A robotic system for fueling or charging a vehicle having a vehicle connector, the robotic system including a robotic arm having a plurality of sequentially arranged articulated links and at least one group of operating cables extending from a proximal end of the arm to terminate at a control link, for controlling the position of that link, the cables each having a path comprising a passage in each successive more proximal link for closely receiving the cable, a flexible conduit operably connected with the robotic arm for delivering a fluid or an electrical current, respectively, to a vehicle, the conduit being connected to a source at a first end and a delivery connector at a second end, and a control system for operating the robotic arm and the hose or cable, wherein the control system directs the robotic arm to engage the vehicle connector with the delivery connector and, upon engagement of the vehicle connector and delivery connector, the control system relaxes the robotic arm to an under-constrained condition.

Actuation systems and methods for actuating a telescopic structure are provided. The actuation system can include a chain cartridge including a drive chain engageably coupled to a drive mechanism actuated by an actuator coupled to a power supply. The drive chain can include a plurality of inter-connected links conveying at least one cable within an interior space of each inter-connected link. The system can also include a telescopic structure including a plurality of segments configured to extend and retract telescopically and conveying the drive chain therein. The drive chain can couple to a distal segment of the plurality of segments. The drive mechanism can impart a linear translation force on the plurality of inter-connected links to cause the distal segment to extend or retract from the telescopic structure. Methods of actuating the actuation system described herein are also provided.

An identification number setting system includes a first element component including a first storing section, coupled to a first branch communication line branching from a main line of a bus-type communication wire, and coupled to a power supply, a second element component including a second storing section, coupled to a second branch communication line branching from the main line, and coupled to the power supply to be capable of switching energization and disenergization, and a control device coupled to the main line and configured to communicate with the first element component and the second element component. The control device writes a first identification number in the first storing section in a first state and writes a second identification number different from the first identification number in the second storing section after the writing of the first identification number and in a second state.

A mobile manipulation system configured to perform objective tasks within human environments is provided. The mobile manipulation system can include a mobile base assembly including a computing device, at least two drive wheels, and a sensor. The mobile manipulation system can include an actuation assembly including a chain cartridge and a drive chain including a plurality of inter-connected links conveying at least one cable within an interior space of each inter-connected link. The actuation assembly system can also include a telescopic structure including a plurality of segments configured to extend and retract telescopically and conveying the drive chain therein. The mobile manipulation system can include a mast attached to the mobile base assembly along which the actuation assembly translates vertically and a head assembly atop the mast including a first collection of sensors. The mobile manipulation system can also include a manipulation payload coupled to the telescopic structure.

An articulated robot includes: different types of joint units, each including a stationary body, a stationary body-side mechanical connector for connection to another unit, a displaceable body coupled to the stationary body by a coupler, a displaceable body-side mechanical connector for connection to another unit, and an actuator to displace the displaceable body relative to the stationary body; and a control unit including a controller to control the actuator and a control unit mechanical connector for connection to another unit, wherein displacement undergone by the displaceable body-side mechanical connector relative to the stationary body-side mechanical connector differs depending on the type of the joint unit, the stationary body-side mechanical connector includes a first connection structure, the displaceable body-side mechanical connector and the control unit mechanical connector each include a second connection structure, and the first and the second connection structure are connectable to each other.

A robot system includes a robot configured to perform work on a workpiece positioned in a working region and a conveying device configured to convey the workpiece to the working region. The conveying device includes a turning part configured to rotate about a center axis, a guide supporting the turning part rotatably about the center axis and having a hollow in the guide extending along the center axis, a workpiece holder configured to hold the workpiece and provided at the turning part to move together with the turning part along a circular orbit around the center axis passing the working region, a first device provided at the turning part, and a linear object passing through the hollow in the guide and connecting the first device and a second device provided around the guide.

A driving-unit that rotates a first-member and a second-member constituting a robot-arm about a rotary-axis. The driving-unit includes: a bracket fixed to the first-member and including a first-hollow-hole penetrating along the rotary-axis; a motor fixed to the bracket and accommodated in the first-member; a reducer that connects the bracket and the second-member rotatable about the rotary-axis and that includes a second-hollow-hole penetrating along the rotary-axis; and a driving power transmission mechanism accommodated in the bracket and transmitting a rotation of the motor to the reducer. The driving power transmission mechanism includes a driving-shaft, a first-transmission-mechanism that transmits the rotation of the motor to the driving-shaft, and a second-transmission-mechanism that transmits a rotation of the driving-shaft to an input-shaft of the reducer. A distance between a shaft of the motor and the rotary-axis is shorter than a distance between the driving-shaft and the rotary-axis.

The invention relates to a handling device (1), having a drive carriage (2) that is movable relative to a carrier (3), wherein a scissor lift (7) having a plurality of scissor-lift members (8) is arranged with its first end on the drive carriage (2), wherein a carrier plate (11) that is movable relative to the drive carriage (2) by means of the scissor lift (7) is arranged at the second end of the scissor lift (7), wherein: a gripping tool is arranged on the carrier plate (11), the scissor-lift members (8) are hollow throughout and are sealingly interconnected in order to actuate the gripping tool by means of a gaseous medium.

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 multi-axis robot arm includes a pedestal, a plurality of knuckle modules and at least one telescopic arm module. Two ends of two adjacent knuckle modules close to and facing each other have a first connecting structure and a second connecting structure, respectively. The at least one telescopic arm module includes a telescopic tube and a telescopic shaft. One end of the telescopic tube is fastened to the first connecting structure. A surface of the other end of the telescopic tube faces towards the second connecting structure. One end of the telescopic shaft facing towards the first connecting structure projects into the telescopic tube. The other end of the telescopic shaft is fastened to the second connecting structure. The one end of the telescopic shaft is telescopically connected with and fastened in the telescopic tube.