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.

Using machine learning to recognize variant objects is disclosed, including: identifying an object as a variant of an object type by inputting sensed data associated with the object into a modified machine learning model corresponding to the variant of the object type, wherein the modified machine learning model corresponding to the variant of the object type is generated using a machine learning model corresponding to the object type; and generating a control signal to provide to a sorting device that is configured to perform a sorting operation on the object, wherein the sorting operation on the object is determined based at least in part on the variant of the object type associated with the object.

A coordinate positioning machine that includes: a structure moveable within a working volume of the machine, a hexapod metrology arrangement for measuring the position of the structure within the working volume, and a non-hexapod drive arrangement for moving the structure around the working volume. Also, a coordinate positioning machine including a structure moveable within a working volume of the machine, a drive arrangement for moving the structure around the working volume in fewer than six degrees of freedom, and a metrology arrangement for measuring the position of the structure within the working volume in more degrees of freedom than the drive arrangement.

A six-degree-of-freedom micro vibration suppression platform includes a basic platform, a load platform, six sets of single-degree-of-freedom active and passive composite vibration isolation devices that are exactly the same and a controller. Upper and lower ends of each set of single-degree-of-freedom active and passive composite vibration isolation devices are connected with the load platform and the basic platform, respectively. A control method includes: calculating a logical axis signal, calculating a logical axis control signal, calculating physical axis real-time control signals and a transfer step.

Robots for moving relative to a surface, robotic systems including the same, and associated methods are disclosed. A robot includes a body, at least two legs, and at least two feet. Each leg has a proximal end region operatively coupled to the body at a respective body joint with one rotational degree of freedom and a distal end region operatively coupled to a respective foot at a respective foot joint comprising two rotational degrees of freedom. Each foot is configured to be translated relative to the surface with two degrees of translational freedom. Robotic systems include one or more robots and a surface along which the one or more robots are positioned to move. Methods of operating robots and of operating robotic systems include translating at least one foot of a robot to operatively move the body of the robot with six degrees of freedom.

Robots for moving relative to a surface, robotic systems including the same, and associated methods are disclosed. A robot includes a body, at least two legs, and at least two feet. Each leg has a proximal end region operatively coupled to the body at a respective body joint with one rotational degree of freedom and a distal end region operatively coupled to a respective foot at a respective foot joint comprising two rotational degrees of freedom. Each foot is configured to be translated relative to the surface with two degrees of translational freedom. Robotic systems include one or more robots and a surface along which the one or more robots are positioned to move. Methods of operating robots and of operating robotic systems include translating at least one foot of a robot to operatively move the body of the robot with six degrees of freedom.

A carriage with two hexapod platforms, each having a base, a plate, and a set of six cylinders associated in pairs. Each cylinder is articulatedly mounted with the plate. For each pair, a slider is able to move in translation on the base. For a first pair, the two cylinders of the first pair are mounted in an articulated manner on the slider. The articulation of one of the two cylinders of the first pair with the plate is adjacent to the articulation of one of the two cylinders of a second pair with the plate. The articulation of the other of the two cylinders of the first pair with the plate is adjacent to the articulation of one of the two cylinders of a third pair with the plate. For each slider, a movement system moves the slider. A control unit controls each cylinder and the movement system.

A parallel kinematic machine (PKM) includes a support platform and first, second, and third support linkages. The first, second, and third support linkages together include at least five support links. The PKM further includes a tool base having a shaft joint, a tool base shaft, and a tool platform. The tool base shaft is connected to the support platform via the shaft joint, rigidly connecting the tool platform and the tool base shaft. The PKM also includes one or more tool linkages, each including a tool link connected at one end, via a tool base joint, to the tool base, and at the other end connected, via a tool carriage joint, to a movable carriage. Each tool linkage is configured to rotate the tool base shaft around at least one axis relative to the support platform by transferring a movement of the respective tool linkage to the tool base shaft.

A vibration reduction system includes a base, a carrier element, and a plurality of actuator systems extending between the base and the carrier element, the plurality of actuator systems arranged to apply forces to the carrier element in multiple axes to reduce vibration of the carrier element, each actuator system of the plurality of actuator systems including a pneumatic actuator and an electric actuator.

In a link actuation device, a distal end side link hub is coupled to a proximal end side link hub via three or more link mechanisms such that a posture of the distal end side link hub can be changed relative to the proximal end side link hub, and a posture of the distal end side link hub relative to the proximal end side link hub is arbitrarily changed by actuators provided to two or more link mechanisms. The manipulating device includes a posture acquirer for acquiring a distal end posture represented by a bending angle and a turning angle, from a coordinate position at which a distal end side spherical link center is projected onto a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system that has an origin located on an extension of an axis of the proximal end side link hub and is orthogonal to the extension of the axis.