A walking vehicle including a chassis and a plurality of wheel-leg components is described. The plurality of wheel-leg components are collectively operable to provide wheeled locomotion and walking locomotion.

A deployment mechanism and a delivery container enabling unattended delivery of cargo by a vehicle navigating autonomously on both vehicle lanes and pedestrian ways. A trailer for an autonomous vehicle for hauling additional cargo and power supplies. A method for delivering and picking up goods using delivery trucks, autonomous vehicles, and trailers. The deployment mechanism can include a crane, a robot arm, a forklift, straps, and sails. The delivery container can include visible, partly visible, or hidden security features and grasping features, and can be foldable and stackable. The trailer can include a 4-bar linkage, the 4-bar linkage enabling consistent pitch between the trailer cargo and a cargo hold of the towing vehicle. The trailer wheels are decoupled from the 4-bar linkage, connected by swing arms and possible shock absorbers. The trailer can buffer fore/aft movement of the trailer.

An extendable arm includes first and second rigid members forming a cross unit. Each rigid member includes one end portion including one of end coupling shafts, the other end portion including the other end coupling shaft, and a middle portion including a middle coupling shaft. The one end portion of each rigid member includes a bottom-side outer side surface that surface-contacts a base surface when the extendable arm in an extended state is placed thereon. The other end portion of each rigid member includes a top-side outer side surface extending parallel to the bottom-side outer side surface of each rigid member. The middle portion of each rigid member includes a middle strip region passing through a middle coupling shaft and perpendicular to the bottom-side outer side surface and the top-side outer side surface.

An object gripping mechanism is provided for use with a robotic arm. A robotic arm and method of manufacturing an object gripping mechanism are also provided. The object gripping mechanism includes an attachment modular configured to connect the object gripping mechanism to the robotic arm. The object gripping mechanism also includes a plurality of retractable arms each pivotably connected with the attachment modular. The object gripping mechanism also includes one or more movement mechanisms collectively configured to pivot the plurality of retractable arms to a desired position. The object gripping mechanism further includes a drive mechanism positioned within each of the plurality of retractable arms and configured to pivot the object engagement feature using a gear and timing belt configuration.

A boom arm assembly includes an anchoring portion for attachment to an anchoring surface, and a mounting portion for attachment to an auxiliary electrical device. A telescoping link includes an elongate outer member and an elongate inner member. The outer member has a first distal defining a ball joint which is connected to the anchoring portion or the mounting portion, and the inner member has a second distal end defining a ball joint connected to the anchoring portion or the mounting portion. The inner member telescopes within the internal through bore of the outer member. An internal through bore of the inner member and an internal through bore of the outer member align with each other to allow passage of the flexible elongate supply link from the anchoring portion to the mounting portion. A locking mechanism connects locking relative movement between the inner member and the outer member.

Technology is provided for controlling the motion of soft growing robots during retraction to prevent uncontrollable buckling or bending. A double walled flexible tubular robot is provided with an inside wall, an outside wall, and a folded tip. A retraction device located at the folded tip has a routing aperture sized to encompass the inside wall and for routing the inside wall through the retraction device. The retraction device further has a retraction mechanism inside the retraction device to controllably retract material of the inside wall through the routing aperture in the direction away from the folded tip, thereby decreasing the outside wall, creating more inside wall, and as such shortening the length of the flexible robot. This technology enables behaviors, such as (1) growing in one direction, and then retracting and growing in a different direction, and (2) retracting through a confined space without applying

In one embodiment, a robotic limb includes a scissor linkage. In one embodiment, the scissor linkage includes a rotatable connection, two proximal links, and two motors configured to selectively rotate the two proximal links. Relative rotation between the two proximal links selectively controls extension, retraction, and rotation of the scissor linkage. Additional embodiments are related to scissor linkages including links designed to be have specific length relationships to avoid a singularity occurring during operation. In some embodiments, links may include torque transmissions to avoid singularities and/or to transmit torques to a distal portion of a scissor linkage for use in actuating other components including another scissor linkage arranged in series with first.

In one embodiment, a robotic limb includes a scissor linkage. In one embodiment, the scissor linkage includes a rotatable connection, two proximal links, and two motors configured to selectively rotate the two proximal links. Relative rotation between the two proximal links selectively controls extension, retraction, and rotation of the scissor linkage. Additional embodiments are related to scissor linkages including links designed to be have specific length relationships to avoid a singularity occurring during operation. In some embodiments, links may include torque transmissions to avoid singularities and/or to transmit torques to a distal portion of a scissor linkage for use in actuating other components including another scissor linkage arranged in series with first.

An end effector assembly for a picking robot, and a tool unit is disclosed, the end effector assembly comprising a first end effector part, a second end effector part, and an end effector device mounted on the second end effector part, wherein the first end effector part and the second end effector part are connected via a joint connection comprising a first joint having at least a first degree of freedom, the joint connection comprising a first spring construction having a first end and a second end, the first end connected to the first end effector part and the second end connected to the second end effector part.

A robotic arm control system including a robotic arm configured to deploy one or more tools in an operating space, one or more sensors, and a control system operably configured to: scan the operating space with the one or more sensors, identify a surface of the operating space based at least in part upon information sensed by the one or more sensors, establish a virtual barrier offset from the surface, and limit movement of the robotic arm based at least in part upon the virtual barrier.