Various medical devices and related systems, including robotic and/or in vivo medical devices, and various robotic surgical devices for in vivo medical procedures. Included herein, for example, is a robotic surgical system having a support beam positionable through an incision, and a robotic device having a device body, first and second rotating shoulder components coupled to the device body, and first and second robotic arms coupled to the first and second shoulder components, respectively.

A precision tripod motion system is provided. The tripod motion system in one example includes a bottom plate including three spaced-apart bottom single-degree-of-freedom hinges, a top plate including three spaced-apart top three-degrees-of-freedom (TDOF) joints, wherein the top plate is configured to receive a workpiece. Each linear actuator of three linear actuators is coupled to an associated SDOF hinge of the bottom plate and coupled to an associated TDOF joint of the top plate. Each linear actuator is configured to change length over a linear actuation span and configured to return the top plate to a predetermined set position after the top plate is displaced by an external force Each linear actuator includes a ball coupled to the associated three TDOF joint and a positioning actuator configured to move the ball to the predetermined set position prior to the return of the top plate to the predetermined set position.

A soft actuator, its working method and robot are provided. The soft actuator includes a power input shaft, and multiple electromagnetic clutches are coaxially installed in series on the power input shaft. A bending elastic part is arranged between the thrust plate of each electromagnetic clutch and the gear frame of the electromagnetic clutch. The bending elastic part is installed on the sleeve of the gear frame and in contact with the baffle of the gear frame. The bending elastic part is connected with the clutch output gear of the electromagnetic clutch through the gear frame. The gear frame is fixedly connected with the clutch output gear and rotates coaxially.

A torque transmission device includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and at least one pair of receiving bellows. The at least one pair of receiving bellows includes a positive receiving bellows and a negative receiving bellows. The torque transmission device also includes at least one gas pressure spring and an adjusting unit connected to the at least one gas pressure spring. The receiving bellows are arranged between the outer ring and the inner ring such that when the inner ring is rotated in the positive rotational direction, the positive receiving bellows may be compressed, and when the inner ring is rotated in the negative rotational direction, the negative receiving bellows may be compressed. In addition, the receiving bellows are connected to the at least one gas pressure spring in a fluidically conductive manner.

In one embodiment, a selectable-rate spring comprises a flexure bar connected to a rotatable shaft, the flexure bar having at least one arched portion. The selectable-rate spring also includes at least one rotational contactor connectable to a link member, wherein the rotational contactor rotates about an axis while maintaining contact with the arched portion of the flexure bar. As the rotational contactor rotates, it changes the connection stiffness between the rotatable shaft and the link member.

Various medical devices and related systems, including robotic and/or in vivo medical devices, and various robotic surgical devices for in vivo medical procedures. Included herein, for example, is a robotic surgical system having a support beam positionable through an incision, and a robotic device having a device body, first and second rotating shoulder components coupled to the device body, and first and second robotic arms coupled to the first and second shoulder components, respectively.

A surgery robot according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a position transformation unit having at least one portion which can be introduced into the body, wherein the position transformation unit is formed into a plurality of joints so as to be capable of positional transformation; a surgery unit which is coupled to the position transformation unit and the position of which is transformed along with the position transformation of the position transformation unit, wherein a surgery section is mounted on one portion of the distal end thereof for performing surgery on an affected area; and a driving unit which generates a driving force for the positional transformation of the position transformation unit, wherein the driving unit may have a driving section and a driving transmission section which adjusts the position of one of the joints with respect to another of the joints.

A piezoelectric actuator includes a vibrating section configured to flexurally vibrate in an in-plane direction, a connecting section connected to the vibrating section in the vibrating direction of the vibrating section, a supporting section configured to support the vibrating section via the connecting section, and a reinforcing section provided on an opposite side of the vibrating section in the supporting section in a direction parallel to a direction in which the vibrating section and the connecting section are arranged.

Provided is an inspection robot that is self-propelled on piping, measures moisture contained in a lagging material using a mounted inspection device, for example, a neutron moisture meter, and detects risk of corrosion. The inspection robot includes a main frame 1 including a recessed part 17 fit onto an outer circumferential surface of piping P, a main frame drive mechanism (first drive mechanism) D1 that causes the main frame to advance/retract in an axis direction of the piping, a revolving member 32 supported in an advanceable/retractable manner along an arc-shaped locus in the recessed part of the main frame, a revolving member drive mechanism (second drive mechanism) D2 that moves the revolving member, and an inspection device mounted on the revolving member.

A piezoelectric driving device includes a vibrating plate, a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, a second electrode layer provided above the vibrating plate. An active section is formed in a portion where the first electrode layer, the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode layer overlap one another. The active section has a longitudinal direction and a latitudinal direction in plan view. At both ends in the latitudinal direction, ends of the first electrode layer are disposed in the same positions as ends of the wiring layer or further on the outer side than the ends, ends of the second electrode layer are disposed in the same positions as the ends of the wiring layer or further on the inner side than the ends, and the ends of the first electrode layer are disposed further on the outer side than the ends of the second electrode layer.