A link actuation device includes a proximal-end-side link hub, a distal-end-side link hub, three or more link mechanisms each coupling the link hubs such that a posture of the distal-end-side link hub can be changed relative to the proximal-end-side link hub. Each link mechanism includes a proximal-side end link member, a proximal-side intermediate link member, a distal-side intermediate link member, and a distal-side end link member. Actuators for arbitrarily changing the posture and a distance from the distal-end-side link hub to the proximal-end-side link hub are provided to three or more link mechanisms of the three or more link mechanisms. A control unit calculates a rotation angle of the proximal-side end link member according to a targeted posture of the distal-end-side link hub and a targeted distance between the centers of the spherical links, and controls the respective actuators so as to attain the calculated rotation angle.

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for driving axial motion of a shaft of a medical instrument using a drive device. A drive device configured to facilitate axial motion of an elongated shaft of a medical instrument can include a body comprising a channel configured to receive the elongated shaft of the medical instrument, a roller configured to engage with the elongated shaft such that, when rotated, the roller drives axial motion of the elongated shaft received in the channel, a first drive input coupled to the body, wherein the first drive input is operable by a robotic system to rotate the roller, a cover configured to selectively open or close the channel, and a second drive input coupled to the body, wherein the second drive input is operable to actuate the cover.

A vibration reduction system includes a base, a carrier element, and a plurality of actuator systems extending between the base and the carrier element, the plurality of actuator systems arranged to apply forces to the carrier element in multiple axes to reduce vibration of the carrier element, each actuator system of the plurality of actuator systems including a pneumatic actuator and an electric actuator.

Methods and systems to control stacked hexapod platforms for use as tools, which function with both high accuracy and high precision are provided. In some embodiments, the methods and systems include a convergence of modern control theory, and machine learning. Furthermore, some embodiments provide control algorithms to carry out autonomous in-space assembly operations using assemblers. Some embodiments provide methods and systems which combine long-reach low precision manipulators and smaller, high-precision assembler with interchangeable tools.

In a link actuation device, a distal end side link hub is coupled to a proximal end side link hub via three or more link mechanisms such that a posture of the distal end side link hub can be changed relative to the proximal end side link hub, and a posture of the distal end side link hub relative to the proximal end side link hub is arbitrarily changed by actuators provided to two or more link mechanisms. The manipulating device includes a posture acquirer for acquiring a distal end posture represented by a bending angle and a turning angle, from a coordinate position at which a distal end side spherical link center is projected onto a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system that has an origin located on an extension of an axis of the proximal end side link hub and is orthogonal to the extension of the axis.

An operation command generator includes: an area division unit configured to divide a line on a flat work surface of a target workpiece W into a straight area and a corner area, using a sharp boundary surface; a straight area operation command generation unit configured to generate a command for operating only the linear motion mechanism while keeping the posture of the parallel link mechanism fixed, in the straight area; and a corner area operation command generation unit configured to generate a command so that an acting point of the end effector passes on the boundary surface at a substantially constant speed by the linear motion mechanism and the parallel link mechanism performing coordinated operations in the corner area.

A link actuation device includes: a parallel link mechanism including a proximal-side link hub, a distal-side link hub, and three or more link mechanisms coupling the distal-side link hub to the proximal-side link hub such that a posture of the distal-side link hub can be changed with respect to the proximal-side link hub; actuators for changing the posture; and a teaching unit including a conversion unit configured to calculate coordinates (Wt (=Xt, Yt, Zt)) of a distal-side link center of the distal-side link hub, which are expressed in orthogonal coordinates, from rotation angles (βn; n=1, 2, . . . ) of the end link members. A normal vector is applied to equations of a plane and of a sphere, and the equations are rearranged and used in the conversion unit.

A parallel mechanism comprises legs with kinematically redundant actuation for a parallel mechanism. Each of these legs comprises a first sub-leg and a second sub-leg each with a proximal end and a distal end. A link has a proximal end and a distal end. A joint with a rotational degree of freedom (DOF) is between and common to the distal ends of the sub-legs, and the proximal end of the link. A joint provides two or more rotational DOFs at the distal end of the link and connects the distal end of the link to one end of the parallel mechanism. Joints in the sub-legs provide DOFs to the sub-legs and connect the proximal ends of the sub-legs to the other end of the parallel mechanism. A degree of actuation (DOA) is provided for each of the sub-legs to control movement of the link.

An animated figure system includes an animated figure comprising a flexible skin layer, an actuating system coupled to a connection location of the flexible skin layer, and an automation controller. The automation controller is configured to access a digital model of the animated figure, in which the digital model comprises a vertex associated with the connection location, determine a first positioning of the vertex within the digital model, and control the actuating system to set a second positioning of the connection location based on the first positioning of the vertex.

A direct pose feedback (DPF) control method applied to a DPF controlled machine is provided. The DPF control method includes a pose compensation control in addition to the position feedback control. The pose compensation control includes an initiation step, a reference system step, an actual pose calculation step and a position compensation step. The sum of the primary driving value and the compensation driving value is output to the driver of each of the motors. The advantage of the DPF control method is that the existing real-time position control loop in the controller can remain unchanged, while the pose compensation control is added to eliminate tool pose error resulted from geometric errors in the machine. The DPF controlled machine uses a pose measuring mechanism to measure the actual pose of the tool and to compensate the tool pose error. Hence, the DPF controlled machine is free of geometric errors.