A system includes a moveable element adapted to move relative to a coordinate system defined for a robot, an object detection transceiver unit adapted to be mounted on the moveable element, and a controller. The controller controls the object detection transceiver unit to emit a signal and obtain a return signal for an operational cell of the robot at each of a series of predetermined positions to emulate a transceiver aperture larger than an aperture of the object detection transceiver unit. A location corresponding to a marker present in the operational cell is determined from the return signals. A predetermined operation is carried out where the predetermined operation includes using the determined location to guide movement of the robot.

A robot system according to an embodiment includes an arm mechanism that is articulated, a parallel link mechanism, an end effector, a detector, and a control device. The parallel link mechanism includes a fixed part mounted to a distal part of the arm mechanism, and a movable part that is mounted to the fixed part via multiple parallel links and is movable with respect to the fixed part. The end effector is mounted to the movable part. The detector is provided for detecting a position or orientation of a control point. The control device controls the arm mechanism and the parallel link mechanism. The control device performs a first operation of setting a posture of the control point to a first posture, and a second operation of setting the posture of the control point to a task posture in which the end effector performs a task.

An apparatus for adjusting a shoe and methods for making and using the same. A relative movement can be generated between a platform and a model foot wearing the shoe such that the platform contacts the shoe and the model foot adjusts the shoe via the relative movement. Advantageously, the model foot can be a surrogate to a human foot in adjusting the shape of the shoe. The model foot can stretch the shoe in the same manner as human walk. A person can experience great comfort when wearing the stretched shoe. The model foot can simulate the mechanical characteristics of the natural foot. The model foot can simulate gait of a natural foot and the stretching of the shoe can be further customized.

A link actuation device includes: a parallel link mechanism including a proximal-side link hub, a distal-side link hub, and three or more link mechanisms coupling the distal-side link hub to the proximal-side link hub such that a posture of the distal-side link hub can be changed with respect to the proximal-side link hub; actuators for changing the posture; and a teaching unit including a conversion unit configured to calculate coordinates (Wt (=Xt, Yt, Zt)) of a distal-side link center of the distal-side link hub, which are expressed in orthogonal coordinates, from rotation angles (βn; n=1, 2, . . . ) of the end link members. A normal vector is applied to equations of a plane and of a sphere, and the equations are rearranged and used in the conversion unit.

A robotic system for presenting a payload within a workspace includes a pair of serial robots configured to connect to the payload, a parallel robot coupled to a distal end of one of the serial robots such that the parallel robot is disposed between the distal end and the payload, a sensor situated within a kinematic chain extending between the distal end and the payload, and a robot control system (RCS). The sensor outputs a sensor signal indicative of a measured property of the payload. The RCS includes a coordinated motion controller configured to control the serial robots, and a corrective motion controller configured to control the parallel robot. Parallel robot control occurs in response to the sensor signal concurrently with control of the serial robots in order to thereby modify the property of the payload in real-time.

A link actuation apparatus that actuates a parallel link mechanism where a spherical drive mechanism is constructed includes a controller configured to calculate, based on spherical trigonometry, an attitude of a second link hub from angles β.sub.A1 and β.sub.A2 that represent the attitude of a first end link member with respect to a first link hub in two of at least three link mechanisms. The link actuation apparatus capable of performing forward transformation in real time is thus provided.

Articulation having three degrees of freedom for a robot, comprising a platform (2), three motors (3a,3b,3c) each connected to a ring gear (4,4a,4b,4c) via a pinion (5a,5b,5c), each ring gear (4,4a,4b,4c) being arranged inside a hollow disk (6a,6b,6c) stacked on the base, such that each disk (6,6a,6b,6c) is as one with a ring gear (4,4a,4b,4c), each disk (6,6a,6b,6c) is moreover itself as one with a disk head (7,7a,7b,7c) extending in the same direction as the stack of the base and of the disks (6,6a,6b,6c), for each disk head (7,7a,7b,7c), an arm (8,8a,8b,8c) is connected in rotation on one hand to the disk head (7,7a,7b,7c) and on the other hand to the platform (2), each motor (3a,3b,3c) being at least partially contained inside at least one disk (6,6a,6b,6c).

A personalized intervertebral disc replacement for a subject includes a first element adapted to contact a first vertebra in the spine of the subject, a second element adapted to contact a second vertebra adjacent to the first vertebra in the spine of the subject, and a set of links coupling the first and second elements, the links arranged as a passive parallel mechanism, each of the links having a predetermined stiffness and length, and at least some of the links being oriented obliquely to a direction perpendicular to either of the first and second elements.

A direct pose feedback (DPF) control method applied to a DPF controlled machine is provided. The DPF control method includes a pose compensation control in addition to the position feedback control. The pose compensation control includes an initiation step, a reference system step, an actual pose calculation step and a position compensation step. The sum of the primary driving value and the compensation driving value is output to the driver of each of the motors. The advantage of the DPF control method is that the existing real-time position control loop in the controller can remain unchanged, while the pose compensation control is added to eliminate tool pose error resulted from geometric errors in the machine. The DPF controlled machine uses a pose measuring mechanism to measure the actual pose of the tool and to compensate the tool pose error. Hence, the DPF controlled machine is free of geometric errors.

A remote control device includes: a first arm; a second arm connected to a tip-end part of the first arm; two rotary bodies disposed at a tip of the second arm; a link structure including link members fixed to the two rotary bodies; and a user interface attached to the link structure. The two rotary bodies are independently and rotatably supported by respective coaxial drive shafts. The user interface is pivotable, with respect to the second arm, on each of mutually-perpendicular three axes passing through a center point of the link structure. The link structure is disposed at the lateral side of the rotary bodies so that the center point is located on an axis of the two drive shafts. The user interface is attached to the link structure on an axis of a rotation shaft passing through the center point.