An apparatus for the robot-assisted machining of surfaces is described. In accordance with one embodiment, the device comprises the following: a support which can be mounted on a manipulator, a machining device with a tool (e.g. a grinding disc) and a linear actuator for adjusting the relative position of a tool in relation to the support. The apparatus further has a maintenance unit comprising a swiveling bracket. The bracket is swivel-mounted on the support such that, by swiveling the bracket, the maintenance unit can be positioned at least partially before the tool.

A fully autonomous mobile robot is provided that transports items from one area to another. The mobile robot includes a variety of mechanisms that capture an item from a first surface and moves the item within the confines of the mobile robot. The item can then be transported to another surface either within the confines of the mobile robot or to another location.

A robotic hand includes a baseplate, a finger having multiple phalanges that are rotatably coupled to one another, a first of the phalanges having a first end rotatably coupled to the baseplate and a second end and a second of the phalanges rotatably coupled to the second end about an axis of rotation, an actuating mechanism mounted on the baseplate, the actuating mechanism configured to actuate rotation of the plurality of phalanges, and a tendon having opposite ends that are respectively attached to the second of the phalanges and the baseplate. The second of the phalanges has an engagement portion arranged around the axis of rotation, and the tendon is wrapped around a portion of the engagement portion to generate a force acting on the second end of the first of the phalanges, causing the first of the phalanges to rotate from a flexed state to an extended state.

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.

A manipulator module (100) comprising: a first housing segment (102) configured to be connected to a manipulator; a second housing segment (104) rotatably coupled to a distal end of the first housing segment (102) such that the second housing segment (104) can rotate about a longitudinal axis relative to the first housing segment (102); a linear actuator (118), wherein a distal end of the linear actuator (118) is configured to be coupled to an end effector; a first electric motor (110) arranged to drive the linear actuator (118) to actuate the end effector; a second electric motor (112) arranged to rotatably drive the second housing segment (104) relative to the first housing segment (102); wherein the linear actuator (118) is arranged to extend from the first housing segment (102) and through the second housing segment (104).

The present disclosure relates to a punching cell for punching holes in workpieces, the cell comprising an industrial robot comprising a base, a wrist and at least four robot axes between the base and the wrist; a tooling comprising a frame to be detachably attached/mounted to the wrist axis of the industrial robot, an ultrasonic puncher tool mounted on the frame, a die mounted on the frame and aligned with the puncher, and a servomotor configured to drive the puncher tool towards the die; the cell further comprising a support fixture to position the workpiece to be punched, and a control unit to control the operation of the industrial robot to punch a hole in the workpiece.

A joint structure of a robot according to an embodiment may include first link member, a second link member, a first movable link and a second movable link, disposed so as to intersect with each other and configured to rotatably couple the first link member to the second link member, and a linear-movement actuator connected at a base-end part thereof to the first link member, and connected at a tip-end part thereof to the first movable link. The second link member relatively pivots to the first link member by the linear-movement actuator advancing and retreating.

A piezoelectric drive device has a first piezoelectric vibrator and a second piezoelectric vibrator each include a vibrating portion and a distal end portion in which the distal end portion make elliptic motion by stretching vibration and flexural vibration of the vibrating portion, a driven member driven by the elliptic motion of the distal end portion, a drive signal generation circuit that outputs stretching vibration drive signals to the first piezoelectric vibrator and the second piezoelectric vibrator, a first boosting circuit provided between the first piezoelectric vibrator and the drive signal generation circuit, a second boosting circuit provided between the second piezoelectric vibrator and the drive signal generation circuit, and a control circuit that controls boosting amounts of the stretching vibration drive signals.

A robot end effector for dispensing an extrudable substance comprises a chassis and cartridge bays, attached to the chassis and each shaped to receive a corresponding one of two-part cartridges. Robot end effector also comprises a dispensing valve, attached to the chassis and comprising a valve inlet and a valve outlet. The valve outlet is in selective fluidic communication with the valve inlet. Robot end effector further comprises a manifold, comprising a manifold outlet and manifold inlets, which are in fluidic communication with the manifold outlet. Robot end effector additionally comprises a plunger assembly, comprising pairs of plungers and arranged to concurrently extrude contents of the two-part cartridges through the cartridge outlets. Robot end effector also comprises an electric motor, attached to the chassis and configured to selectively move the plunger assembly relative to the chassis.

The disclosure relates to an articulated robot having a serial kinematic mechanism for positioning an end effector, the kinematic mechanism having at least one part kinematic mechanism with a robot joint, with a robot limb mounted upstream of the robot joint, and with a robot limb mounted downstream of the robot joint. The at least one part kinematic mechanism has a linear drive, with a drive element, and a coupler with two coupler joints which are spaced apart from one another along the coupler extent, wherein the linear drive is arranged on a first robot limb of the part kinematic mechanism, and wherein the coupler is articulated on one side on the drive element of the linear drive and on the other side on the second robot limb of the part kinematic mechanism, spaced apart from the geometric axis of the robot joint of the part kinematic mechanism.