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 continuum robot having at least two independently manipulatable bendable section for advancing the robot through a passage, without contacting fragile elements within the passage, wherein the robot incorporates control algorithms that enable the continuum robot to operate and advance into the passage, as well as the systems and procedures associated with the continuum robot and said functionality.

The present disclosure provides a joint control method for a serial robot and a serial robot using the same. The method includes: performing a analysis on an end joint in the plurality of joints, and calculating the force of the previous joint acting on the end joint; performing a analysis on each of the other joints in the plurality of joints, and calculating the force of the previous joint acting on the joint; obtaining an angular velocity and an angular acceleration of each joint after obtaining the force of the previous joint acting on the joint, and calculating a torque corresponding to each joint; and projecting the torque corresponding to each joint to a motor corresponding to the joint to obtain a torque to be applied to the motor at a current time. In this manner, which improves the tracking precision of the end joint while reduces the tracking error.

A robotic arm assembly includes a robotic arm including a link, a control rope operable with the link, and an attachment section, the control rope extending at least partially through the attachment section. The robotic arm assembly also includes an actuator pack attached to, or positioned adjacent to, the attachment section of the robotic arm, the actuator pack including an actuator, the actuator operable with the control rope and including a motor defining a pivot axis, the motor configured to move about the pivot axis to displace the control rope.

A convertible robot including a plurality of modules connected one to another by one of a plurality of joints, wherein the plurality of modules has a first end and a second end that is adapted to allow for removable attachment to the first end. The convertible robot also includes a coupling that reversibly converts the plurality of modules between one configuration and at least one other configuration. One configuration is a snake-arm configuration in which the plurality of modules are in an elongated arrangement. Another configuration is a drone configuration in which the first and second ends of the plurality of modules are attached and in a loop-shaped arrangement.

A snake-like robot includes a first link having a first distal end, a first proximal end, and a first longitudinal axis extending between the first distal end and the first proximal end. A second link has a second proximal end, a second distal end operatively coupled to the first proximal end, and a second longitudinal axis extending between the second proximal end and the second distal end. Rotation of the first link relative to the second link alternatively performs the following effects: elongation of the robot; pivoting of the first longitudinal axis relative to the second longitudinal axis; and rotation of the first longitudinal axis relative to the second longitudinal axis.

The invention relates to a serpentine inspection robot mechanism for lifting cage guide driven by magnetic wheels, comprising a magnetic wheel drive part and a pitching yawing part, wherein the magnetic wheel drive part comprises a worm and gear transmission mechanism (I) and a magnetic wheel driving mechanism (II), and the pitching yawing part comprises a pitching yawing mechanism (III). Magnetic wheels are driven by the worm and gear transmission mechanism (I) and the magnetic wheel driving mechanism (II), while the pitching and yawing control of the robot are realized by the pitching yawing mechanism (III). The serpentine robot driven by the magnetic wheels (22) resolves the problems that the efficiency of ordinary serpentine robot is low, and it is difficult for the simple-wheel-type robot to span the large gap and to reach some concealed corners, with the cage guide of the lifting machine sucked by the magnetic wheels (22).

An articulating joint comprising a multi-cluster joint where every consecutive pair of links is interfaced by a gimbal, which offers rotation about two orthogonal axes within the same plane. Thus, the articulating joint comprises an alternating sequence of links and gimbals. Furthermore, there may be multiple cables attached to one or more of the links. As these cables are selectively pulled and released, one can achieve any desired articulation of the articulating joint. There may be a transmission member extending through the links and gimbals, parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the joint in its nominal non-articulated condition. This transmission member may be either a tension member that is pulled on (e.g. a cable or flexible pull rod) and that loads the articulating joint in compression, or the transmission member may be a flexible push rod that loads the articulating joint in tension.

A continuum robot includes: a first wire; a second wire; a distal guide configured to hold the first wire and the second wire; a proximal guide slidable relative to the first wire and the second wire; a plurality of wire guides provided between the distal guide and the proximal guide; a driving unit configured to drive the first wire and the second wire; and a control unit configured to control the driving unit. The first wire is fixed to the plurality of wire guides, the second wire is slidable relative to the plurality of wire guides, and the control unit controls the driving unit so as to keep a distance between the proximal guide and a wire guide among the plurality of wire guides provided nearest to the proximal guide constant.

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.