A heavy-weight object such as a motor is installed separately from a movable portion to reduce the weight of the movable portion. The invention includes a support unit, a movable unit to which equipment is attached, and a drive unit interposed between the support unit and the movable unit. The movable unit has a first rotating member rotatably attached to the support unit about a first rotation axis line and a second rotating member rotatably attached to the first rotating member about a second rotation axis line orthogonal to the first rotation axis line. The support unit is provided with paired first brackets positioned so as to sandwich the first rotating member, and these first brackets are each provided with a first shaft configuring the first rotation axis line. The second rotating member is provided with paired second brackets positioned so as to sandwich the first rotating member from a direction orthogonal to the paired first brackets, and the second brackets are each provided with a second shaft configuring the second rotation axis line and causing the first rotating member to rotatably support the second rotating member. The drive unit includes paired motors attached to the support unit and having a rotation axis line parallel to each of the first shafts, an endless belt wound between a pulley and each of the motors, and paired gears respectively attached to the first shaft and the second shaft adjacent to each other as a set and converting rotation about the first rotation axis line into rotation about the second rotation axis line. One of the gears is fastened to the pulley and is rotatably attached to the first rotating member, the other gear is fastened to the second bracket of the second rotating member, and to the first shaft to which the gear is not attached, the pulley provided to this first shaft and the first rotating member are fastened.

A hyper redundant robot comprising: a first disk; a second disk positioned adjacent to the first disk, the first disk and the second disk having a longitudinal axis; a first joint arrangement positioned between the first disk and the second disk, the first disk and/or the second disk being in sliding contact with the first joint arrangement to enable the first disk and the second disk to rotate relative to one another; and a second joint arrangement positioned between the first disk and the second disk, the second joint arrangement being less stiff than the first joint arrangement.

A method and apparatus for performing an operation on a workpiece using a multi-axis compliant end-effector for attachment to a robotic device. The end-effector is positioned at a nominal location of a workpiece feature on which the operation is to be performed. The end-effector is passively aligned with the workpiece feature by contacting the end-effector with the workpiece feature. The operation is performed on the workpiece feature in response to aligning the end effector with the workpiece feature.

The invention pertains to a device for 3-dimensionally positioning a coupling component, which forms part of an actuator-driven coupling structure, wherein said device comprises at least a first coupling element that extends in a first longitudinal direction and can be bidirectionally displaced along its first longitudinal direction by means of a first actuator, a second coupling element that extends in a second longitudinal direction and can be bidirectionally displaced along its second longitudinal direction, which extends orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction, by means of a second actuator, and a lever with a longitudinal lever direction that is mounted pivotably about a pivoting axis, which divides the lever into a work arm and a power arm. The longitudinal lever direction of the lever either extends along the first longitudinal direction and its work arm is on its end fixed on the second coupling element such that it can be pivoted about the second longitudinal direction or the longitudinal lever direction of the lever extends along the second longitudinal direction and its work arm is on its end fixed on the first coupling element such that it can be pivoted about the first longitudinal direction. Furthermore the power arm of the lever is functionally connected to a third actuator in such a way that a torque, which acts upon the lever about the pivoting axis, can be generated.

The present invention relates to a joint unit for an articulated connection of at least one first component and one second component. The joint unit comprises a joint body, in particular a sleeve-like joint body, connectable to the first component. A first joint element is arranged rotatably supported about a first axis of rotation in the joint body. The first joint element has at least one bearing section that receives a second joint element that is rotatably supported about a second axis of rotation and that is connectable to the second component.

A robot includes a support, a movable member coupled to the support to permit gimbal rotation about a pitch axis and a yaw axis, and first and second linear actuators connected to each of the support and the movable member and operable to rotate the movable member about the pitch axis and the yaw axis. The first linear actuator is pivotally attached to the movable member at a first pivot point. The second linear actuator is pivotally attached to the movable member at a second pivot point. The first and second pivot points are each angularly offset from the pitch axis and the yaw axis by about 45 degrees and are located on the same side of the pitch axis.

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.

An attitude-supporting apparatus of a wearable robot includes an actuator for generating a hydraulic pressure by a worker's direct manipulation, and a driving unit including, the driving unit including: an inner component and an outer component capable of relatively rotating, and control components for controlling the relative rotations of the inner component and the outer component, wherein a motion of the control components is controlled by receiving the hydraulic pressure generated from the actuator.

The present invention relates to an elastic corrugated pipe single-acting cylinder-driven mechanical arm with a series-connection loose-leaf hinge framework. The mechanical arm consists of a palm and two flexible fingers or a palm and three flexible fingers. The flexible fingers are identical in structure, and each one of the flexible fingers consists of an elastic corrugated pipe single-acting cylinder and a series-connection loose-leaf hinge. Each one of the series-connection loose-leaf hinges has a hinge mandrel equipped with a torsion spring, and the characteristic parameters and pre-tightening angle of the torsion spring are optimally designed according to the features of a grasped object. The mechanical arm is driven by the elastic corrugated pipe single-acting cylinder to generate a grasping force. The mechanical arm applies to the grasping of fragile brittle objects, or grasping of objects with varying shapes and dimensions.

An apparatus that includes an end effector for handling and transporting wafers, the end effector including: a base portion having a first end adapted to be attached to a robot; a wafer support platform having a surface to support a wafer, a slidable joint coupling the base portion to the wafer support platform; and a sensor configured to detect when the wafer support platform slides relative to the base portion beyond a predetermined distance.