Systems and methods are provided for supporting an arm of a user while using a tool that include a harness configured to be worn on a body of a user; an arm support pivotally coupled to the harness for supporting a user's arm; and a tool mount on a free end of the arm support for receiving a tool such that the tool is manipulatable by a hand of user's arm supported by the arm support. One or more compensation elements may be coupled to the arm support and/or the tool mount for at least partially offsetting a gravitational force acting on the user's arm and/or the tool received on the tool mount.

Hybrid terrain-adaptive lower-extremity apparatus and methods that perform in a variety of different situations by detecting the terrain that is being traversed, and adapting to the detected terrain. In some embodiments, the ability to control the apparatus for each of these situations builds upon five basic capabilities: (1) determining the activity being performed; (2) dynamically controlling the characteristics of the apparatus based on the activity that is being performed; (3) dynamically driving the apparatus based on the activity that is being performed; (4) determining terrain texture irregularities (e.g., how sticky is the terrain, how slippery is the terrain, is the terrain coarse or smooth, does the terrain have any obstructions, such as rocks) and (5) a mechanical design of the apparatus that can respond to the dynamic control and dynamic drive.

The disclosure provides systems and methods for mitigating slip of a robot appendage. In one aspect, a method for mitigating slip of a robot appendage includes (i) receiving an input from one or more sensors, (ii) determining, based on the received input, an appendage position of the robot appendage, (iii) determining a filter position for the robot appendage, (iv) determining a distance between the appendage position and the filter position, (v) determining, based on the distance, a force to apply to the robot appendage, (vi) causing one or more actuators to apply the force to the robot appendage, (vii) determining whether the distance is greater than a threshold distance, and (viii) responsive to determining that the distance is greater than the threshold distance, the control system adjusting the filter position to a position, which is the threshold distance from the appendage position, for use in a next iteration.

A method and an apparatus for isolating a vibration of a positioning device are provided. The apparatus includes a base plate for the positioning device, at least one active bearing element for bearing the base plate on/at a foundation and at least one evaluation and control device. The apparatus includes at least one means for determining a foundation movement-dependent quantity, wherein the active bearing element is controllable by the at least one control and evaluation device on the basis of the foundation movement-dependent quantity.

A control system (10) according to the present invention includes a robot arm (11) provided in a manner capable of moving in a given space, a motor (14) for operating the robot arm (11), a torque adjustment device (16) for operating in a manner capable of adjusting a transmitted torque that is transmitted from the motor (14) to the robot arm (11), and a control device (19) for performing operation control of the robot arm (11). The robot arm (11) is provided with a gravity-compensating mechanism (12) for cancelling an effect of gravity due to the robot arm (11), and the control device (19) commands adjustment of the transmitted torque at the torque adjustment device (16), without taking into account the effect of the gravity of the robot arm (11).

The present invention relates to: a posture control device for controlling the posture of a robot by means of a thruster; and a robot having the same. The posture control device, according to the present invention, comprises: a thruster for generating a propulsive force for supporting or hauling the load of a robot part; and a rotation mechanism installed between the robot part and the thruster so as to enable the robot part to rotate with respect to thruster or the thruster to rotate with respect to the robot part, wherein the rotation mechanism has at least two axes of rotation, wherein the axes of rotation respectively form a right angle. In addition, the robot, according to the present invention, comprises parts having the posture control device provided thereto, and may comprise: a first part and a second part having the posture control device provided thereto; and a bendable or extendable third part for connecting the first part and the second part.

The disclosure provides systems and methods for mitigating slip of a robot appendage. In one aspect, a method for mitigating slip of a robot appendage includes (i) receiving an input from one or more sensors, (ii) determining, based on the received input, an appendage position of the robot appendage, (iii) determining a filter position for the robot appendage, (iv) determining a distance between the appendage position and the filter position, (v) determining, based on the distance, a force to apply to the robot appendage, (vi) causing one or more actuators to apply the force to the robot appendage, (vii) determining whether the distance is greater than a threshold distance, and (viii) responsive to determining that the distance is greater than the threshold distance, the control system adjusting the filter position to a position, which is the threshold distance from the appendage position, for use in a next iteration.

The present disclosure discloses a two-wheeled self-balancing robot which solves the technical problems in the prior art that the robot can only travel on a flat ground and its driving environments are limited by making improvements in its mechanical structure. The two-wheeled self-balancing robot comprises a vehicle body with wheels mounted on both sides thereof. The vehicle body comprises a parallelogram frame which can deform tiltedly. The vehicle body is provided with a stage, and the stage is hinged with the parallelogram frame. The parallelogram frame is provided with a first motor. The first motor drives the parallelogram frame to deform tiltedly according to road conditions so as to always keep the stage horizontal. The two-wheeled self-balancing robot according to the present disclosure can adapt to complicated road conditions, and its stage always keeps horizontal such that the object carried is not prone to fall off.

A transducer device using an electroactive polymer is provided. The transducer device has a predetermined driving direction and includes: a laminate of elastomer actuators that is disposed so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the driving direction and has a stretchable elastomer and a following electrode; and a fixed frame unit and a drive frame unit that support the laminate. The fixed frame unit supports one end of the laminate, and the drive frame unit supports the other end of the laminate, faces the fixed frame unit, and is movable in the driving direction with respect to the fixed frame unit.

A robot configured to provide accurate control over the rate of spin or rotation of the robot. To control the rate of spin, the robot includes an inertia shifting (or moving) assembly positioned within the robot's body so that the robot can land on a surface with a target orientation and stick the landing of a gymnastic maneuver. The inertia shifting assembly includes sensors that allow the distance from the landing surface (or height) to be determined and that allow other parameters useful in controlling the robot to be calculated such as present orientation. In one embodiment, the sensors include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a laser range finder, and a controller processes their outputs to estimate orientation and angular velocity. The controller selects the right point of the flight to operate a drive mechanism in the inertia shifting assembly to achieve a targeted orientation.