A leg structure of a quadruped robot includes a body and four separate leg modules. Each leg module includes a thigh motor assembly, a calf motor assembly, a hip joint motor assembly and an associated linkage and fixing base of the hip joint motor assembly. The hip joint motor drives the thigh and calf assembly through a parallelogram mechanism, the thigh motor assembly directly drives the thigh rod assembly, and the calf motor assembly drives the calf assembly through an anti-parallelogram mechanism. The joint motor assemblies are independent of each other and all the motor assemblies are modularized; the thigh and calf motor assemblies have a good ability to prevent external impact, and the joints on the robot body, formed by using the motor assemblies, have a large working space, thus ensuring the movement flexibility of the robot.

The present invention relates to an actuator module with a flexible unit, and more particularly, to an actuator module mounted on an articulated robot and having a flexible unit capable of detecting an abnormal load through sensor-based accurate load measurement to improve essential stability of the actuator module. The actuator module includes a drive unit for generating a rotational force, a deceleration unit connected to the drive unit to receive the rotational force therefrom for reducing a rotational speed transmitted thereto to increase the rotational force, a flexible unit connected to the deceleration unit to receive the rotational force therefrom and having a plurality of elastic members in a stacked form, the elastic members being variable by an external force, and an output unit connected to the flexible unit to receive the rotational force therefrom for outputting the transmitted rotational force to the outside, wherein the elastic members have the same elastic force or different elastic forces, and are selectively varied depending on the magnitude of the external force applied to the output unit.

The invention relates to a joint unit that is reduced in size while being provided with a plurality of angle detection mechanisms. The joint unit includes an input-side support member that supports a rotationally driven input shaft, a decelerator that decelerates the input shaft to provide a deceleration output shaft, an output rotating body that is coupled to the deceleration output shaft, and includes a strain generating portion that generates strain due to rotation transmitted by the deceleration output shaft, and an associated rotating body that is coupled to a output-side portion of the strain generating portion of the output rotating body to rotate together with the output rotating body, and is disposed in a space between the input-side support member and an input-side portion of the strain generating portion of the output rotating body.

A soft robotic tool may include a plurality of rigid links, a plurality of magnetorheological fluid soft joints, and a plurality of tendons. The rigid links may be disposed in series. Each magnetorheological fluid soft joint may be disposed between a pair of the rigid links. Each magnetorheological fluid soft joint may include a capsule containing a magnetorheological fluid, and an inductive coil disposed around the capsule. The tendons may extend along a length of the soft robotic tool. Each tendon may be attached to each of the rigid links.

In embodiments, a holding device includes a suction pad, a first link, a second link, a base, and a tube member. The first link supports the suction pad so that the suction pad can rotate around a first rotation axis. The second link supports the first link so that the first link can rotate around a second rotation axis. The base supports the second link so that the second link can rotate around a third rotation axis. The tube member communicates the suction pad with the base and can be bent. The second rotation axis and the third rotation axis are not parallel to each other.

An automated material handling system includes a handling tool that can be automatically adjusted to accommodate a variety of work piece sizes and shapes. The handling tool can be a robotic arm that can be configured with rotary joints, linear joints, or both and uses brakes and sensors on each joint to adjust and monitor the shape of the handling tool.

A joint assembly for a robot, comprising a housing connected with an output part. The housing comprising a housing wall and a strain wave gearing system. The strain wave gearing system comprising a wave generator, a flexspline, and a circular spline connected to the output part. The wave generator is rotated by a rotor shaft. The rotor shaft is driven by an electric motor comprising a rotor magnet and a stator. The rotor magnet being affixed to the rotor shaft. The joint assembly further comprises one or more sensors comprising one or more magnetic field sensors and one or more pole rings arranged to measure a position of the output part in relation to the housing.

A rotary drive device includes a rotary drive which is provided with a braking device and which has an output unit which can be driven into a rotary output movement about a rotation axis. The braking device has two braking bodies with braking structures which lie opposite one another and which by way of an actuation device are drivable into a relative switch-over movement in order to either block the output unit in a rotationally fixed manner or to release it for carrying out an output movement. The switch-over movement is effected in the axis direction of a brake rotation axis, about which the first braking body which is drivingly coupled to the output unit is rotatable. The second braking body is non-rotatably arranged on the drive housing. Furthermore, a robot arm which is provided with such a rotary drive device is suggested.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a robot gripper with a closing mechanism that while providing a desirable closing speed avoids exerting a force on the rigid object which is greater than the holding force required to hold the rigid object in the gripper. In another aspect, the present invention provides a robot gripper capable of detecting a slip or loss of an object held by the gripper. In an alternative aspect, the present invention provides a robot gripper capable of being hand guided. In another aspect, the invention provides a robot gripper brake drive circuit with faster operation. In one other aspect, the invention provides a connector for connecting a robot end effector to a robot arm with an adjustable cable.

A braking assembly for a strain wave gearing of a surgical robotic manipulator, the braking assembly including a first braking member fixedly coupled to an input portion of a strain wave gearing of a surgical robotic manipulator; and a second braking member fixedly coupled to an output portion of the strain wave gearing, and wherein during a braking operation the first braking member contacts the second braking member to mechanically brake the input portion to the output portion.