a robotic sortation system are provided. An example method may include receiving imaging data associated with a first item at a first sorting location of a material handling system, determining a sorting destination for the first item based at least in part on the imaging data, determining a plurality of first-tier robotic devices and a plurality of second-tier robotic devices based at least in part on the first sorting location and the sorting destination, and generating a first sortation scheme for the first item.

Methods, apparatus, computing devices, computing entities, and/or the like associated with a robotic sortation system are provided. An example method may include receiving imaging data associated with a first item at a first sorting location of a material handling system, determining a sorting destination for the first item based at least in part on the imaging data, determining a plurality of first-tier robotic devices and a plurality of second-tier robotic devices based at least in part on the first sorting location and the sorting destination, and generating a first sortation scheme for the first item.

A user can easily create a robot program. A measuring device includes a position determination processing part that determines a holding position, held by a robot hand, of a workpiece placed in a work space and determines coordinates of a fixed via point having any single attribute based on a result of measurement made by a measuring part and holding information, the fixed via point being one of an approach position of the robot hand for holding the holding position, the holding position, and a retreat position after holding, and an output part that outputs, to a robot controller, the coordinates of the fixed via point determined by the position determination processing part and attribute information showing the attribute of the fixed via point.

A user can easily create a robot program. A measuring device includes a position determination processing part that determines a holding position, held by a robot hand, of a workpiece placed in a work space and determines coordinates of a fixed via point having any single attribute based on a result of measurement made by a measuring part and holding information, the fixed via point being one of an approach position of the robot hand for holding the holding position, the holding position, and a retreat position after holding, and an output part that outputs, to a robot controller, the coordinates of the fixed via point determined by the position determination processing part and attribute information showing the attribute of the fixed via point.

A machining system having plural machining devices installed at plural points in a robot arm. the machining system carrying out machining to a processed object made of metal be by using these machining devices, the machining system further having a control device that controls drive of the machining devices so as to offset processing reaction forces by at least one of a thrust force and a torque to be obtained when the machining devices carry out machining to the processed object simultaneously between the machining devices.

There is provided a method of controlling a mobile manipulator for tracking a surface. The mobile manipulator includes a mobile base movable in an axial direction of the mobile manipulator and a manipulator supported on the mobile base having an end effector adjustable in a lateral direction of the mobile manipulator. The method includes detecting the surface from the mobile manipulator, including positions of the surface at points along the surface, determining a reference path for the end effector to track based on an offset from the surface detected, determining a tracking error in the reference path determined, and adjusting a position of the end effector in the lateral direction based on the tracking error to compensate for the tracking error in the reference path determined. There is also provided a corresponding mobile manipulator.

A mechanical translation apparatus includes a translation stage and a translation assembly operatively connected to the translation stage so as to impart linear motions to the translation stage substantially free of rotational motions. The translation assembly includes a plurality of at least three arms pivotably connected to the translation stage at a first end of each arm of the plurality of at least three arms. The mechanical translation apparatus also includes a base assembly in which each arm of the plurality of at least three arms is also rotationally connected to the base assembly at a second end of each arm. Each arm of the plurality of at least three arms includes three rigid elongate structures arranged substantially parallel and non-coplanar with respect to each other so as to act in cooperation to cancel torques so that substantially purely linear motion is imparted to the translation stage by the plurality of at least three arms, and the translation assembly constrains motion of the translation stage to be substantially purely translational motion free of rotational motion. A robot includes the mechanical translation apparatus.

A robot in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present technology is configured for bimanual manipulation of objects. The robot includes a body and two arms individually defining an arm length and including an end effector, an end effector joint proximally adjacent to the end effector along a kinematic chain corresponding to the arm, and a gripper proximal to the end effector along the arm length. The end effector joint is configured to rotate the end effector relative to the gripper. The robot is configured to move at least a portion of a bottom surface of an object away from a support surface by applying force to the object via frictional interfaces between convex gripping surfaces of the grippers and side surfaces of the object. This creates a gap into which paddles of the end effectors can be inserted to support the object from below.

A method and system for determining position and/or pose of an object. A robotic device moves throughout an environment and includes a master transceiver tag and, optionally, additional tags. The environment includes a plurality of anchor nodes that are configured to form a network. A master anchor node is in communication with at least a portion of the plurality of anchor nodes and is configured to transmit a ranging message as a UWB signal, receive a ranging message response from each other anchor node in the network, generate a reference grid representing physical locations of the plurality of anchor nodes within the network based upon the received ranging message responses, and distribute the reference grid to each of the other anchor nodes. The master transceiver tag receives the reference grid information and, based upon further calculations, determines a specific position and pose of the robotic device within the environment.