A planar actuator device, including a base plate including a first, second, and third pair of planar coils, each pair of planar coils having an inner coil and an outer coil, each pair of planar coils arranged along a first, second, and third linear motion axis, respectively, the first, second, and third linear motion axis arranged in a star configuration, and an actuation mechanism including a first, second, and third planar legs and a centerpiece, the first, second and third planar legs pivotably connected to the centerpiece, the planar legs including a first, second, and third sliding element and a first, second, and third middle section, respectively, a sliding element and middle section of a respective leg pivotably connected to each other, each sliding element including a permanent magnet.

A waste sorting robot can include a manipulator comprising a suction gripper for interacting with one or more waste objects to be sorted within a working area, and wherein the manipulator is moveable within the working area. There is a controller configured to send control instructions to the manipulator. At least one pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the suction gripper and configured to generate a pressure signal in dependence on a fluid pressure in the suction gripper. The controller is configured to receive the pressure signal and to determine manipulator instructions in dependence on the pressure signal.

A transmission assembly includes a sun gear including an outer set of gear teeth, a planet carrier disposed around the sun gear, and a ring gear surrounding the planet carrier and the sun gear and including an inner set of gear teeth. At least one double planet is attached to the planet carrier. The double planet includes a first set of gear teeth and a second set of gear teeth, the outer set of gear teeth of the sun gear meshes with the first set of gear teeth, and the second set of gear teeth meshes with the inner set of gear teeth of the ring gear.

A parallel link robot includes: a base portion; a movable portion; link portions coupling the base and movable portions; and actuators attached to the base portion and driving the respective link portions. Each of the link portions includes drive links swung around axes by the respective actuators, and two each of the passive links parallel to each other and swingably arranged between the drive link and the each of the movable portions. The robot includes a drive unit disposed parallel to the two passive links of at least one of the link portions and between the passive links and drives a mechanical unit attached to the movable portion. The drive unit is attached to the drive link with a joint, swingably coupling the drive unit to the drive link around at least mutually intersecting axes, on a straight-line coupling swinging center points of the passive links and the drive link.

An article accumulating apparatus that uses a robot to transfer to a predetermined location and accumulate an article conveyed thereto is disclosed. The article accumulating apparatus includes a conveyance unit, an accumulation unit, and a discharge unit. The conveyance unit is configured to convey the article. The accumulation unit is disposed in series with the conveyance unit and is configured to accumulate the article. The discharge unit is configured to discharge the article in the conveyance unit to an area outside the accumulation unit. The discharge unit is disposed in a robot movable range that is a range in which the robot holds and transfers the article to the accumulation unit.

A joint cover is removably attached to a joint of a robot including first and second joint members, and a spherical bearing coupling the first and second joint members, wherein the bearing includes a ball shank including a shaft part fixed to the first joint member and including a ball part at one end of the shaft part, and a holder fixed to an end of the second joint member and including a ball receiver configured to enclose and support the ball part, the joint cover includes a body made of an elastic material and configured to cover the holder and the end of the second joint member, and the body includes two through-holes respectively allowing for insertion of the shaft part and the second joint member, and the joint cover includes a slit configured to open and close and to make the two through-holes continuous with each other.

Provided is a support structure comprising a link member (a rod-like member), a clamp member disposed to surround the link member, and an elastic member disposed between the link member and the clamp member, the support structure supports the link member inside the clamp member via the elastic member, and the elastic member comprises a liquid impermeable material, and fills a space between the link member and the clamp member.

Simulated motion of the papillary muscles in a heart simulator is provided that simulates natural motion of the papillary muscles. This improves heart valve simulation. This can be done with a six degree of freedom robotic actuator (e.g., a Stewart platform or the like) appropriately driven by a controller. This can also be done with a robotic actuator that provides constrained motion of its effector by including a mechanical linkage, as long as the resulting simulated papillary muscle motion includes time-varying position and orientation of the papillary muscle.

A method of moving a payload comprising: receiving a command to carry a payload from a first location to a second location, moving the payload along a first portion of a path between the first and second locations using a robotic arm, the first portion including the first location, moving the payload along a second portion of the path using the robotic arm, the second portion including the second location, wherein, during the movement along the first portion of the path, at least one actuator of the robotic arm is driven to exert a predetermined force to accelerate the payload and the position of the actuator is determined by a position detector to generate first position data, and wherein, during the movement along the second portion of the path, the at least one actuator of the robotic arm is driven to follow a predetermined sequence of positions.

A parallel link robot includes: a base part; a movable part including an accessory shaft; arms coupling the base and movable parts in parallel; and actuators that drive the respective arms, where each of the arms includes a driving link driven by each of the actuators, and two parallel passive links coupled to the driving link, between the passive links of at least one of the arms, an additional actuator having a rotating shaft disposed in parallel to the passive links is supported by a first link swingably coupled to each of the passive links, the accessory shaft, and the rotating shaft are coupled by a transmission shaft, and the transmission shaft is supported, at an intermediate position in a direction along a longitudinal axis thereof, on a second link rotatably around the longitudinal axis, the second link being swingably coupled to each of the passive links.