A cable-driven robot includes a base structure, a plurality of cables, a movable element suspended by cables, and a system with a plurality of movement units for moving the cables and the movable operating element with respect to the base structure. At least one movement unit has a frame hinged to the base structure for swinging about a hinge axis. A motor mounted on the frame has a rotation shaft and at least one cable winding/unwinding element. The latter includes a drum mounted on the frame and rotatable by the shaft of the motor. The drum has a lateral surface with a helical groove extending coaxially with respect to the axis of the drum and defining a series of hollow turns each conformed to receive and contain internally thereof a corresponding winding turn of the cable during the winding/unwinding of the cable about the drum.

A system and apparatus for controlling a mobile platform via cables is disclosed. Each of the set of cables are connected at one end to the platform at a second end to a cable controlling mechanism, the cable controlling mechanism including a motor to control a length and tension of the cable. At least two of the cables form a constraint, such as a kinematic constraint to the apparatus in order to limit the movement of the platform in certain degrees of freedom.

The disclosure is directed at a method and apparatus for controlling unwanted vibrations in a mechanical system. The apparatus includes a set of different eccentric and/or concentric masses mounted to the mechanical system for generating forces to counteract the sensed unwanted vibrations. The apparatus further includes a set of motors that control movement of the set of masses.

A robot comprising a base, an arm provided on the base, an actuator configured to drive the arm, a connector to which at least a part of a first wire of another device is connected, and a second wire configured to connect the actuator and the connector, wherein the base includes a cover through which the first wire is inserted, the cover covering at least a part of a hole of the base, and the cover includes a cutout for detaching the cover from the base by, in a state in which a screw fastening the cover and the base is loosened, sliding in a direction crossing a direction in which the first wire is inserted through the cover.

A suspension cable robot is provided, its stability can be improved by using at least three groups of three cables arranged in a parallelogram manner. The ability to remain stable when subjected to forces acting on the robot platform or end effector is thereby significantly increased. The cable robot can be moved by cables to different working locations.

A conveying device includes: a main movement body; a main conveying mechanism that conveys the main movement body; and a controlling device that controls operation of the main conveying mechanism including a plurality of winches attached to the main movement body and multiple cables one wound around each winch; each winch includes a cylindrical drum rotatable about an axis line thereof and driving device that rotates the drum, and is wound around corresponding one of the drums of the respective corresponding winches helically in an axis direction of the drums multiple times, and have distal ends supported by supporting bodies corresponding to the respective winches; and the controlling device conveys the main movement body to an arbitrary position on a conveying path between the supporting bodies corresponding to the respective winches by controlling operation of a driving device of each winch disposed on the main movement body.

The application relates to a smart cabinet. The smart cabinet includes a cabinet body, a moving module, a controlling module and an assisting module. The moving module is positioned in the cabinet body; the controlling module is connected to the moving module. The moving module includes a base, a guiding wheel group disposed on the base, a plurality of drivers pivotally connected with the guiding wheel group, and a manipulator disposed on the base. The controlling module includes an input control unit, a guiding rope, and a pulley group. The input control module is electrically connected with the drivers and the manipulator. The pulley group includes a plurality of pulleys defining a movement range for the moving module. The assisting module includes a rope retractor and a sensor electrically coupled to the rope retractor. Two ends of the guiding rope are coupled to the rope retractor.

A method for parameterizing a photogrammetric cable robot, having a frame, a mobile platform carrying a camera and cables, each cable extending from a mobile platform attachment point to a position-adjustable exit point, while remaining linked to the frame. The robot's maximum workspace is defined by the ranges of possible positions of the different cable exit points. A set of pairs of setpoint positions and orientations of the platform is determined, for performing the point measurements of a scene by photogrammetry. Then, a genetic algorithm comprising crossing, transformation and selection operations is applied to a population of vectors, each representing respective positions of cable exit points, the selection being made via a fitness function involving a first objective function evaluating a collision percentage and a second objective function evaluating a percentage violation of a mobile platform constraint of equilibrium, when the platform assumes the different setpoint positions and orientations.

Cable robots may be used to automatically load items onto one or more surfaces in any environment. An item may be received on a carrier that is connected to tensioning actuators of a cable robot by one or more cables in tension. The actuators of the robot may be manipulated in concert to move the carrier from a first position to a second position, which may be fixed or in motion, at which the item may be expelled from the carrier. The carrier may include induction wheels and/or conveyors for receiving the item thereon and for expelling the item therefrom. The cable robot may be provided in series with a conveyor and mounted to a frame, and used to load items onto a delivery vehicle, such that the frame may be withdrawn as items are loaded.

An apparatus for cleaning a surface of solar collectors or photovoltaic installations includes at least one cleaning head that comprises at least one cleaning member. The cleaning member can be set into rotation. The apparatus also includes a movement device for moving the cleaning head over at least a part of the surface to be cleaned. The movement device has a first movement unit movable in a first direction and a second movement unit. The cleaning head is movable transversely or obliquely to the first movement direction by the second movement unit along a guide that is connected to the first movement unit. A drive device that is arranged at the first and/or second movement units makes it possible to automatically move the first movement unit in dependence on a position of the second movement unit.