Systems and methods related to construction, configuration, and utilization of humanoid robotic systems and aspects thereof are described. A system may include a mobile base, a spine structure, a body structure, and at least one robotic arm, each of which is movably configured to have significant human-scale capabilities in prescribed environments. The one or more robotic arms may be rotatably coupled to the body structure, which may be mechanically associated with the mobile base, which is preferably configured for holonomic or semi-holonomic motion through human scale travel pathways that are ADA compliant. Aspects of the one or more arms may be counterbalanced with one or more spring-based counterbalancing mechanisms which facilitate backdriveability and payload features.

In an apparatus for adjustable counterbalance mechanism and a method for controlling the apparatus, the apparatus includes a reference surface, a link, an elastic member, a wire, an idle roller and a compensation torque. The link has a first end rotationally connected to the reference surface to form a rotational center, and a weight center of the link is spaced apart from the rotational center. The elastic member has a first end combined with the link. The wire has a first side combined with a second end of the elastic member, and a second side combined with the reference surface. The idle roller is combined with the link to support a portion between first and second ends of the wire. The compensation torque controller is equipped to the link, to control the position of the idle roller and an elastic force of the elastic member.

The invention relates to an assembly for the positioning and position detection of a deformable load-bearing plate, having a driving parallel kinematics system with a plurality of drive legs, wherein the load-bearing plate forms a constituent part of the driving parallel kinematics system or is fixed rigidly on a platform thereof, a reference parallel kinematics system with a substantially deformation-free reference plate which is formed by the platform of the reference parallel kinematics system or is fixed rigidly thereto and which is positioned underneath the load-bearing plate, and a plurality of reference legs, a sensor assembly which comprises a plurality of leg length measurement devices arranged in the reference legs and also a plurality of distance sensors arranged on the reference plate for point-wise or region-wise detection of the distance of the reference plate from the load-bearing plate, and a position-calculating unit which is connected at the input side to the leg length measurement devices and to the distance sensors and which processes the output signals of the leg length measurement devices and distance sensors to give a position map of the load-bearing plate.

A gravity compensation assembly including a main frame having one side connected to a weight body to be supported, and the other side where an inner rotation portion and an outer rotation portion spaced apart from each other and having rotation axis in an x-axis direction are coupled, an auxiliary frame having one side rotatably connected to the inner rotation portion of the main frame, and the other side where an auxiliary rotation portion having a rotation axis in the x-axis direction is coupled, and an elastic force providing having one side rotatably connected to the outer rotation portion of the main frame, and the other side coupled to the auxiliary rotation portion of the auxiliary frame, and configured to perform load compensation by an elastic force when a center of gravity changes as a relative angle of the main frame and the auxiliary frame changes may be provided.

The present invention relates to a complex elastic unit for maximizing space utilization and elastic energy storage with a limited space and a variable gravity compensation module with the complex elastic unit and a curved lever, more particularly to variable gravity compensation apparatus with a curved lever, characterized by comprising: a housing; an interlocking cam which is installed to the housing, being rotated by a load; a curved lever which is rotated interlocked with the rotation of the interlocking cam and which provides elasticity to rotate the interlocking cam toward an initial position; an adjustment unit which adjusts a position of a pivot which is a center of rotation of the curved lever, allowing moving the pivot according to strength of load; and an elastic unit which is equipped within the housing to provide elasticity to the curved lever, wherein a driving end which is adhered to the interlocking cam is formed on one end of the curved lever with respect to the pivot, a driven end which is adhered to an elastic follower equipped to the elastic unit is formed on the other end thereof, and the driven end is configured into a curved shape that a sectional side surface connecting the pivot to the elastic follower has a particular curvature.

A labeling device includes: a robot having articulated arms with arm sections that are articulated: together, to a robot base, and to a platform of a label pickup device. The pickup device has a base plate and a plunger. The plunger has a fixed portion mounted to the base plate and is not displaceable relative to the base plate in a longitudinal direction, has a portion that is movable in the fixed portion in the longitudinal direction toward the base plate to a retracted position, and has an end configured to pick up a label. A pressure regulator of the plunger breaks a negative pressure in the plunger. The plunger's fixed portion covers an opening of its movable portion in a gas-tight manner by of the when the movable portion in an extended position and which is not covered when in the retracted position.

An exoskeleton (1) for supporting a user's arm, comprising a supporting frame (2) that supports an up-and-down movable standard (3, 3′) on which a horizontally movable arm (4, 4′) is mounted. On an extremity of the horizontally movable arm (4, 4′) a back support (5, 5′) is mounted and a supporting arm construction (6, 6′) for supporting the user's arm. The supporting arm construction (6, 6′) is articulated and extendable so as to tailor the arm construction (6, 6′) to the user's arm dimensions. Further, the supporting arm construction (6, 6′) has two limbs (7, 8; 7′, 8′) that connect to each other with a hinge (9, 9′). On opposite sides of the hinge (9. 9′), the limb (8, 8′) that is farthest away from the back support (5, 5′) connects to counterbalancing springs (10, 11; 10′, 11′) that on their opposite sides connect to the upper limb (7, 7′) and directly or indirectly to the horizontally movable arm (4, 4′).

A two wheeled throwable robot comprises an elongate chassis with two ends, a motor at each end, drive wheels connected to the motors, and a tail extending from the elongate chassis. The throwable robot includes a pair of torque limiting mechanisms, each torque limiting mechanism being operatively coupled between a motor and a drive wheel. Each torque limiting mechanism comprises a drive flange portion, a driven flange portion and a plurality of rollers. A spring element provides a ring force that biases the rollers toward the driven flange portion.

An energy storing assistive mechanism includes a barrel having a first pivot end and an open end, a rod having a first end that passes through the open end and is received in the barrel, an elastic structure including two ends that abut against the first end of the rod and the first pivot end, a uni-directional gear rack having a second pivot end away from the barrel, and a locking mechanism fixed to the rod, the locking mechanism comprising a locking member and an actuator assembly that is to drive the locking member to move between a first position where the locking member is engaged with the gear rack, and a second position where the locking member is disengaged from the gear rack.

Proposed is an elastic body having variable rigidity, wherein the elastic body is used in a series elastic actuator module, connects an input and an output, and has a rigidity that varies according to the applied torque. The elastic body having variable rigidity comprises: a connection part which receives torque from the input side or the output side; and a spring part connected to and receiving torque from the one selected from among the input side and the output side which is different from the connection part, wherein the spring part is formed integrally with the connection part and has a rigidity that varies as the connection part and the spring part come into contact with each other due to deformation caused by the applied torque.