Joint coupling links of robot arm to each other includes: plurality of plate-shaped segments lined up in plate thickness direction; and operating wires extending through plurality of segments in plate thickness direction. Groove extending in second direction and having partially circular cross section is provided at first-direction middle portion of main surface out of two main surfaces of adjacent segments, two main surfaces facing each other in plate thickness direction. Projection extending in second direction and having partially circular cross section is provided at first-direction middle portion of main surface. Curvature of projection is larger than curvature of groove. Projection is fitted in groove, and bottom portion of groove and top portion of projection contact each other. Dimension of projection in plate thickness direction is larger than dimension of groove in plate thickness direction and smaller than length of line connecting bottom portion of groove and edge portion of groove.

A method of controlling a robotic arm in a surgical system comprises manually applying a force to a body of the robotic arm. Force information is received from a gesture force sensor on the robotic arm and a controller determines, using the force information, whether the force is a gesture force input. If the force is determined to be a gesture force input, the controller initiates a predetermined system function. The predetermined system function may be a change in operational state, movement between operational modes, or a movement from a first configuration of the arm's joints to a second, predetermined, configuration of the arms joints.

A robot wrist structure includes a first wrist element, a second wrist element, and a third wrist element which are respectively rotatable about a first axis to a third axis; drive motors for the second and third wrist elements; and gear sets that reduce speeds of rotation of the drive motors. The gear sets respectively include a driven-side large-diameter gear that rotates the second wrist element and a driven-side small-diameter gear that rotates the third wrist element, where the driven-side large-diameter gear and the driven-side small-diameter gear are coaxially arranged so as to be rotatable about the second axis. The small-diameter gear is fixed to a drive-side bevel gear that meshes with a driven-side bevel gear fixed to the third wrist element. The second wrist element includes a first housing that is fixed to the large-diameter gear; and a second housing rotatably supports the third wrist element.

A segment of a holding arm for positioning a medical instrument or a medical appliance including several node structures, and a strut that rigidly connects two of the several node structures to each other. The strut includes flat structures that are joined to one another.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a fluid actuator including a housing defining a first chamber having a first cavity and a first open end, a first piston assembly including a tubular first piston defining a second chamber having a second cavity and a second open end, disposed in said first housing for reciprocal movement in the first chamber through the first open end, wherein a first seal, the first cavity, and the first piston define a first pressure chamber, and a second piston assembly having an second piston disposed in said first piston assembly for reciprocal movement in the second chamber through the second open end, wherein a second seal, the second cavity, and the second piston define a second pressure chamber, and a first portion of the second piston contacts a first end effector.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a rotary actuator that includes a housing defining an arcuate chamber comprising a cavity, a rotor arm configured for rotary movement, an arcuate-shaped first piston disposed in said housing for reciprocal movement in the arcuate chamber, where a seal, the cavity, and the piston define a pressure chamber that includes part or all of the arcuate chamber, and a portion of the piston contacts the rotor arm, and a rotor assembly rotatably surrounding said housing and having a rotary output tube about the axis, wherein the rotor arm extends radially outward to the rotary output tube and the rotor arm is coupled to the rotary output tube.

The present invention relates to a method and system for optimizing the joint hinge point position of a hydraulic tandem mechanism based on lightweight. The method comprises: determining rotational load characteristics of each joint in the hydraulic tandem mechanism using dynamics simulation software based on said end load characteristics and said structural parameters of the tandem mechanism; establishing a fixed coordinate system between two adjacent rods in each joint and a joint global coordinate system, and determining the relationship between hinge point coordinates, joint rotation angle and joint drive force arm of each joint; calculating linear load characteristics of each joint according to said rotational load characteristics and said joint drive force arm to calculate hydraulic cylinder structural parameters and hydraulic oil source flow rate for each joint; determining a lightweight index for the joint hinge point position of the hydraulic tandem mechanism according to said hydraulic cylinder structural parameters and said hydraulic oil source flow rate; solving the coordinates of each joint hinge point of the tandem mechanism corresponding to the minimum of said lightweight index, using said lightweight index as a fitness function, so that the overall weight of the tandem mechanism is minimized.

A robot is obtained by a multiple of arm units being continuously connected. Interlocked arm units have mutually coaxial and perfectly circular end faces in a connection portion thereof. One arm unit drives another arm unit so as to rotate centered on an axial line of the connection portion. The robot may include a unit having a curved external form as the arm unit.

A work transfer system may include cassettes to house a work; a processing apparatus; and a robot to load and unload the work. The robot may include a base, a base link connected to the base, an arm link coupled to the base link, an arm connected to the arm link, and a hand connected to the arm. The base link and the arm link are controlled so that a center a coupling shaft of the arm link and the arm moves along a straight line. The cassettes are parallel to the straight line. A via point is specified for each quadrant of coordinate system and the robot moves between stages that are a target of loading or unloading of the work and uses the via point as a via point when moving.

A robot may include a base; a base link connected to the base; an arm link coupled to the base link; an arm connected to the arm link; a hand connected to the arm; a storage; and a controller. The base link and arm link move so that a center of a coupling shaft of the arm link and the arm moves in a line. When the robot is within a predetermined range of a latest coordinate, the robot moves to the return-to-origin position in a direction from the transfer direction, otherwise the controller calculates the transfer path based on past teaching, and determines if there is a path close to the latest coordinate. If there is path, the controller determines whether the hand section is outside of a safe area, and if so, pulls the hand to a safe area and then moves the robot to the return-to-origin position.