A cable-driven robot has a base, a platform movable with respect to the base, a plurality of motors mounted on the base, and a plurality of movement cables of the platform each fixed at a first end at a respective fixing point to the platform and at a second end thereof to a respective motor. The robot further includes a shaft rotatably mounted on the platform, a supplementary movement cable, and a supplementary activating motor mounted at a respective position on the base. The supplementary movement cable is fixed, at a first end, to the supplementary activating motor and is wound with a portion of its length on the shaft.

A robotic constructing system based on a cable-driven robot for constructing a structure formed by objects such as bricks is provided. The process of laying the bricks is performed by the cable-driven robot autonomously. The bricks are provided to the robotic constructing system by an external conveyor and a robot arm of the robotic constructing system is configured to pick up the bricks. The robot arm is then configured to place the bricks in a position to receive an adhesive from an adhesive dispenser of the robotic constructing system and further to load the bricks onto a linear rail. The linear rail can be configured to place the bricks within the proximity of the cable-driven robot. The cable-driven robot can be configured to pick up the bricks and lay the bricks in the designated position of a three-dimensional space.

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 tensioning set comprises an output member. A magnetorheological fluid clutch apparatus is configured to receive a degree of actuation (DOA) and connected to the output member, the magnetorheological fluid clutch apparatus being actuatable to selectively transmit the received DOA through the output member by controlled slippage. A tensioning member is connected to the output member so as to be pulled by the output member upon actuation of the magnetorheological fluid clutch apparatus, a free end of the tensioning member adapted to exert a pulling action transmitted to an output when being pulled by the output member. The tensioning set, or a comparable compressing set, may be used in systems and robotic arms. A method for controlling movements of an output driven by the tensioning set or compressing set is also provided.

A cable robot comprises a platform supporting an effector and cables. Each cable is connected on one end to an attachment point on the platform and extends from this attachment point to an anchoring point attached to a supporting structure. The anchoring points being contained in more than one plane. The cables include a set of driving cables whose ends are connected to a winch. The cables include a set of reconfigurable cables, whose anchoring points are movable relative to the supporting structure. The supporting structure is beared by a set of independent mobile bases having anchorings to fix the mobile bases to the ground.

An electronic movement-controlled apparatus that includes a camera and a movable arm is disclosed. The movable arm has both a stationary end and a movable end with the camera being attached to the movable end so as to be movable therewith. The stationary end is configured to be coupled to a rigid support structure. The movable arm includes a plurality of arm segments connected in series to form the movable arm. The arm segments are configured to have cooperating segment regions in terms of each of the arm segments being compressible and expandable in unison to move the movable end and effect a pan and tilt movement of the camera.

Any system described herein may be implemented in the context of an autonomous drywall installation robot. For example, an autonomous drywall installation robot may include one or more components such as a series of nested carriages, one or more drywall attachment mechanisms, one or more drywall positioning and fastening mechanisms, etc. In various other embodiments, any system described herein may be configured to utilize two or more robots described herein to work in conjunction toward one or more common goals. In one illustrative example, a first and second drywall installation robot may be configured to work in conjunction to: (1) lift a panel (e.g., a stone panel, tile, piece of drywall, sheetrock, gypsum board, or other construction board, etc.); (2) position the panel in a desired area; and (3) secure the panel in the desired area.

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.

A tensioning set comprises an output member. A magnetorheological fluid clutch apparatus is configured to receive a degree of actuation (DOA) and connected to the output member, the magnetorheological fluid clutch apparatus being actuatable to selectively transmit the received DOA through the output member by controlled slippage. A tensioning member is connected to the output member so as to be pulled by the output member upon actuation of the magnetorheological fluid clutch apparatus, a free end of the tensioning member adapted to exert a pulling action transmitted to an output when being pulled by the output member. The tensioning set, or a comparable compressing set, may be used in systems and robotic arms. A method for controlling movements of an output driven by the tensioning set or compressing set is also provided.

A mobile platform which is designed to equip a cable-driven parallel robot, characterized in that the platform is configured to support at least one roll of a fabric made of composite material, and to permit the unwinding of said at least one roll, in order to carry out draping of a preform, in particular a dry preform, by controlled displacement of the platform above a draping line.