A rotary drive member drives a driven member. A ring surrounding the driven member has two cam recesses containing lock members between cam surfaces of cam recesses and the ring. Each recess accommodates an associated lock member at different locations where the recess is shallower. Driving the driven member is permitted in a given rotation relative to the ring, but each lock member inhibits rotation of the driven member in the opposite sense. The recesses extend in opposite directions. Coupling between the driven members is free-play whereby reversal in the rotation disengages members and reengages. Protuberances extending into cam recesses retain a lock member associated with one recess at the deeper location permitting movement of the other lock member towards the shallower location. Upon reversal of the rotation, the protuberances retain another lock member at the deeper location permitting movement of one lock member.

An extendable mechanical grabber is presented for grabbing objects at a distance. The grabber has two extension portions that slide relative to one another through a mechanical engagement. A trigger on the first extension portion is mounted in a handle. The trigger pulls a cable that passes to an activator on a grabber head mounted on the second extension portion. The cable passes from the trigger, through a pulley connected to the activator, through a second pulley mounted at on the second extension portion, and back to a terminal attachment on an end of the first extension portion opposite the handle.

An extendable mechanical grabber is presented for grabbing objects at a distance. The grabber has two extension portions that slide relative to one another through a mechanical engagement. A trigger on the first extension portion is mounted in a handle. The trigger pulls a cable that passes to an activator on a grabber head mounted on the second extension portion. The cable passes from the trigger, through a pulley connected to the activator, through a second pulley mounted at on the second extension portion, and back to a terminal attachment on an end of the first extension portion opposite the handle.

According to an embodiment, an article posture changing device includes: a first end effector configured to grasp a projected tag of an article by adsorption; an arm unit configured to support the first end effector and move the first end effector along at least a vertical direction; and a controller configured to control the arm unit and the first end effector to grasp the tag, lift the article upward, separate the article from a placement surface, change an angle of the article by weight thereof, move the article downward, place the article on the placement surface, and release the grasp of the tag.

According to an embodiment, an article posture changing device includes: a first end effector configured to grasp a projected tag of an article by adsorption; an arm unit configured to support the first end effector and move the first end effector along at least a vertical direction; and a controller configured to control the arm unit and the first end effector to grasp the tag, lift the article upward, separate the article from a placement surface, change an angle of the article by weight thereof, move the article downward, place the article on the placement surface, and release the grasp of the tag.

A wheelchair comprising a mechanical arm for assisting a user is disclosed. The mechanical arm includes a first arm mounted to a first armrest of the wheelchair. The mechanical arm includes a second arm mounted to the first arm via a first swivel rod. The second arm is made to swivel with respect to the first arm. The mechanical arm includes a third arm mounted to the second arm. The third arm is made to swivel with respect to the second arm. The mechanical arm includes claws. The wheelchair includes a controller provided at a second armrest of the wheelchair. The controller is used to operate the first arm, the second arm and the third arm to align the mechanical arm with an object. The controller is also used to operate the claws for gripping and releasing an object.

The present invention aims at providing a workpiece transfer method and a workpiece transfer system that enable stable transfer of workpieces with a simple structure. The workpiece transfer system includes two workpiece holding members that hold workpieces such as to be inserted and pulled out in a vertical direction, a picking device having a claw member operable to open and close, and a temporary workpiece holding member. The workpiece transfer method includes: grasping and transferring a workpiece that is held by one workpiece holding member to a temporary workpiece holding member, and transferring the workpiece from the temporary workpiece holding member to another workpiece holding member after the workpiece has been grasped again at a point where the workpiece is held in a stable posture.

A robotic welding cell is provided, and includes a workstation to receive at least one workpiece, a tool support comprising at least one tool and a robot. The robot includes a robot arm being displaceable in a 3D environment of the workstation, and a robot end effector operatively coupled to the robot arm at a free end thereof. The robot end effector has a gripper adapted to separately and selectively seize and release the at least one tool from the tool support and the at least one workpiece. The tool support is within reach of the gripper such that the robot is operable to manipulate and position the workpiece within the workstation using the gripper and perform a predetermined operation on or around the workpiece using the tool held by the gripper.

A robotic welding cell is provided, and includes a workstation to receive at least one workpiece, a tool support comprising at least one tool and a robot. The robot includes a robot arm being displaceable in a 3D environment of the workstation, and a robot end effector operatively coupled to the robot arm at a free end thereof. The robot end effector has a gripper adapted to separately and selectively seize and release the at least one tool from the tool support and the at least one workpiece. The tool support is within reach of the gripper such that the robot is operable to manipulate and position the workpiece within the workstation using the gripper and perform a predetermined operation on or around the workpiece using the tool held by the gripper.

In one embodiment, a method includes causing a robotic limb to intercouple with a handle of a knife. The knife comprising a handle at a proximal end where the handle is configured to intercouple with the robotic limb, a bade connected to the handle, and an indentation at a distal end where the indentation is configured to intercouple with a bar of the cutting surface, and where the blade is rotatable around a first axis while intercoupled with the bar. The method includes causing the indentation of the knife to be intercoupled with the bar of a cutting board. The cutting board comprising the cutting surface and the bar affixed to the cutting surface. The method includes adjusting, by the robotic limb the position of the knife along the bar to along with an object on the cutting surface and rotating the knife to cut the object.