A robot includes an arm supporting part, a rotary arm rotatably supported by the arm supporting part, a drive motor configured to rotate the rotary arm, a gas spring configured to reduce a load of the drive motor by supporting a load acting on the rotary arm and a controller. The controller determines that the rotary arm rotates, and estimates a reduced state of gas in the gas spring based on a comparison between an actual current value and a theoretical current value of the drive motor when the rotary arm rotates.

A passively balanced load-adaptive upper limb exoskeleton. An upper arm (A), an elbow (B), a forearm (C), and a hand (D) are arranged sequentially from left to right. An upper arm upper rod (A1) and an upper arm lower rod (A2) each are hinge-connected to an upper arm elbow housing via a bearing. A forearm upper rod (C1) and a forearm lower rod (C2) each are hinge-connected to a forearm elbow housing via a bearing. An upper arm support rod (E) is disposed between an upper arm driving mechanism (A4) and an upper arm elbow assembly (B1). One end of the upper arm support rod is fixedly connected to two upper arm support rod slide blocks (9) in the upper arm driving mechanism, and the other end thereof is hinge-connected to protruding shafts on two sides of an upper arm lead screw nut connection member via bearings. A forearm-upper arm support rod is disposed between a forearm driving mechanism (C4) and a forearm elbow assembly (B2). One end of the forearm-upper arm support rod (K) is fixedly connected to two upper arm support rod slide blocks in the forearm driving mechanism, and the other end thereof is hinge-connected to protruding shafts on two sides of a forearm lead screw nut connection member via bearings. The hand is hinge-connected to a wrist. The upper limb exoskeleton of the invention is used to facilitate handling of heavy goods or carrying of certain items.

A vibration reduction assembly (24) for reducing a magnitude of a vibration being transferred from a first component (14) (e.g. a robot assembly) to a second component (12) (e.g. a payload) includes a first vibration reduction system (30) and a second vibration reduction system (32). The first vibration reduction system (30) reducing vibration along a first axis that is oriented parallel with gravity. The second vibration reduction system (32) reducing vibration along a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis. The first vibration reduction system (30) and the second vibration reduction system (32) are connected in series between the first component (14) and the second component (12).

A robot includes a lower arm mechanism having a first parallel link structure, an upper arm mechanism having a second parallel link structure, a base portion forming a lower side part of the first parallel link structure, a wrist portion forming a distal side part of the second parallel link structure, an intermediate connection portion forming an upper side part of the first parallel link structure and a proximal side part of the second parallel link structure, and an upper arm biasing unit for applying a biasing force against a rotating operation in a direction that the wrist portion descends to an upper arm configuring a lower side part of the second parallel link structure. According to the robot, the range of the portable mass of an object can be expanded without enlarging an arm drive motor and declining an arm operation speed.

The invention relates to an industrial robot (1) having a robot arm (2) with a plurality of axes (9, 10) designed for a high payload and having a weight equalization system (12) based on gas for at least one of the axes (9), whose pressurized components (13-15) each have a volume of less than 1 liter and a maximum pressure of less than 1000 bar.

A maintenance management apparatus manages maintenance of a gas spring provided in an arm of an articulated robot and includes a gas pressure measuring unit that measures a gas pressure inside the gas spring on a regular basis, a maintenance judgement unit that judges whether an abnormality is present in the gas spring based on an amount of decrease in the gas pressure per unit time or per unit operating distance, and a notifying unit that sends a notification based on a judgment result by the maintenance judgement unit to an operator.

An outflow nozzle of a motor vehicle includes a housing having at least one outflow slit on the outflow side. The housing narrows towards the outflow slit while forming guide surfaces, in which housing a horizontal lamella that is assigned to the outflow slit and that can be changed in its position is mounted. On the outer side, the horizontal lamella is provided with opposing lead surfaces for the air flow. Transversely to the horizontal lamella, at least one vertical lamella that is pivotable about a vertical pivot pin is arranged. The lead surfaces of the horizontal lamella, which can be pivoted about a horizontal pivot axis, run in an inclined manner towards the outflow slit.

A robotic system comprising: a multi-axis robot; one or more sensors located on the multi-axis robot; a damping system configured to apply a resistive force to the multi-axis robot, thereby to resist movement of the multi-axis robot; and a controller coupled to the one or more sensors and the damping system, the controller being configured to: receive sensor measurements from the one or more sensors; and control, based on the received sensor measurements, the damping system thereby to control the resistive force applied by the damping system to the multi-axis robot.

A robot includes an arm supporting part, a rotary arm rotatably supported by the arm supporting part, a drive motor configured to rotate the rotary arm, a gas spring configured to reduce a load of the drive motor by supporting a load acting on the rotary arm and a controller. The controller determines that the rotary arm rotates, and estimates a reduced state of gas in the gas spring based on a comparison between an actual current value and a theoretical current value of the drive motor when the rotary arm rotates.

Dynamic control of a center of mass position is based on replacement of discrete motion of macro body (counterweighing solid or counterbalancing mechanisms) for continuous molecular flow of counterweighing liquid. Redistributing liquid counterweight between chambers attached to independently moving parts of robot allows its motion to new stable position without disruption in static stability and dynamic balance. Various embodiments include bipods/humanoids, wheeled locomotion robots and hybrid wheeled/multi-pod bio-like robotic systems; some embodiments allow reversible mutual reconfiguration between various structural arrangements. In humanoid embodiments, method allows moving on uneven terrain or ascending staircases while maintaining static stability; method also decreases the probability of fall and secures self-rising if a fall occurred. In some embodiments liquid counterweight may be transferred upon high barriers exceeding the height of robot by a few folds, such as walls of the building or ledge or steep slope in mountains, thus providing robots with capability principally not available to prior art.