There is provided a robot apparatus that includes a load compensation function dealing with a variation in load.

The robot apparatus includes one or more movable portions, a load compensation section utilizing an elastic body to compensate for a load acting on the movable portion, and an initial displacement amount setting section applying, to the elastic body, an initial displacement amount corresponding to a desired position or posture of the movable portion. The initial displacement setting section includes an actuator displacing the elastic body by an initial displacement amount and locks the actuator with the elastic body remaining displaced by the initial displacement amount. The movable portion is a leg including a joint portion having a degree of rotational freedom around a pitch axis, and the initial displacement amount setting section sets the initial displacement amount on the basis of a toe force of the leg.

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.

In a spring balancer apparatus, a flange includes a through-hole and a first and second flange member, the first flange member positioned radially inside a compression spring and removably held on another end of the shaft by a first nut member fastened to a first external thread on the shaft, the second flange member including a central hole and removably fixed to an outer periphery of the first flange member from a rear end plate side. The rear end plate of a casing includes an abutting part on which an outer periphery of the second flange member abuts, and an opening through which a surface of the second flange member is externally exposed at a position radially inside the abutting part and radially outside the central hole. At least one of a front end plate and the rear end plate is removably fixed to a cylindrical body of the casing.

A control system for a neck mechanism includes a perception system configured to track movement of an object, and a perception control system that controls a rotary motor to yaw a platform and controls a first linear actuator and a second linear actuator that is in parallel with the first linear actuator to pitch and roll the platform according to a target position of the platform. The perception system tracks movement of the object by estimating its position and pose in 3D space and the platform is moved according to a vision-based position and pose estimation result.

An electromechanical system operates in part through physical interaction with an operator, and includes a multi-axis robot, a controller, and a counterbalance mechanism connected to the robot. The counterbalance mechanism includes a base structure connected to a set of linkages, a pneumatic cylinder, a spring-loaded cam assembly, and an optional constant force spring. The linkages form a four-bar parallelogram assembly connectable to a load. The cylinder and cam assembly, and optional constant force spring, each impart respective vertical forces to the parallelogram assembly. The forces combine to provide gravity compensation and self-centering functions or behaviors to the load, enabling the load to move with a vertical degree of freedom when manually acted upon by the operator, and to return the load to a nominal center position.

A non-Cartesian coordinate positioning machine that includes an extendable leg assembly for positioning a component such as a measurement probe within a working volume of the machine. The extendable leg assembly includes a first member and a second member which move relative to one another when the extendable leg assembly changes length. The first member including an axial arrangement of magnets forming part of a linear motor for extending and retracting the extendable leg assembly, and at least one resilient member for absorbing at least some of any axial thermal expansion or contraction of the magnets in use.

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 joint structure for connecting a first element and a second element included in a robot includes a Stewart platform that controls a position and/or an angle of the second element relative to the first element. The Stewart platform includes a first member to be joined to the first element, a second member to be joined to the second element, multiple legs connecting the first member and the second member, a driver that changes an effective length of each of the legs to change a position and/or an angle of the second member relative to the first member, and a soft structure that elastically changes the effective length of each of the legs in response to an external force applied to the second member and restores the effective length of each of the legs in response to the external force being removed.

Legged robots and methods for controlling legged robots are disclosed. In some examples, a mobile robot includes a frame, legs, and a control system. The mobile robot includes, for each leg, a motor coupled to the frame, the motor comprising a motor arm and a spring attachment point, the motor being configured to rotate the motor arm and the spring attachment point. The mobile robot includes, for each leg, a spring coupled to the spring attachment point of the motor and the leg, wherein the leg includes a track shaped to receive the motor arm, and wherein the leg is coupled to the spring such that the motor arm is within the track. The control system is configured, e.g., by virtue of appropriate programming, to control the motors to cause the mobile robot to move.

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.