A device and method for judging the presence or absence of an abnormal clearance between paring elements of a passive joint of a robot. The device has sections configured to: calculate a score for each motion path, wherein the score is increased when the paring elements of an objective pair collide with each other and is decreased when the paring elements of the other pair collide with each other; generate a robot motion for moving the robot along the motion path having the score not lower than a predetermined threshold; measure a drive torque or a current value of a motor when the robot is moved according to the generated robot motion; calculate an index value based on a magnitude of variation of the measured drive torque or current value; and judge as to whether the abnormal clearance exists in the objective pair, based on the index value.

A robot including an end-effector and a robot arm having a proximal link, a distal link, and a joint assembly for controlling the relative position of the two links. The joint assembly includes an actuated linkage joint including a pair of stops and a passive linkage joint including a mechanical positioner for the end-effector located between the stops. The pair of stops are configured to constrain movement of the mechanical positioner to thereby constrain the ability of a user to manipulate the end-effector outside a predetermined range of motion and permit movement of the end-effector within the predetermined range of motion. The drive mechanism is configured to control a location of at least one stop of the pair of stops based on a position of a virtual object in a virtual space. The joint assembly is one of a prismatic joint assembly and a revolute joint assembly.

A parallel link robot is provided with: a base portion; a movable portion that is disposed below the base portion; a plurality of arms that link the base portion and the movable portion so as to be parallel to each other; and a wrist shaft that is supported by the movable portion so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis in a substantially vertical direction, wherein a pair of marks that indicate a relative phase between the movable portion and the wrist shaft about the rotation axis are provided on the movable portion and the wrist shaft, at positions visible from the upper side or the lateral side.

A servo assembly includes a first speed reducer, a first motor, a first connecting member, a first control circuit board, a second speed reducer, a second motor, a second connecting member and a second control circuit board. The first control circuit board is electrically coupled to the first motor, and the second control circuit board is electrically coupled to the second motor. The output component of the first speed reducer and the first connecting member are coaxial and arranged along a first direction, and the output component of the second speed reducer and the second connecting member are coaxial and arranged along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The output shaft of the first motor is connected to the input component of the first speed reducer, and the output shaft of the second motor is connected to the input component of the second speed reducer.

A joint module has a base, a motion mechanism, a linear driving mechanism, a driving motor assembly, and a transmission. The motion mechanism, the linear driving mechanism, and the driving motor assembly are disposed on the base. The transmission is disposed between the linear driving mechanism and the driving motor assembly. A first transmitting assembly and a second transmitting assembly of the motion mechanism are disposed on the base in parallel. A first linear driving assembly and a second linear driving assembly of the linear driving mechanism are non-coaxial and are disposed on the base in parallel. A first wheel transmitting assembly of the transmission is connected to the driving motor assembly and the first linear driving assembly. A second wheel transmitting assembly of the transmission is connected to the driving motor assembly and the second linear driving assembly.

A space-saving floating joint including a locking mechanism that locks a swing of a movable base with respect to a fixed base is provided. A floating joint includes: a fixed base; a movable base; a floating mechanism that floatingly supports the movable base swingably with respect to the fixed base; and a locking mechanism that fixes the movable base in a state of not being swingable with respect to the fixed base. The floating mechanism includes a spherical bearing having a spherical surface, and a spherical washer part that supports the spherical surface slidably. The locking mechanism is provided in an inner part of the spherical bearing.

A power transmission unit of a drive mechanism has a link mechanism on both sides of a base portion. The link mechanism has a first link member having a base end portion provided to the base portion to be rotated about a third rotational axis, a second link member having a base end portion connecting the first link member's distal end portion to be rotated about a fourth rotational axis, and a third link member which is provided to a driven body to be rotated about a fifth rotational axis and to which the second link member's distal end portion is provided to be rotated about a sixth rotational axis orthogonal to the fifth rotational axis. A desired operation angle range of two degrees of freedom in a driven body can be ensured with a compact configuration while suppressing deflection of a structure to which the driven body is mounted.

A linkage mechanism includes a chest assembly of a robot; a servo arranged within the chest assembly and comprising an output shaft; a first linkage member including a first end and a second opposite end, the first end being connected to the output shaft; a forearm assembly rotatably connected to the second end of the first linkage member, and a second linkage member. Opposite ends of the second linkage member are rotatably connected to the chest assembly and the forearm assembly.

A manipulator includes a base body, a first link supported to be capable of advancing and retracting with respect to the base body, a first leaf spring connected to a tip of the first link as a rotation pair by a first base end pin, a second link that is arranged with the first link side by side and is supported to be capable of advancing and retracting with respect to the base body, a second leaf spring connected to a tip of the second link as a rotation pair by a second base end pin in the same direction as the first base end pin, and a driven link that is connected to tips of the first and second leaf springs as rotation pairs by first and second tip pins in the same direction as the first and second base end pins, respectively.

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.