A remote center manipulator for use in minimally invasive robotic surgery includes a base link held stationary relative to a patient, an instrument holder, and a linkage coupling the instrument holder to the base link. First and second links of the linkage are coupled to limit motion of the second link to rotation about a first axis intersecting a remote center of manipulation. A parallelogram linkage portion of the linkage pitches the instrument holder around a second axis that intersects the remote center of manipulation. The second axis is angularly offset from the first axis by a non-zero angle other than 90 degrees.

A method of adjusting a posture of a 6-axis robot standing in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a robot mounting surface includes specifying axis central positions of three axes located at different heights in the direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the robot mounting surface of the 6-axis robot, specifying two planes including two arcs of which rotation centers are represented by two axes farther away from the robot mounting surface among the three axes, specifying a position of a predetermined point on the arc farther away from the robot mounting surface among the two arcs, and determining an angle adjustment amount of the three axes in a rotation direction and an angle adjustment amount of an axis extending between the two axes in a rotation direction based on the specified axis central positions of the three axes, the specified two planes, and the specified position of the predetermined point.

A robot hand includes a pair of movable members that is detachable from a wrist flange of a robot body and that are arranged at a distance from each other; holding parts that are provided on the movable members and that hold a workpiece; and a width adjusting mechanism that supports the pair of movable members so as to allow relative movement thereof in a width direction and that adjusts a distance B between the pair of movable members by means of the relative movement of the pair of movable members in the width direction (A). The pair of movable members are relatively moved in the width direction as a result of the width adjusting mechanism.

A remote center manipulator for use in minimally invasive robotic surgery includes a base link held stationary relative to a patient, an instrument holder, and a linkage coupling the instrument holder to the base link. First and second links of the linkage are coupled to limit motion of the second link to rotation about a first axis intersecting a remote center of manipulation. A parallelogram linkage portion of the linkage pitches the instrument holder around a second axis that intersects the remote center of manipulation. The second axis is angularly offset from the first axis by a non-zero angle other than 90 degrees.

The invention relates to a device for attaching a balancing weight (2) to a mounting surface (17) on an inner side (3) of a rim dish of a wheel rim (4) and provides for a mounting head (1) to be dimensioned in such a way that it fits into the rim dish. The mounting head (1) includes a support element (5), which is radially displaceable relative to the wheel rim (4) and on which a feeler element (6) is axially movably arranged, the feeler element (6) having a convex contact surface (14) and a receptacle (12) for at least one balancing weight (2), said receptacle being oriented towards the inner side (3). The mounting head (1) is configured in such a way that the contact surface (14) may be brought into contact with a boundary surface (18) of the inner side (3), and may be displaced along said boundary surface until the balancing weight (2) comes radially into contact with the mounting surface (17).

An end-of-arm tool and an associated robotic arm are configured to place items (e.g., soft-sided merchandise) into a case. In an example, an end-of-arm tool is configured to grasp a surface (e.g., the top surface) of an item of merchandise and deposit the item into the case. Accordingly, as an item is deposited, the tool uses contact with that item to move previously placed items back into their preferred locations. After the penultimate item in a row of items is put in place, it may move out of position. As a final item is added to a row, the tool pivots the final item so that a side surface of the final item pushes the penultimate item into its correct position. The tool then pivots the final item to orient the top surface of the item horizontally, and places it in a predetermined position.

An arm joint for a manipulator having a motor with a transmission, comprising a gear wheel that can rotate about a transmission axis of rotation, wherein the gear wheel is rotatably mounted in a housing of the arm joint and has an adapter on at least one of its end sides, and wherein the adapter has an opening that is central relative to the transmission axis of rotation on the side facing away from the end side of the gear wheel The central opening has an internal thread for the purpose of a simple construction, easy assembly and a great number of variation possibilities in terms of construction and application.

A robot joint controlling method includes: receiving a motion command; determining one or more joint servos that are needed to execute the motion command; and determining whether the one or more joint servos are in an occupied state, and if not, executing the motion command so as to control the one or more joint servos to operate accordingly.

An example robot includes: a leg having an upper leg member and a lower leg member coupled to the upper leg member at a knee joint; a screw actuator disposed within the upper leg member, where the screw actuator has a screw shaft and a nut mounted coaxial to the screw shaft such that the screw shaft is rotatable within the nut; a motor mounted at an upper portion of the upper leg member and coupled to the screw shaft; a carrier coupled and mounted coaxial to the nut such that the nut is disposed at a proximal end of the carrier; and a linkage coupled to the carrier, where the linkage is coupled to the lower leg member at the knee joint.

A joint unit, in particular a joint unit of a robot, a joint system, a robot for manipulation and/or transportation, in particular for transportation of an object, a robotic exoskeleton system and a method for manipulation and/or transportation, in particular for transportation of an object, in particular for moving a body. The joint unit has a rotary drive, a gear, at least one spring element and a joint output. The gear has a gear input and a gear output, wherein the gear input is mechanically coupled to the rotary drive and suitable for transformation of the torque provided by the rotary drive. The spring element is mechanically coupled to the gear output and suitable for at least partial storing of the torque provided by the gear output and/or of the torque provided by an external load applied to the joint unit.