Extension tools and methods of inserting extension tools within components are provided. For example, an extension tool has a proximal end and a distal end and comprises a plurality of sequentially arranged links moveable relative to one another and a support member defining the distal end and including a first wheel disposed at the distal end and a second wheel spaced apart from the first wheel. Additionally, or alternatively, an extension tool may comprise a plurality of windows defined in the plurality of sequentially arranged links. The windows are defined periodically along the plurality of sequentially arranged links such that a periodicity of the widows corresponds to a periodicity of a plurality of features of the component.

An actuator includes a casing, an output disc, a transmission component, a cable, a power source, and a tension adjustment assembly. The output disc and the transmission component are rotatably disposed on the casing. The cable is disposed through the transmission component and connected to the output disc. The power source can drive the transmission component. The tension adjustment assembly includes a lever, an elastic component, and a slidable component. The lever has a first end and a second end opposite to each other. The first end is connected to the cable. The elastic component is connected to the casing and the second end of the lever. The slidable component is in contact with a portion of the lever located between the first end and the second end, and is slidable along the lever to change its position to adjust a tension of the cable.

A compact cable tension tender device includes first and second pulleys rotatably coupled to a drive shaft. First and second plates are fixed to the drive shaft. Drive stops on the plates engage and rotate the pulleys when the drive shaft is rotated. A resilient coupler urges the first and second pulleys to rotate away from engagement with the drive stops. Cables are coupled to the pulleys and adjusted to be in tension such that the first and second pulleys both engage the drive stops at the same time. The engagement of both pulleys with the drive stops at the same time minimizes lost motion when reversing the rotation of the drive shaft.

A movement assistance device is provided with thigh frames, lower leg frames, and knee joint mechanisms which are disposed on the outer side and the inner side, respectively, of each knee of a person to be assisted. Each of the thigh frames has a first main frame, which extends in the longitudinal direction of a thigh from a base disposed on one side of the hip of the person to be assisted to the outer knee joint mechanism, a second main frame, which obliquely extends on the front side of the thigh from the base to the inner knee joint mechanism, and a body support member, which is extended between the two main frames on the rear surface side of the thigh.

A robot hand module includes a thumb module and a finger module each coupled to a palm part, wherein the thumb module or the finger module includes a phalangeal part movably coupled to the palm part and a cable part and a driving part each connected to the phalangeal part, wherein the driving part includes a driving part body extending in one direction and including a rotary shaft configured to rotate by receiving power, a drum member coupled to one side of the driving part body, connected to the rotary shaft, and having an outer periphery surrounded by the cable part, and a tensioner member spaced apart from the drum member in a direction in which the cable part extends outward, wherein the tensioner member is movable in the direction in which the cable part extends to adjust tension of the cable part.

A wearable cable-driven robotic arm system includes a wearing mechanism, two robotic arms located on two sides of the wearing mechanism, cable driving devices, a load trolley, and a motor controller, where the cable driving devices are divided into driving portions and driven portions, heavy objects, such as electric motors, of the driving portions are arranged in the load trolley, thereby reducing loads born by the wearable robotic arms, the load trolley can travel with a person by means of sleeves or can be controlled by the motor controller to move by means of signals measured by following modules, the driven portions are combined with the robotic arms, and are double-cable driven, thereby reducing weight of the robotic arms, and a brain-computer interface module is used for controlling the driving devices, thereby controlling the robotic arms more accurately.

Robotic arms, and devices with such arms, having any combination of gear-driven actuator assemblies and cable-driven actuator assemblies, with some arm or device embodiments having solely gear-driven assemblies, some having solely cable-driven assemblies, and others having a combination of at least one of each. Further embodiments relate to arms or devices having one or more actuation assemblies with an actuator is disposed remotely (in a different component of the device—or even external to the device) in relation to the actuable component to which it is coupled.

A distributed control system for an autonomous modular robot (AMR) vehicle includes a top module processor disposed in communication with a lower module processor, and memory for storing executable instructions of the top module processor and the lower module processor. The instructions are executable to cause the top module processor and the lower module processor to navigate a bottom module, via the bottom module processor, the AMR vehicle to a target destination. The instructions are further executable to determine, via the bottom module processor, that the AMR vehicle is localized at a target destination, transmit a request for a cargo unloading instruction set, and receive, via a top module processor, a response to a cargo unloading instruction set sent from the bottom module processor. The instructions further cause the top module processor to unload the cargo to a target destination surface via an unloading mechanism associated with the top module.

A medical manipulator including: a rotating joint that rotates an end effector disposed at a distal end thereof about a first axis; a flexing joint that is disposed on a base-end side of the rotating joint and that pivots the end effector about a second axis that intersects the first axis; a drive portion that generates a rotational driving force; a motive-power transmitting member that transmits the rotational driving force generated by the drive portion to the rotating joint by passing through the flexing joint; and a speed-reduction portion that transmits the rotational driving force transmitted thereto by the motive-power transmitting member to the end effector after performing speed-reduction.

In one embodiment of the invention, a robotic arm is provided including a linkage assembly and a strap drive train. The linkage assembly includes first, second, third, and fourth links pivotally coupled in series together at first, second, and third joints to define a parallelogram with an insertion axis. The strap drive train includes first and second sets of straps coupled to the linkage assembly. As the linkage assembly is moved about a pitch axis, the first set of straps ensures the third link maintains the same angle relative to the first link, and the first and second set of straps ensures the fourth link maintains the same angle relative to the second link.