The present disclosure provides a biologically-inspired robotic device comprising: a first member; a second member pivotably connected to the first member; one or more actuators; and a coupler/decoupler mechanism (CDC) selectively coupling or decoupling of the one or more actuators to the second member, such that, when the one or more actuators are coupled to the second member, the one or more actuators act to pivot the second member relative to the first member.

A first hollow part having a center axis coincident with a first axis of a wrist structure is formed in a forearm. A through passage, which communicates with the first hollow part is formed in a first wrist element. A second hollow part having a center axis coincident with a third axis is formed in a third wrist element. An umbilical member is inserted through the first hollow part, the through passage, and the second hollow part. A brake device is eliminated from at least one of a motor for a second wrist and a motor for a third wrist.

A manipulator includes a mount member, a base member with threaded openings, a coupling member, and an output member with threaded openings. The manipulator also includes three motors mounted to the mount member and three drive trains connected to the motors, respectively.

An accessibility-enhancing joint module may include a housing, a powered motor disposed within the housing, a rotatable receiving member operatively connected to the powered motor, a coupling element configured to attach to the receiving member, and a control board disposed within the housing and operatively connected to the powered motor, wherein the coupling element is disposed external to the housing. An accessibility-enhancing arm assembly may include a first joint module and a second joint module and a tubular arm member attached to the proximal mounting portion of the first joint module and the proximal mounting portion of the second joint module, each joint module including a housing having a body portion and a proximal mounting portion, a powered motor disposed within the housing, and a rotatable receiving member operatively connected to the powered motor. The joint module(s) and/or the arm assembly may be operable by a variety of accessible controls.

A robot includes a support, a movable member coupled to the support to permit gimbal rotation about a pitch axis and a yaw axis, and first and second linear actuators connected to each of the support and the movable member and operable to rotate the movable member about the pitch axis and the yaw axis. The first linear actuator is pivotally attached to the movable member at a first pivot point. The second linear actuator is pivotally attached to the movable member at a second pivot point. The first and second pivot points are each angularly offset from the pitch axis and the yaw axis by about 45 degrees and are located on the same side of the pitch axis.

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to various robotic and/or in vivo medical devices having compact joint configurations. Other embodiments relate to various medical device components, including forearms having grasper or cautery end effectors, that can be incorporated into certain robotic and/or in vivo medical devices.

A driving force transmission mechanism includes a worm gear unit as a brake disposed between a driving motor and an electrically driven input gear, and is configured such that when a driving force is applied from the driving motor to the electrically driven input gear through the worm gear unit, an outer ring which rotates together with the electrically driven input gear becomes locked to an inner ring through rollers so that the driving force is transmitted to an output gear, which rotates together with the inner ring, and when a driving force is applied to a manually driven input shaft, the outer ring and the inner ring are unlocked from each other by an unlocking piece which rotates together with the manually driven input shaft, and thereafter, the driving force is transmitted to the inner ring and the output shaft.

A mechanical transmission, tethered actuation system, an autonomous ankle exoskeleton design and method of their use employing a cable, pulleys and associated pulley housings to change angular transmission of linear force on the cable. The pulleys are linked by a ground link and the cable is threaded across and between the pulleys, whereby rotation of either of the pulleys in one direction causes rotation of the other pulley in the opposite direction. Independently of the pulleys, the pulley housings can freely rotate about associated pulleys, and a link between the pulley housings is provided, whereby rotation of one of the pulley housings in one direction causes rotation of the other pulley housing at an equivalent angle in the opposite direction, thereby enabling a change in transmission angle of linear force on the cable threaded across and between the pulleys and the associated pulley housing essentially without resistance. When pulleys have the same angular velocity ratio as that of the associated pulley housings, there is no cable slack since the net changes in length of the cable wrapping around two pulleys is zero.

A wrist device includes a first element coupled to an arm to be rotatable about a fifth axis, and a second element coupled to the first element to be rotatable about a sixth axis. There is a fifth motor to rotationally drive the first element, and a sixth motor to rotationally drive the second element. A fifth transmission mechanism transmits a driving force of the fifth motor to the first element and a sixth transmission mechanism transmits a driving force of the sixth motor to the second element. The sixth transmission mechanism includes a first gear rotatably supported by the arm and a second gear rotatably supported by the first element and to mesh with the first gear, and reduces a rotation speed of a driving force in a component group including the first driving gear and components after the first driving gear.

An eccentric oscillation gear device according to the disclosure includes: a casing; a first member supported by the casing via a first bearing; a second member supported by the casing via a second bearing; and a fastening portion fastening the first member and the second member to each other in an axial direction of the casing. The fastening portion includes an externally threaded portion and an internally threaded portion. At least one selected from the group consisting of feet of threads of the externally threaded portion and roots of threads of the internally threaded portion has elasticity portions for facilitating elastic deformation of the threads associated with the elasticity portions when the externally threaded portion and the internally threaded portion are tightened to each other.