A parallel link robot includes 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. A pair of marks indicate a relative phase between the movable portion and the wrist shaft about the rotation axis are on the movable portion and the wrist shaft, at positions visible from the upper side or the lateral side.

A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb of the arm relative to another limb of the arm about two non-parallel rotation axes, the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear disposed about the first rotation axis, the first drive gear being fast with the carrier; a second drive gear disposed about the second rotation axis, the second drive gear being fast with the second one of the limbs; a first drive shaft for driving the first drive gear to rotate about the first rotation axis, the first drive shaft extending along the first one of the limbs and having a first shaft gear thereon, the first shaft gear being arranged to engage the first drive gear; a second drive shaft for driving the second drive gear to rotate about the second rotation axis, the second drive shaft extending along the first one of the limbs and having a second shaft gear thereon; and an intermediate gear train borne by the carrier and coupling the second shaft gear to the second drive gear, the intermediate gear train comprising an intermediate shaft arranged to rotate about an axis parallel with the first rotation axis, the intermediate shaft having a third shaft gear thereon, the third shaft gear being arranged to engage the second drive gear.

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 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.

Cable-actuated differential enabling N degrees of freedom provided by a plurality of pulleys and at least N+1 tensioning cables. The cable-actuated differential increases a dynamic force range by minimizing co-activation of the tensioning cables at any operating point. A cable-actuated differential having three cables provides motor based control of a 2 DOF joint that can be applied to robots or teleoperation. A cable-actuated mechanical differential having opposing bevel gears and a middle bevel gear meshed with the opposing gear allows an output connector to controllably and independently rotate about the x axis or y axis via three operational modes without backlash.

A compliance unit 10 includes a support plate 11, an attaching plate 12, and a fixing disk 22 that has a cylindrical portion 24 fixed to the support plate 11, and an annular, arc surface 26 is formed in a front surface of an annular portion 25 that is provided at a tip of the cylindrical portion 24 so as to protrude radially outside the cylindrical portion. A movable plate 31 is disposed between the annular portion 25 and the support plate 11, and the movable plate 31 is fastened to the attaching plate 12. The attaching plate 12 is provided with an abutment surface 37 opposing the arc surface 26, and the attaching plate 12 is movable to a position where the abutment surface 37 abuts on the arc surface 26 and a position where the abutment surface 37 is separate from the arc surface 26 via a gap 38 between the abutment surface and the arc surface 26.

This system and method is directed to A joint system comprising: a rings system having: a first pair of rings pivotally attached to each other by a first set of rotating housings, the first set of rotating housings being configured to rotate along a first axis and a second pair of rings pivotally attached to each other by a second set of rotating housings, the second set of rotating housings being configured to rotate along a second axis; a first sliding support subassembly configured to slidingly receive a first ring from the rings system; and a second sliding support subassembly configured to slidingly receive a second ring from the rings system; a primary gears system carried by and having a first and second primary gear wherein the first primary gear and the second primary gear are rotatably attached to a central connecting support.

A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb of the arm relative to another limb of the arm about two non-parallel rotation axes, the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear disposed about the first rotation axis, the first drive gear being fast with the carrier; a second drive gear disposed about the second rotation axis, the second drive gear being fast with the second one of the limbs; a first drive shaft for driving the first drive gear to rotate about the first rotation axis, the first drive shaft extending along the first one of the limbs and having a first shaft gear thereon, the first shaft gear being arranged to engage the first drive gear; a second drive shaft for driving the second drive gear to rotate about the second rotation axis, the second drive shaft extending along the first one of the limbs on a first side of a plane containing the second rotation axis and extending through that plane to the second side of that plane; and an intermediate linkage that meshes with the second drive shaft on the second side of the plane and that couples the second shaft gear to the second drive gear.

The specification discloses robotic apparatus for extraction of a worn treatment panel module from a treatment deck of ore material treatment apparatus without the need for work personnel entering the treatment apparatus, the robotic apparatus including a robotic support structure carried on transport means whereby the robotic support structure follows a course on the treatment deck, the robotic apparatus further including a treatment panel module handling mechanism connected to the robotic support structure for movement along a defined path of movement and first drive means for selectably moving the treatment panel module handling mechanism along the defined path of movement, the treatment panel module handling mechanism still further including tool means adapted to mount tool means cooperable at least with a treatment panel module intended to be removed from a selected treatment deck, the tool means being able to engage a panel module to lift it out of the treatment deck.

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.