Disclosed herein are systems and methods directed to an industrial robot that can perform mobile manipulation (e.g., dexterous mobile manipulation). A robotic arm may be capable of precise control when reaching into tight spaces, may be robust to impacts and collisions, and/or may limit the mass of the robotic arm to reduce the load on the battery and increase runtime. A robotic arm may include differently configured proximal joints and/or distal joints. Proximal joints may be designed to promote modularity and may include separate functional units, such as modular actuators, encoder, bearings, and/or clutches. Distal joints may be designed to promote integration and may include offset actuators to enable a through-bore for the internal routing of vacuum, power, and signal connections.

A gripper includes a finger module coupled to one side of a palm module, the palm module including a first power unit including a first rotary shaft and configured to rotate the first rotary shaft, a screw member configured to rotate in conjunction with a rotation of the first rotary shaft, a nut member coupled to the screw member, a first member coupled to the nut member and movable in a vertical direction in conjunction with a vertical motion of the nut member, the first member having a groove extending in one direction and having a recessed shape, and a connection member having a first side coupled to the finger module and a second side inserted into the groove, wherein the connection member is movable away from or toward the screw member by restriction between the connection member and an inner surface of the groove.

Robotic arms, and devices with such arms, having any combination of gear-driven actuator assemblies and cable-driven actuator assemblies, with some arm or device embodiments having solely gear-driven assemblies, some having solely cable-driven assemblies, and others having a combination of at least one of each. Further embodiments relate to arms or devices having one or more actuation assemblies with an actuator is disposed remotely (in a different component of the device—or even external to the device) in relation to the actuable component to which it is coupled.

An exoskeleton includes a first support, a second support, and a joint connecting the first and second supports. An actuator causes relative rotation between the first and second supports at the joint. The actuator includes a motor, a ball screw, a ball nut, and a yoke. The motor causes translation of the yoke via the ball screw and the ball nut. In some embodiments, the actuator further includes a roller and a joint cam having a track. Translation of the yoke causes movement of the roller within the track, and movement of the roller within the track causes rotation of the joint cam. In other embodiments, the actuator further includes a linkage and a joint crank. Translation of the yoke causes movement of the linkage, and movement of the linkage causes rotation of the joint crank. Rotation of the joint cam or the joint crank causes relative rotation between the first and second supports.

The present disclosure provides a robot joint member, a dynamic joint and a robot with a heat dissipation structure. The joint member has a hollow barrel structure disposed to sleeve a heat source component, and a plurality of phase change heat dissipation units; the phase change heat dissipation unit comprises a phase change working medium, a capillary material and a sealed phase change cavity; heat dissipation auxiliary ribs are arranged on a periphery of the barrel wall of the joint member and a side of the phase change heat dissipation unit away from the heat source component; and the heat dissipation auxiliary ribs define a plurality of gas flow channels with cross sections gradually reduced along a gas flow direction. The joint member has can quickly eliminate the heat accumulation of the joint power source, and can keep a compact structure of the dynamic joint of the robot.

An inspection robot incudes a robot body, at least two sensors, a drive module, a stability assist device and an actuator. The at least two sensors are positioned to interrogate an inspection surface and are communicatively coupled to the robot body. The drive module includes at least two wheels that engage the inspection surface. The drive module is coupled to the robot body. The stability assist device is coupled to at least one of the robot body or the drive module. The actuator is coupled to the stability assist device at a first end, and coupled to one of the drive module or the robot body at a second end. The actuator is structured to selectively move the stability assist device between a first position and a second position. The first position includes a stored position. The second position includes a deployed position.

A robot arm comprising a first arm segment and a second arm segment coupled to each other by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis non-parallel to the first rotation axis, and a joint mechanism for articulating the first arm segment relative to the second arm segment about the first and second rotation axes, the joint mechanism comprising: a first driven gear disposed about an axle coincident with the first rotation axis, the axle being fast with a first arm segment of the robot arm; a second driven gear disposed about the second rotation axis and fast with a second arm segment of the robot arm and fast with the first driven gear about the first rotation axis; a first drive gear configured to drive the first driven gear to rotate about the axle, the first drive gear being arranged to engage the first driven gear; a second drive gear for driving the second driven gear to rotate about the second rotation axis; and an intermediary gear arrangement arranged to engage the second drive gear and the second driven gear and being disposed about the first rotation axis, whereby rotation of the intermediary gear arrangement relative to the first arm segment about the first rotation axis can be driven.

Disclosed is a small actuator for a robot, including an intermediate case including a driving motor and a plurality of reduction gears, a front case having a through-hole, a housing coupled to the intermediate case and including a rear case having at least one tapping hole, a rotation part that has a tapping hole, is connected to the protruding final reduction gear, and is rotated at a final reduction ratio, a first tapping screw that passes through the tapping hole of the rotation part and is fastened to a rotary shaft of the protruding reduction gear, and at least one second tapping screw that passes through one side of the front case and the intermediate case and is fastened to the tapping hole of the rear case.

Provided is a parallel mechanism consisting of: a first module including a first plate having a first hollow formed therein; a second module disposed to be spaced apart from the first module, and including a second plate having a second hollow formed therein; and a power transmission unit provided in a space between the first and second modules, and including a third plate connecting the first and second modules in parallel, wherein the first and second modules form a symmetrical structure on the basis of the power transmission unit, a first range of motion in the first module is amplified, by means of the symmetrical structure, to a second range of motion that is wider than the first range of motion in the second module, a working space is formed in a space communicating with the first and second hollows, and the third plate is provided outside the working space.

A medical manipulator including: a rotating joint that rotates an end effector disposed at a distal end thereof about a first axis; a flexing joint that is disposed on a base-end side of the rotating joint and that pivots the end effector about a second axis that intersects the first axis; a drive portion that generates a rotational driving force; a motive-power transmitting member that transmits the rotational driving force generated by the drive portion to the rotating joint by passing through the flexing joint; and a speed-reduction portion that transmits the rotational driving force transmitted thereto by the motive-power transmitting member to the end effector after performing speed-reduction.