A robot including an extendable device capable of extending and contracting in at least one direction, at least two end effectors that are respectively connected to at least two end portions of the extendable device, and a control unit capable of causing the extendable device to extend and contract, wherein each of the at least two end effectors includes at least one grasping unit that extends outward, and the robot is operable to grasp a target by the at least two end effectors by the control unit causing the extendable device to extend or contract.

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 gripper assembly includes a base having a hollow area extending in a first direction, at least three grippers arranged along a circumference of the base, the at least three grippers configured to be rotatable about respective rotational axes extending in the first direction, and a first power transmitter configured to rotate the at least three grippers at the same time in a first rotational direction about the respective rotational axes.

Disclosed herein are multi-turn drive assemblies, systems and methods of use thereof. The multi-turn drive assemblies enable a robot link member to have a maximum rotation of at least 360 degrees about an axis. The multi-turn drive assemblies can be incorporated into a robot arm for enabling 360 degrees rotation of one or more link members about an axis. The robot arm may be located in a transfer chamber of an electronic device processing system. Also disclosed are methods of controlling the multi-turn drive assemblies and related robots.

A rotary joint according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a first microstrip line, a second microstrip line, a transmitting circuit connected to one end of the first microstrip line and configured to output a communication signal, a transmitting-side terminator connected to the other end of the first microstrip line, a receiving-side terminator connected to one end of the second microstrip line, and a receiving circuit connected to the other end of the second microstrip line and configured to receive the communication signal, in which the first and second microstrip lines and are set along at least a part of a circular ring having a circumferential length equal to an integral multiple of a wavelength of a traveling wave with which the communication signal propagates through the microstrip lines.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards robotic systems and methods. The robot may include an end effector, a tool flange of the robot, and a joint. The end effector may include a contacting part configured to contact a workpiece. The joint may be positioned between, and connected to, the tool flange and the end effector. The joint may include a variable angle between the tool flange and the end effector.

A joint assembly for a robot, comprising a housing connected with an output part. The housing comprising a housing wall and a strain wave gearing system. The strain wave gearing system comprising a wave generator, a flexspline, and a circular spline connected to the output part. The wave generator is rotated by a rotor shaft. The rotor shaft is driven by an electric motor comprising a rotor magnet and a stator. The rotor magnet being affixed to the rotor shaft. The joint assembly further comprises one or more sensors comprising one or more magnetic field sensors and one or more pole rings arranged to measure a position of the output part in relation to the housing.

In a robot (1) for gripping and/or holding objects (2), in particular workpieces, tools or carrier parts, the robot comprising: at least one robot arm (3, 4, 5) which is supported on a support frame (19) and is movable in space in at least one translational and/or rotational degree of freedom, a gripping and/or holding device (6), on which the respective object (2) is supported in a positionally oriented manner and/or held in a rotational arrangement, at least one electric motor (9) provided in the gripping and/or holding device (6), by means of which a torque and/or a clamping force is generated which acts on the object (2), and a drive shaft (24) mounted in the robot arm (5), which is coupled in a driving manner to the gripping and/or holding device (6), preferably in such a way that the gripping and/or holding device (6) rotates about its own longitudinal axis (6′),
the gripping and/or holding device (6) arranged at the free end of the robot arm (5) should be freely movable in space, so that rotation about its own longitudinal axis (6′) can be carried out as often and as quickly as desired.

This is achieved in that an interface (31) is provided between a free end (10) of the robot arm (5) at the end and the gripping and/or holding device (6), which interface (31) is bridged by a coupler (25) fixed in a non-rotating arrangement to the robot arm (5) and by a flange (11) adapted thereto, which flange (11) is connected in a non-rotating arrangement to the gripping and/or holding device (6) and the drive shaft (24), in that a first inductively operated transceiver (12) is provided in the coupler (25), which transceiver (12) is connected to a power source (15) via an electrical line (14) fed to the robot arm (5), in that a second inductively operated transceiver (13) is provided in the flange (11), which is connected to the electric motor (9) in the gripping and/or holding device (6) via electrical lines (14), and in that an air gap (21) is provided between the coupler (25) and the flange (11) as a component of the interface (31).

A swiveling device includes a housing, an output shaft mounted in the housing and led out of the housing, a drive arranged in the housing for swiveling the output shaft, a swiveling element connected for conjoint rotation to the output shaft in the region thereof which is led out of the housing, and with a receptacle mounted in the swiveling element and connected thereto, wherein the receptacle can be arranged at different angular positions. The swiveling device provides that the swiveling element has a receiving profile for the receptacle, and the receptacle has a mating profile which corresponds to the receiving profile, wherein the receiving profile and the mating profile are configured so that the profiles can be arranged in different positions of receptacle and swiveling element with respect to each other.

A two-stage insertion system including a gripper to grip a module, a compliance element to provide movement in the XY axis, a first stage insertion control to insert the module into a socket, to a first level, and a second stage insertion control to complete the insertion of the module into the socket, when the first stage insertion control indicates that the module is aligned to the socket, the second level insertion control exerting enough force to complete the insertion of the module into the socket.