Embodiments of the technology disclosed herein is directed to a medical manipulator capable of detecting an instant when a tip of the medical manipulator is unexpectedly separated from a body tissue and thus avoid making contact with surrounding body tissues. The technology disclosed eliminates the needs for providing a force sensor located on the tip of the medical manipulator. The medical manipulator includes a movable unit at one end and an electric motor, a control unit, and an operation input unit at opposed end thereof. The movable unit includes a treating unit for treating the body tissue. The electric motor is configured to operate the movable unit. The electric motor includes a current sensor or a torque detecting unit for detecting the torque of the motor. The control unit includes a torque reducing unit for reducing the torque transmitted to the movable unit from the electric motor.

A rotary-type series elastic actuator (SEA) for use in robotic applications. The SEA including a motor, gear transmission assembly, spring assembly, and sensors. In one example, a robotic joint may include the SEA as well as two links coupled with each other at the joint assembly. The two links may be designated as input and output links. Each link may have a joint housing body which may be concentrically connected via a joint bearing so that they freely rotate against each other. The housing frame of the SEA may be fixed at the joint housing body of the input link while the output mount of the spring assembly of the SEA may be concentrically coupled with the joint housing body of the output link. The rotation of the motor rotor causes the rotation of the output link with respect to the input link plus spring deflection of the spring assembly. When an external force or torque are applied between the two links, a control action of a control loop may cause a rotation and motive force of the motor that lead to the deflection of the spring assembly to balance with the external force/torque and inertial force from body masses moving together with the links.

A robot joint includes a casing, a motor assembly including a stator and a rotor that are arranged within the casing, and a harmonic drive received, at least in part, in the rotor. The harmonic drive includes a circular spline, a wave generator fixed to the rotor, and a flex spline. The circular spline is arranged around and engaged with the flex spline. The wave generator is received in the flex spline and configured to drive the flex spline to rotate with respect to the circular spline. The robot joint further includes an output shaft fixed to the flex spline.

An elevation device includes a mounting frame, a rotary actuator fixed to the mounting frame, a shaft connected to the rotary actuator and rotatable with respect to the mounting frame, a drive bar slidably connected to the mounting frame, and a connecting member fixed to the shaft. The shaft defines a helical groove in a lateral surface thereof. The drive bar includes a post that is movably fit in the helical groove. The mounting frame, the shaft and the drive bar constitute a conversion mechanism that converts rotation of the shaft into linear motion of the drive bar. The drive bar is slidable with respect to the mounting frame along a direction that is parallel to an axis of rotation of the shaft.

A soft actuator, its working method and robot are provided. The soft actuator includes a power input shaft, and multiple electromagnetic clutches are coaxially installed in series on the power input shaft. A bending elastic part is arranged between the thrust plate of each electromagnetic clutch and the gear frame of the electromagnetic clutch. The bending elastic part is installed on the sleeve of the gear frame and in contact with the baffle of the gear frame. The bending elastic part is connected with the clutch output gear of the electromagnetic clutch through the gear frame. The gear frame is fixedly connected with the clutch output gear and rotates coaxially.

A robot including: a driving mechanism that drives a movable member with respect to a base; and a fan that cools the driving mechanism, wherein the driving mechanism is provided with a motor, and a reducer that is disposed between the base and the movable member and that moves the movable member with respect to the base by reducing the speed of the rotation of the motor, the motor and the reducer are disposed on either side of a securing plate that is secured to the base, the cooling fan is disposed on an opposite side from the securing plate with the motor interposed between the fan and the securing plate, a space in which a surface of the reducer is exposed is formed outside the reducer, and the securing plate is provided with a vent that is connected to the space by passing through the securing plate.

A motor-incorporating reducer includes a main body, a rotational actuating member, a flex spline, and an circular spline. The rotational actuating member has a rotating shaft, a wave generator, and a motor. The rotating shaft passes through the main body, and the elliptic wheel is integratedly formed around the rotating shaft. The motor has a magnetic motor rotator that is integratedly formed on the rotating shaft. With the integrated structure, the rotating shaft, the elliptic wheel, and the motor rotator can stably perform rotation, thereby eliminating the risk that the three, when formed separated and assembled, would become non-coaxial due to the resultant tolerance after assembly and have eccentric rotation, and in turn preventing adverse effects on the drive's output torque due to non-coaxial rotation and extending the drive's service life.

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 mechanical arm includes a first link connectable to a surface, a second link, a third link, a fourth link, and a fifth link that are coupled to one another in series, and an end effector connectable to the fifth link. The end effector is rotatable about an axis of rotation same as an axis of rotation of the fourth link, and rotatable about an axis of rotation orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the fourth link. The first link, the second link, the third link, the fourth link, and the fifth link are collectively structured and configured to rotate such that the end effector is actuatable to a workspace under the surface.

An actuatable joint for a robotic system has a body, a motor positioned in the body, an output shaft configured to be rotated by the motor relative to the body, and a bearing assembly positioned between the output shaft and the body and configured to support the rotation of the output shaft. The bearing assembly has a first axial angular contact roller bearing. The roller bearing has a pair of frusto-conical bearing rings forming a pair of parallel races, a bearing cage positioned between the pair of bearing rings and including a plurality of openings, and a plurality of rollers positioned in the openings and in contact with the races.