Disclosed are techniques and systems for automatically determining and correcting the levelness of a wafer handling robot end effector. The systems may use a tilt sensor or a gravitational field sensor which may be calibrated to the wafer handling robot. The output from the tilt sensor may be used to determine or estimate the tilt of an end effector of the wafer handling robot and to perform correctional positioning to reduce or eliminate the tilt, to automatically teach certain positions that have reduced tilt, to perform health checks on the robot, provide feedback to a user, etc.

A vertical articulated robot includes a plurality of joint axis portions configured to rotationally drive a plurality of arms. The plurality of joint axis portions include a narrow joint axis portion. In the narrow joint axis portion, at least one of at least a portion of a brake or an oil seal is arranged inside a recess.

A coating system includes a plurality of liquid immersion workstations positioned along an arcuate path, the plurality of liquid immersion workstations defining a single complete coating process for a sequence of objects. A plurality of curing workstations are configured to independently receive objects of the sequence of objects exiting the plurality of liquid immersion workstations. An articulated robotic arm has a base positioned inside the arcuate path in top plan view such that the robotic arm is operable to carry each object of the sequence of objects through each of the plurality of liquid immersion workstations and to exactly one of the plurality of curing workstations. An articulated robotic hand is provided at a distal end of the robotic arm and configured to grasp and hold each of the objects and to oscillate the object while submerged in each of the plurality of liquid immersion workstations.

A compact cleaning apparatus including a robot with a narrow range of motion is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes: a cleaning chamber; a cleaning station; a drying station; a separation wall; a single axis robot including a column arranged adjacent to a side surface, a linear guide extending vertically, and a vertical moving saddle movable vertically; an arm portion including a first rotation saddle rotatable about a second axis extending vertically, a first arm swingable about a third axis extending horizontally and extending orthogonal to the third axis, a second arm rotatable about a fourth axis orthogonal to the third axis, a second rotation saddle rotatable about a fifth axis orthogonal to the fourth axis, a third rotation saddle rotatable about a sixth axis orthogonal to the fifth axis; and a hand for gripping a workpiece.

A robot manipulator includes: an arm body; a wrist effector, connected to the arm body; a multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) connecting device, rotatably connected to the wrist effector; and a grabber, connected to the multi-DOF connecting device, wherein the multi-DOF connecting device is configured to receive a power output by the wrist effector and drive the grabber to rotate.

A vertical articulated robot includes a plurality of joint axis portion units configured to rotationally drive a plurality of arms, and a wiring unit configured to allow wiring portions of the plurality of joint axis portion units to be arranged therein. A joint axis portion unit integrally includes a first motor including a solid first motor shaft and a first speed reducer directly connected to the first motor shaft.

A mobile robotic device includes a mobile base and a mast fixed relative to the mobile base. The mast includes a carved-out portion. The mobile robotic device further includes a three-dimensional (3D) lidar sensor mounted in the carved-out portion of the mast and fixed relative to the mast such that a vertical field of view of the 3D lidar sensor is angled downward toward an are in front of the mobile robotic device.

A servicing system for on-orbit spacecrafts is disclosed. The system comprises a servicing or host spacecraft configured to perform on-orbit servicing of client spacecrafts. The servicing spacecraft comprises a dedicated, deployable, boom having capture and docking mechanisms. The capture mechanism comprises one or more electromagnets spaced apart and suspended on a frame that may include means for compensating for any out of plane misalignments during capture. The client spacecraft includes a striker plate that covers an area, nominally larger than the footprint of the capture mechanism, that is sized to accommodate a capture envelope determined by the rendezvous and proximity sensing systems. The electromagnets attract the striker plate to capture the client spacecraft in order to provide on-orbit servicing. The docking system has multiple degrees of freedom that are independent of the capture system; docking is accomplished by mechanically coupling the two spacecrafts together, post capture. During docking, electrical and fluid transfer connections may also be accomplished. The servicing spacecraft further comprises a manipulator arm that may be configured to position/align the captured client spacecraft for docking, thereby permitting a very flexible, larger, capture envelope, and reducing operational complexity.

A robot including a robot mechanism including joints and drive units, a control unit controlling the drive units so that an inspection operation to inspect one target drive unit among the drive units is executed by the robot mechanism, and a notification unit notifying maintenance information of the target drive unit based on a current value of a motor of the target drive unit during the inspection operation, or on information associated with the current value, and the inspection operation includes transmitting, to the motor of the target drive unit, control command to rotate a joint as much as a predetermined rotation angle, and thereby moving a tip of the robot mechanism or a tool at the tip, close to an object at a predetermined position from a predetermined start position, to press the object, and separating the tip of the robot mechanism or the tool away from the object.

A machine for producing sanitary articles includes a plurality of processing stations including automated apparatus for forming sanitary articles which advance along a machine direction. The machine includes a multi-axis industrial robot arranged to automatically clean and/or inspect the automated apparatus of the processing stations. The machine has a positive impact on sustainability.