A surgical instrument holder includes a carriage, a housing, and a drive assembly. The carriage is configured for engagement to a surgical robotic arm and for supporting an instrument drive unit. The housing extends from the carriage and defines a channel. The drive assembly includes a pulley, a belt, and an annular member. The pulley is rotatably disposed within the housing and in operable engagement with a motor of the carriage such that actuation of the motor rotates the pulley. The belt is rotatably disposed within the housing and in operable engagement with the pulley such that rotation of the pulley effects rotation of the belt. The annular member is disposed within the channel of the housing and configured for non-rotatable receipt of an instrument drive unit. The annular member is in operable engagement with the belt such that rotation of the belt effects rotation of the annular member.

A surgical instrument holder includes a carriage, a housing, and a drive assembly. The carriage is configured for engagement to a surgical robotic arm and for supporting an instrument drive unit. The housing extends from the carriage and defines a channel. The drive assembly includes a pulley, a belt, and an annular member. The pulley is rotatably disposed within the housing and in operable engagement with a motor of the carriage such that actuation of the motor rotates the pulley. The belt is rotatably disposed within the housing and in operable engagement with the pulley such that rotation of the pulley effects rotation of the belt. The annular member is disposed within the channel of the housing and configured for non-rotatable receipt of an instrument drive unit. The annular member is in operable engagement with the belt such that rotation of the belt effects rotation of the annular member.

A slide portion of a first adapter is fitted into a slot of a second adapter, and a ball is disposed between a cam member supported by the slide portion and an opening edge portion constituting the slot. The ball can advance toward or retreat from an engagement groove of the opening edge portion by movement of the cam member. By operating a release button connected integrally with the cam member and also sliding the first adapter and the second adapter relative to each other, the ball retreats, and the first adapter and the second adapter are separated from each other.

An arm engageable with a mounting receiver of an automated tooling system. The arm comprises a wall defining a central bore extending the length of the arm, and at least pin engageable with the mounting receiver to engage the mounting receiver for aligning and receiving the mounting receiver. The pin may be a plasma ion nitrided pin. The arm may also include first and second ends, an electrical power supply connector positioned inside the bore adjacent the first end and wiring. The second end defines an opening. The wiring is connected to the electrical power supply connector, and extends unexposed within the bore from the electrical power supply connector through the opening to supply power to the gripper.

A system receives data from a submersible remote operated vehicle (ROV), the data being about the operation of an arm of the ROV. The system automatically controls, based on the data, movement of the arm in docking the arm to a tool holder. In certain instances, the system implements an image based control. In certain instances, the system implements a force accommodation control. In certain instances, the system implements both.

A robotic surgical tool includes a handle having a plurality of drive inputs rotatably mounted thereto, an elongate shaft extending through the handle and having an end effector arranged at a distal end thereof, and a plurality of drive members extending along the shaft to the end effector. A plurality of input stacks are arranged within the handle and operatively coupled to the plurality of drive inputs such that actuation of the plurality of drive inputs rotates the plurality of input stacks. Each input stack includes a drive member engagement device that locates and captures a corresponding one of the plurality of drive members at the handle upon rotation of the input stack.

An interface for a surgical system includes an instrument drive unit and a surgical instrument. The instrument drive unit includes a connection hub and at least one drive shaft rotatably supported in the connection hub. The at least one drive shaft extends between a first end and a second end having an oblique end surface. The surgical instrument is releasably connectable to the instrument drive unit and includes a connecting member and at least one driven shaft rotatably supported in the connecting member. The at least one driven shaft extends between a first end and a second end. The second end has an oblique end surface corresponding to the oblique end surface of the at least one drive shaft. The oblique end surfaces are configured such that the connecting member is connectible with the connection hub via a first connection pathway and a second connection pathway.

The present invention relates to a robot arm (10) for a domestic appliance, in particular for a kitchen appliance. The robot arm (10) comprises a base module (12) for fastening said robot arm (10) at or on the domestic appliance or in the environment of said domestic appliance. The robot arm (10) comprises at least one end module (22) adapted or adaptable for specific functions. The robot arm (10) comprises at least one drive unit (14, 16, 18) interconnected between the base module (12) and the end module (22). The end module (22) is exchangeable by the user.

A vacuum gripping element and device hold a component to be transported when subjected to a vacuum. The device includes a carrying device and at least one vacuum gripping element connected releasably to the carrying device as needed. The element includes a base body with at least one vacuum supply channel and an elastic, form-flexible sealing element. A locking coupling forms a first fastener for positively connecting and releasing the gripping element relative to the carrying device as required. Alternatively, the base body includes first and second base body parts, the first part positively connecting and releasing relative to the carrying device as required by the first fastener, and the second part being connected to the elastic, form-flexible sealing element. A locking coupling forms a second fastener for positively connecting and releasing the first base body part relative to the second base body part as required.

A computer system automatically selects robot end-effectors for pick-and-place applications using a model-predictive control algorithm. The system may select an end-effector to replace an existing end-effector in order to optimize (or at least increase) throughput. The system uses a predictive model of reward, where reward of each potential grasp for each end tool is parameterized by a deep neural network. The system may also use a variety of metrics to evaluate the performance of the tool-selection algorithm, and thereby improve performance of the system.