An autonomous robot for harvesting produce from a plant include a base, an arm coupled to the base, and an end-effector coupled to the arm. The end-effector includes one or more grippers, each having a first cutter, second cutter, and a compliant member between the first cutter and the second cutter. The first cutter is configured to cut a stem of the produce at a first location. The second cutter is configured to cut the stem of the produce at a second location. The compliant member is configured to plastically deform to hold the stem of the produce.

The robot system includes a robot having a robot body and a robot controller configured to control operation of the robot body, and an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of autonomous flight. The unmanned aerial vehicle acquires at least one of image pick-up data of a work of the robot body and positional information of a work object of the robot body, and transmits at least one of the image pick-up data and the positional information to the robot controller. The robot controller receives at least one of the image pick-up data and the positional information of the work object, and controls the operation of the robot body by using at least one of the image pick-up data and the positional information of the work object.

A labware transport apparatus includes a frame, defining a labware space, and a robotic multi-link arm operably connected to the frame via a drive section. The arm has a predetermined link configuration determining a minimum footprint of the arm and a corresponding maximum reach of an end effector of the robotic multi-link arm within a range of motion of the end effector. The range of motion, at least in part of the labware space, of the end effector is delimited by a blockage of a substantially vertical axis of motion, of the drive section of the robotic multi-link arm, extending through the range of motion, wherein the blockage is sized and shaped based on and so as to maximize the range of motion of the end effector of the robotic multi-link arm having the predetermined link configuration that is common determining the minimum foot print and the corresponding maximum reach.

This document describes neuromorphic controllers. In one aspect, a method for controlling one or more joints of a robotic arm includes receiving, by neuromorphic controller comprising a spiking neural network (SNN), a target value of a joint control variable for a joint of the robotic arm. The SNN includes two position proprioceptor neurons, two-speed proprioceptor neurons, a presynaptic inhibitory neuron, an extensor motor neuron, and a flexor motor neuron. The neuromorphic controller updates an actual value of the joint control variable for the joint of the robotic arm based on the target value of the joint control variable. The updating includes generating, by one of the two position proprioceptor neurons, the first spikes to one of the extensors motor neurons or the flexor motor neuron based on a difference between the actual value of the joint control variable and the target value of the joint control variable.

A nut runner, an attachment unit, and a sliding member are provided in a second arm that is a leading arm of the robot and has a leading end shaft movable along the direction of an elevation axis. The nut runner includes a screw fastening driver, a drive shaft rotationally driven by the screw fastening driver, and an extension bar that is so connected to rotate together with the drive shaft in the circumferential direction and to move in the axial direction. The attachment unit fixedly connects the screw fastening driver to the second arm so that a screw fastening axis parallel to the elevation axis serves as a rotation axis of the screw fastening driver. The sliding member is connected to the leading end shaft and supports the extension bar so as to move together in the axial direction and are rotatable relatively in the circumferential direction.

At least three spherical surface sliding bearings provided between a first member and a second member and disposed at mutually different positions when seen in the height direction, are provided. Each of the at least three spherical surface sliding bearings has an inner ring and an outer ring, either one of the inner ring and the outer ring is attached to the first member, and the other is attached to the second member. In at least two of the at least three spherical surface sliding bearings, the height adjustment mechanism intervenes, at least either one of between one of the inner ring and the outer ring, and the first member, and between the other and the second member.

A frame body is provided parallel to and proximate with a surface of a structure and extends substantially horizontally from a first side to a second side. A connecting portion is provided to be attached to a cable to provide for vertical movement of the frame body. A robotic arm is affixed proximate to a bottom of the frame body and is able to move horizontally during penetrative imaging of the surface. Moreover, the robotic arm extends to an end proximate with the surface, and a penetrative imaging portion is attached to the robotic arm near the end proximate with the surface. The robotic arm rotates, vertically moving the penetrative imaging portion during penetrative imaging of the surface. In addition, the penetrative imaging portion can be separately rotated about three orthogonal axes of rotation (yaw, pitch, roll) to achieve various angles of approach and orientation to the surface.

A robotic apparatus includes a first guide rail; an elongate support attached to the first guide rail, the elongate support being movable along the first guide rail in two directions and rotatable at each position along the first guide rail; a first limb movable along a second guide rail in the elongate support, the first limb being extendable and retractable; a second limb pivotably attached to the first limb; an end effector mount located at the second limb and rotatable at one end of the second limb; and a third guide rail attached to the elongate support to guide movement of the elongate support in the two directions that the elongate support is movable along the first guide rail; and driving mechanisms to drive movements of the robotic apparatus.

Provided are systems, methods, and devices for storing and transporting articles with a multi-shelf storage unit. A system for article handling includes a multi-shelf storage unit and a robotic unit. The multi-shelf storage unit includes a plurality of shelves disposed on a frame, the plurality of shelves including at least one vertically moveable shelf configured to move in first and second vertical directions relative to the frame, and a lift mechanism configured to automatically drive, in response to receiving a drive input, the at least one vertically moveable shelf in the first or second vertical direction. The robotic unit includes an end effector disposed on a robotic manipulator for engaging an article and a lift mechanism actuator that is connectable to the lift mechanism and configured to provide the drive input to actuate the lift mechanism.

An object of the invention is to realize a high transfer throughput in a wafer transfer apparatus in which a wafer transfer robot transfers a wafer via an aligner. A wafer transfer apparatus includes a wafer transfer robot, and a separation dimension between a pair of wafer holding rods forming a finger of the wafer transfer robot is set to be larger than a dimension of a body portion of an aligner in a width direction provided in the wafer transfer apparatus. In addition, an elevating mechanism provided in the wafer transfer apparatus is configured to be able to move the finger to below the body portion of the aligner, thereby achieving the object of the invention.