An apparatus for coupling a robot arm to a tool that is suspended by an ergonomic arm capable of supporting 3D motion of the tool within a working volume. The apparatus includes a tool sleeve configured to accept the tool, a freely rotating rotary fitting coupled to the tool sleeve, and a coupling that couples a distal end of the robot arm to the rotary fitting. When the tool is inserted into the tool sleeve, the tool is free to rotate around the rotational axis with respect to the robot arm, such that a motion of the distal end of the robot arm does not impose a torque between the robot arm and the tool around the rotational axis, and such that motion of the distal end of the robot arm repositions or reorients the tool within at least a portion of the working volume.

The present disclosure provides a cleaning system and a cleaning apparatus. The cleaning system includes a cleaning apparatus and a robot. The robot includes at least one robot arm. The cleaning apparatus includes at least one adaptor mechanism and a cleaning mechanism. The adaptor mechanism connects the cleaning mechanism to the robot arm. By controlling robot arms of the robot, the cleaning mechanism of the cleaning apparatus performs cleaning operations for platforms. The cleaning system achieves continuous and efficient cleaning effects, and operates object cleaning in diverse manners.

An apparatus for coupling a robot arm to a tool that is suspended by an ergonomic arm capable of supporting 3D motion of the tool within a working volume. The apparatus includes a tool sleeve configured to accept the tool, a freely rotating rotary fitting coupled to the tool sleeve, and a coupling that couples a distal end of the robot arm to the rotary fitting. When the tool is inserted into the tool sleeve, the tool is free to rotate around the rotational axis with respect to the robot arm, such that a motion of the distal end of the robot arm does not impose a torque between the robot arm and the tool around the rotational axis, and such that motion of the distal end of the robot arm repositions or reorients the tool within at least a portion of the working volume.

Example implementations may relate to providing a dynamic jig in a three-dimensional (3D) coordinate system. Specifically, a control system may (i) receive task data specifying a manipulation of one or more parts at a specified location; (ii) determine: (a) one or more work surfaces and (b) a first position of each of the one or more work surfaces, such that the one or more work surfaces collectively provide a jig to facilitate the specified manipulation of the parts; (iii) a plurality of guide end effectors that are positionable by one or more robotic devices such that the end effectors provide the work surfaces at the respectively determined first positions; and (iv) operate the one or more robotic devices to position the guide end effectors to provide the one or more work surfaces at the respectively determined first positions, thereby forming the jig from the one or more work surfaces.

A robot for a linear transport system includes a carriage guide rail and first and second XY tables, each with first and second carriages arranged to move independently on the carriage guide rail, and first and second linear guides, each having first and second guide elements which can be moved relative to one another and are configured with an angular offset. The first guide elements of the first and second linear guides are connected via a support structure. The second guide elements of the first and second linear guides are connected to the first and second carriages. The robot can include first and second arm systems connected to one another via an articulated system, with an attached work tool. The first and second arm systems can connect to the support structures of the first and second XY tables via corresponding first and second joints.

A robotic apparatus including a plurality of rigid body sections that move relative to each other by one or more multi-degree of freedom joints. The robotic apparatus can traverse a fixed frame by attaching its distal ends to the frame and moving the rigid body sections relative to each other.

A robotic mount is configured to move an entertainment element such as a video display, a video projector, a video projector screen or a camera. The robotic mount is moveable in multiple degrees of freedom, whereby the associated entertainment element is moveable in three-dimensional space. In one embodiment, a system of entertainment elements are made to move and operate in synchronicity with each other, such as to move a single camera via multiple robotic mounts to one or more positions or along one or more paths.

A direct teaching method of a robot includes specifying one of a plurality of robot arms as a master arm and specifying as a slave arm at least one of the robot arms which is other than the master arm; causing the slave arm to operate cooperatively with the master arm so that relative positions and postures of a wrist part of the master arm and a wrist part of the slave arm become a predetermined relation, while a teaching person is directly applying a force to an arbitrary location of the master arm including a tool, to move the master arm to a desired teaching position; and storing position information of at least one of the master arm and the slave arm at a time point when the master arm has reached the desired teaching position.

A telescoping extendable boom and a foldable telescoping extendable boom for transporting an item, are disclosed. The foldable telescoping extendable boom having tubular elements (12) and (14) and (15, 17, 18, 19) and (20) each arranged with a longitudinally extending track (25, 29) inside the tubular element. Each longitudinally extending track (25, 29) supports a single shuttle (26) and (30) respectively, internally inside its tubular element (17) and (15), respectively, for movement therealong. Each shuttle (26) and (30) is equipped with a clamp (27) and (30) to selectively clamp the item (298). The longitudinally extending tracks (25, 29) of immediately connecting telescoping tubular elements (17) and (15) are located opposite each other. The inner tubular elements inside said telescoping extendable boom are arranged at their near ends to allow their shuttles to access shuttles of outer tubular elements to enable the clamps (27) and (31) thereof to transfer a said item (298) therebetween.

A method and a system for manufacturing a mold for creation of complex objects by controlling and moving two end effectors of a robotic system is provided. The two end effectors have a flexible cutting element attached to, and extending between, the two end effectors. The method includes the steps of: defining at least one surface representing the inner surface of the mold; dividing the surface into a number of segments represented by planar curves on the surface; for each planar curve, calculating at least one elastic curve representing the planar curve; for each calculated elastic curve, calculating a set of data corresponding to placement and direction of the two end effectors for configuring the flexible cutting element to a shape corresponding to the calculated elastic curve; and sequentially positioning the end effectors according to each set of data. The flexible cutting element thereby cuts the mold from a block.