Safety architecture for an automated work cell provides a barrier separating a work cell area from an operator or personnel area. The safety architecture enables personnel to conduct routine interactions with nonfunctioning motion platforms or positioning machines located in the work cell area through openings in the barrier separating the personnel area from the work cell area while other motion platforms or positioning machines in the work cell area continues to function.

A method of conducting preventative maintenance on a robotic surgical system is provided. The method includes sensing an audio output generated by one or more components of a robotic surgical system with a sensor coupled to the robotic surgical system, converting the audio output into audio output data, comparing the audio output data to a predefined audio data stored in a memory device that is coupled to the robotic surgical system, and selectively outputting a preventative maintenance signal based on a comparison of the audio output data and the predefined audio data.

The present invention relates to a grease replacement method of replacing grease in a case (84) including a sealable gear chamber (31, 36) accommodating a gear (85) as a member to be lubricated, a grease injection port (61, 62) configured to inject grease into the gear chamber (31, 36), and a discharge port (32, 37) configured to discharge the grease in the gear chamber (31, 36), and a grease suction device to be used to perform this method. The grease replacement method includes a suction step (S2) of sucking the grease in the gear chamber (31, 36) from the grease injection port (61, 62) with the discharge port (32, 37) being open, and discharging the grease outside the case (84), and an injection step (S4) of injecting new grease into the grease injection port (61, 62) and supplying the new grease to the gear (85). This facilitates discharging of old grease.

A bottle gripping assembly including a pair of bottle gripping arms each having a grip member for gripping a bottle therebetween. The bottle gripping assembly also includes a base supporting the bottle gripping arms, with the base having a top surface and a recess into the top surface, a wear pad located in the recess of the base, with the wear pad and the base under the upper surface of the recess having a pair of aligned fastener holes, a pair of fasteners, with each one of the fasteners extending through one of the bottle gripping arms and into one of the fastener holes to connect the bottle gripping arms to the wear pad and the base, and a pair of wear bushings, with each of the wear bushings having a tubular portion that extends into one of the bottle gripping arms and surrounds a portion of the fasteners.

A next generation painting robot with advanced fluid delivery system, enhanced kinematics and a service airlock compartment. The painting robot includes a fluid delivery system which places color changing valves and pumping hardware on the back side of the robot's mounting pedestal, where it can be serviced without a technician having to enter the spray booth. The fluid delivery system also allows smaller and lighter robot arms, and is designed to minimize paint waste and wait time during color changes. The robot also features kinematics providing redundant inner arm rotation. The arm kinematics, along with the smaller arms, a paint supply line routed through the center of first and third arm joints, and optimized motor conductor routing, dramatically improve near reach flexibility. The improved near reach flexibility in turn allows a smaller spray booth than possible with previous robot architectures.

A robotic system includes a robotic manipulator having one or more contact pads. The contact pads have features therein that are detectable to determine or measure a degree to which they have worn down. Such features may include fluorescent materials, colorful materials, and/or RFID tags. A robotic environment may include one or more sensors to detect such features, and may be configured to generate a signal indicating that one or more contact pads are in need of maintenance.

A robot includes a first member having a first mounting surface facing upward and a second member having an opening at an upside of the first member and facing the first member and a second mounting surface at the upside, and a joint actuator coupling the first and second members. The joint actuator has a flange fixed to the second mounting surface, a motor placed at the upside with respect to the flange, and a reducer placed at a downside with respect to the flange, projecting downward from the opening, and fixed to the first mounting surface. The joint actuator is mounted on the second mounting surface from the upside and the reducer is projected downward from the opening, and the flange is fastened to the second member from the upside using first screws and the reducer is fastened to the first member from the downside using second screws.

A robot maintenance fixture includes: a fixture body removably attached to a robot mounted in a state of being suspended from a stand; a first hanger portion that can be disposed vertically above a position of the center of gravity of a working part of the robot, the working part being a part driven by an actuator on which maintenance is to be performed, the working part being in a state of being attached to the actuator, and with which the working part can be suspended from the fixture body with a first hanger member; and a second hanger portion that can be disposed vertically above a position of the center of gravity of the actuator in a state of being attached to the robot and with which the actuator can be suspended from the fixture body with a second hanger member.

A parallel link robot includes a main body, a number of driving mechanisms provided in the main body, a number of link units each having one end connected to corresponding one of the plurality of driving mechanisms, a movable plate disposed beneath the main body, and supported by the other ends of the number of link units, and an oil tray placed adjacently to the lower surface of the main body, where the oil tray is detachably attached to the main body.

An industrial robot system includes a manipulator with a drive chain including a motor unit. A controller in the industrial robot system is electrically connected to the drive chain by a set of power transmission lines and is operable to transmit electrical power on the set of power transmission lines so as to impart a controlled movement of the manipulator. A supervision sensor is arranged in the manipulator and configured to sense a property of the manipulator. The supervision sensor is electrically connected to at least a subset of the power transmission lines for transmission of sensor data representing the property to the controller.