An apparatus for conductive charging has a vehicle part fixed on a vehicle and a fixed robot part movable relative to the vehicle part the parts being fittable together for charging. Respective sets of vehicle and robot contacts are provided in housing the robot and vehicle parts. The robot contacts in the robot part are recessed in the housing of the robot part and the vehicle contacts are nonmovably mounted in the housing of the vehicle part. A robot base carries the robot contacts of the robot part. A contact tab extends from the robot base. A vehicle base carries the contacts of the vehicle part and is formed by a plurality of base sections surrounding a cylindrical sleeve. A contact spring extends from between two of the base sections of the vehicle base.

A module connection system is configured by connecting a plurality of modules by means of connectors. The modules include a base module, a first module and a second module, and the connectors include a first connector and a second connector. The base module transmits power and signals provided from a driving source, the first module is electrically/mechanically connected to the base module by means of the first connector, and the second module is electrically/mechanically connected to the first module by means of the second connector. The first connector includes a larger number of connection terminals in comparison to the second connector in order to transmit power and signals from the base module to the second module and simultaneously supply power and signals required for the first module.

A signal module and a signal relay device that can suppress the effect of noise are provided, and the signal module is a signal module of a tool changer including a first coupling member to be detachably attached to a body side of an industrial robot and a second coupling member to be detachably attached to a tool side, the signal module including a signal relay connector attached to the first coupling member or the second coupling member, and upon the first coupling member and the second coupling member being coupled, forming a signal path between the first coupling member side and the second coupling member side, wherein in the signal relay connector, a plurality of terminal pairs to be used for communication using differential signals are provided, and two terminals of each of the terminal pairs are arranged at mutually-adjacent positions.

A module connection system is configured by connecting a plurality of modules by means of connectors. The modules include a base module, a first module and a second module, and the connectors include a first connector and a second connector. The base module transmits power and signals provided from a driving source, the first module is electrically/mechanically connected to the base module by means of the first connector, and the second module is electrically/mechanically connected to the first module by means of the second connector. The first connector includes a larger number of connection terminals in comparison to the second connector in order to transmit power and signals from the base module to the second module and simultaneously supply power and signals required for the first module.

A modular approach to an electrical power and/or signal passing utility module is presented. A universal receptacle is fixedly disposed in bores in both of first and second signal connector blocks. A threaded socket member and a nonconductive guide bushing are installed, as needed, in receptacles in the first block, and a threaded pin member is installed in corresponding receptacles in the second block. The nonconductive guide bushing insulates the sockets, and guides pin posts into the socket as the two blocks abut. A compliant member such as an o-ring provides compliance of the socket and pin assemblies in the signal connector blocks, making the assemblies self-aligning. The socket and pin assemblies are field-replaceable by use of a simple tool.

Described is a robotic apparatus (10) for investigating a confined area comprising: an articulated robot (20) for insertion into a confined area, the robotic apparatus further comprising a robot control system (30) for controlling the articulated robot. Further, the robot control system comprises a control unit (50), a robot driving means, a seal (70) for isolating the confined area from the external environment and at least one transmission member (80), wherein the control unit is configured to send control signals to the robot driving means, and the at least one transmission member extends from the robot driving means to connect to the articulated robot, the at least one transmission member extending through the seal.

A modular configurable robot, comprising robot modules comprising a coupling mechanism including an electrical coupling member comprising a network communication signal connection, an arrangement forming upon coupling an orientation signal, an integrated circuit comprising a microcontroller circuit with unique identification code and I/O ports coupled to said electrical coupling to receive orientation electrical signal, a communication slave module comprising ports and registers storing state values of the ports, one port pre-designated as input, the ports being open or closed depending on the port state, the robot comprising a master communication module forming with said slave modules a master slave communication network topology, a server hosting a database of robot module parameters, accessible by unique identification code, said master module retrieving from said communication slave module the unique identification code, and from the database robot module parameters, and from said microcontroller circuit said information of a relative orientation.

A connecting device configured to couple to a robot arm and a robot tool includes a first connecting part including a fixing member having at least one first magnetic part, at least one first optical fiber connector, and at least one first electrical connector which are coupled to the fixing member. A second connecting part which is removable and securely coupled to the first connecting part including a fixing member having at least one second magnetic part, at least one second optical fiber connector, and at least one first conduction connector which are coupled to the fixing member. The first magnetic part and the second magnetic part have opposite magnetic force. When the first magnetic part contacts the second magnetic part, the first optical fiber connector connect to the second optical fiber connector and the first electrical connector connects to the first conduction connector.

In various embodiments, a tool plate configured to receive a robotic end effector is removably matable with a robot appendage via a quick-release mechanism.

A tool changer is described, the tool changer includes a robot-side portion having a longitudinal axis and fixable to a manipulator, and a tool-side portion fixable to a tool and abuts against the robot- side portion along the longitudinal axis. The tool changer also includes a lock to lock the tool-side portion on the robot-side portion, and an actuator of the lock. The lock is selectively movable by the actuator between a locked position, where it engages the tool-side portion that abuts against the robot-side portion, thereby preventing the separation of the two portions of the tool changer, and an unlocked position, where it does not engage the tool-side portion, which can therefore be separated from the robot- side portion. The actuator of the lock is an electric motor whose drive shaft rotates on a rotation axis parallel to the longitudinal axis.