A robot arm (500) for positioning a tool (44) with controlled orientation. The robot arm (500) comprises an inner-arm linkage (15, 18, 29; 15, 18, 77); an outer-arm linkage (23; 81; 173; 228; 632; 384) and a first actuator (1; 249) configured to rotate the inner-arm linkage about a first axis of rotation (180). The inner-arm linkage includes a first inner link (15) that at an inner end is arranged to rotate around a fourth axis of rotation (185), and a second inner link (18) that at an inner end is arranged to rotate around a different, third axis of rotation (182, 185), wherein the axes of rotation (182, 185) are perpendicular to the first axis of rotation (180), and the rotations result in a geometric reconfiguration of the inner-arm linkage. The inner-arm linkage also includes a connection shaft (29; 77) mounted at an outer end of the first inner link and at an outer end of the second inner link by means of joints of at least one degree of freedom, is connected to the outer-arm linkage via the connection shaft, is connected to the tool and forms a first kinematic chain that gives a first degree of freedom for positioning the tool. A second actuator (2; 254) is configured to rotate the outer-arm linkage around the second axis of rotation, thereby forming a second kinematic chain giving a second degree of freedom for positioning the tool. A third actuator (3) is configured to move the outer-arm linkage by actuating the geometrically reconfigurable inner-arm linkage, resulting in a movement of the second axis of rotation around which the outer-arm linkage is arranged to rotate, thereby forming a third kinematic chain giving a third degree of freedom for positioning the tool. The robot arm also comprises one or more transmission mechanisms that in combination with the outer-arm linkage are arranged to accomplish the controlled orientation of the tool.

A robot hand module includes a palm part and a thumb module coupled to the palm part. The thumb module includes a thumb phalangeal part movably coupled to the palm part, a thumb cable part having a first side connected to the thumb phalangeal part, and a thumb driving part connected to a second side of the thumb cable part and configured to operate the thumb phalangeal part by extending the thumb cable part to the outside or retracting the thumb cable part. The thumb cable part includes a first thumb cable extended from the thumb driving part and having a first side fixed in the thumb phalangeal part and a second thumb cable having a first side and a second side fixed in the thumb phalangeal part.

An object capturing device includes light emission, receiving, and scanning units, and distance calculation, and object determination units. The scanning unit measures light from the emission unit to head toward a measurement target space to perform scanning, and to guide reflected light from the object with respect to the measurement light to the receiving unit. The distance calculation unit calculates a distance to the object in association with a scanning angle of the scanning unit. The object determination unit determines whether the object is a capture target based on whether a scanning angle range within which a difference between distances is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value corresponding to a reference scanning angle range of the capture target, and a determination of whether intensity distribution of the reflected light within the scanning angle range corresponds to reference intensity distribution of the reflected light from the capture target.

A robotic link may include a link having an outer wall surface and an inner wall surface, and a pair of outer hinge portions on a first end of the link. Each outer hinge portion may have an inner bearing surface positioned between the inner wall surface and an outer ear. The link may include a pair of inner hinge portions on a second end of the link. Each inner hinge portion may have an outer bearing surface positioned between the outer wall surface and an inner ear.

A robot includes an input link, an output link, and a wire routing. The output link is coupled to the input link at an inline twist joint where the output link is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the output link relative to the input link. The wire routing traverses the inline twist joint to couple the input link and the output link. The wire routing includes an input link section, an output link section, and an omega section. A first position of the wire routing coaxially aligns at a start of the omega section on the input link with a second position of the wire routing at an end of the omega section on an output link.

In a linear expansion mechanism, high rigidity is secured in all directions of orthogonal axes without any constraint on installation posture. The linear expansion mechanism includes: a block train made up of a plurality of blocks coupled along a coupling direction; a housing for containing the block train; a mechanism configured to deliver and draw the block train along the coupling direction; and a fixing mechanism configured to fix a relative position of a leading end position of the block train delivered from the housing relative to an entrance/exit position Pe located on the housing at which the block train enters and exits the housing with respect to directions orthogonal to the coupling direction of the block train.

A mechanical hand mimics a human hand having similar degrees of freedom and sensory abilities while appearing visually similar to human hand. The mechanical hand comprises a mechanical hand skeleton and resilient elastomer (e.g., silicone) skin that fully encloses the mechanical hand skeleton. The mechanical hand skeleton may advantageously be molded directly into the resilient elastomer (e.g., silicone) skin such that the hand appears, moves, and feels very similar to a real human hand. The mechanical hand may have applications in robotics, for example as an end-of-arm tool or end effector, or may have other applications. Robotic applications may include prosthetics applications.

Various embodiments for a continuum manipulator are described for use in robotic surgical systems or other desired applications. The continuum manipulator includes an extensible continuum manipulator (ECM) body comprising a plurality of subsegments serially connected to one another. Adjacent ones of the subsegments are coupled by rack-and-pinion transmission sets that are configured to propagate subsegment motion to downstream ones of the subsegments. A multi-chain flexible parallel mechanism is provided in each of the subsegments that is configured to generate a desired spatial bending and extension mobility for each of the subsegments.

A rotation position detector includes a motor having a drive shaft extending along a first axis, a drive-side pulley that is connected to the drive shaft, a holder that holds a treatment tool to be inserted into a patient during surgery, the holder rotating in association with the drive-side pulley, a driven-side pulley that rotates around the first axis, a diameter of the drive-side pulley being smaller than a diameter of the driven-side pulley, a transmission belt that transmits a rotational drive of the drive-side pulley to the driven-side pulley, a rotary encoder that is provided on the first axis and detects a rotation angle of the driven-side pulley, and a controller that calculates a rotation position of the holder based on the rotation angle and based a pulley ratio of the drive-side pulley to the driven-side pulley, and controls the motor based on the rotation position.

A pulley and a structure having the pulley connected with a driven unit are provided. The pulley includes a wheel portion and a lug portion. The wheel portion includes two circular end surfaces opposing each other and a side surface connecting the two end surfaces. The side surface includes a main arc face and a branch arc face. The branch arc face has a head end connected to the main arc face and a tail end configured to connect a strap. The branch arc face has a width in an axial direction of the wheel portion smaller than a width of the main arc face. The lug portion is fixed to the wheel portion, disposed at a position adjacent to the branch arc face along the width of the main arc face and extends to protrude beyond the branch arc face in a radial direction of the wheel portion.