Aspects of the disclosure include a torque sensor arrangement configured to attach between a first part and a second part to sense torque therebetween, the torque sensor arrangement comprising an interface member having on its exterior an engagement configuration configured to rotationally engage the first part, a torsion member comprising a deflectable body attached at one end thereof to the interface member and comprising, at the other end of the deflectable body, an engagement configuration configured to fixedly engage the second part, and a deflection sensor attached to the deflectable body, wherein the interface member defines a rigid sleeve extending around the deflectable body and the torque sensor arrangement further comprises a bushing located between and in contact with both the sleeve and the deflectable body.

Provided is a robot arm including an upper arm, a forearm installed at the distal end of the upper arm, a wrist element installed at the distal end of the forearm to be rotatable around an axis line and having a hollow part through which the axis line penetrates, a motor installed in the forearm and rotating the element around the axis line, and a mechanism transmitting rotation of the motor to the element while reducing speed of rotation. The motor includes a rotation center axis extending obliquely downward on the opposite side of the upper arm. The mechanism includes a hypoid gear set including an output hypoid gear fixed to the element coaxially with the axis line and an input hypoid gear, and a gear set including a gear wheel fixed to the input hypoid gear and a pinion fixed to the motor.

Provided is a robot pivot shaft structure that includes a revolving drum rotatably supported at an upper portion of a base and that has a hollow portion, a drive motor rotating the revolving drum, and a speed reduction mechanism reducing the rotational speed of the drive motor. The speed reduction mechanism has a small gear fixed to a shaft of the drive motor, a large gear meshed with the small gear, an input hypoid gear fixed to the large gear, and an output hypoid gear meshed with the input hypoid gear. The output hypoid gear is fixed to the revolving drum and is disposed in the base. The input hypoid gear and the large gear are rotatably supported at the base. The drive motor is fixed to the base and disposed below the revolving drum, the position being horizontally shifted from vertically below the hollow portion.

A robot wrist structure includes a first wrist element, a second wrist element, and a third wrist element which are respectively rotatable about a first axis to a third axis; drive motors for the second and third wrist elements; and gear sets that reduce speeds of rotation of the drive motors. The gear sets respectively include a driven-side large-diameter gear that rotates the second wrist element and a driven-side small-diameter gear that rotates the third wrist element, where the driven-side large-diameter gear and the driven-side small-diameter gear are coaxially arranged so as to be rotatable about the second axis. The small-diameter gear is fixed to a drive-side bevel gear that meshes with a driven-side bevel gear fixed to the third wrist element. The second wrist element includes a first housing that is fixed to the large-diameter gear; and a second housing rotatably supports the third wrist element.

An articulated device for robotic systems includes three rigid bodies. The first rigid body is configured to rotate about a first rotation axis with respect to a rigid base body. The second rigid body is configured to rotate about a second rotation axis with respect to the first rigid body. The third rigid body is configured to rotate about a third rotation axis with respect to the second rigid body. The first, second, and third rotation axes coincide in at least one point, which defines the center of rotation of the articulated device.

A robot arm includes a first holder and a second holder. The first holder includes a first base portion and a first distal portion. The first distal portion has a first distal thickness smaller than a thickness of the first base portion. The second holder includes a second base and a second distal portion. The second distal portion has a second distal thickness smaller than a thickness of the second base portion. A first rotator is supported by the first distal portion and the second distal portion. A second rotator is supported by the first rotator. A first bevel gear is provided in the first distal portion. Another first bevel gear is provided in the second distal portion. A second bevel gear engages with the first bevel gear and the another first bevel gear.

A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb of the arm relative to another limb of the arm about two non-parallel rotation axes, the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear disposed about the first rotation axis, the first drive gear being fast with the carrier; a second drive gear disposed about the second rotation axis, the second drive gear being fast with the second one of the limbs; a first drive shaft for driving the first drive gear to rotate about the first rotation axis, the first drive shaft extending along the first one of the limbs and having a first shaft gear thereon, the first shaft gear being arranged to engage the first drive gear; a second drive shaft for driving the second drive gear to rotate about the second rotation axis, the second drive shaft extending along the first one of the limbs and having a second shaft gear thereon; and an intermediate gear train borne by the carrier and coupling the second shaft gear to the second drive gear, the intermediate gear train comprising an intermediate shaft arranged to rotate about an axis parallel with the first rotation axis, the intermediate shaft having a third shaft gear thereon, the third shaft gear being arranged to engage the second drive gear.

A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb relative to another limb about two non-parallel rotation axes, the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear disposed about the first rotation axis and fast with the carrier, whereby rotation of the carrier relative to the first limb about the first rotation axis can be driven; a second drive gear disposed about the second rotation axis and fast with the second one of the limbs, whereby rotation of the second one of the limbs about the second rotation axis relative to the carrier can be driven; at least one of the first and second drive gears being a sector gear.

A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb (310) of the arm relative to another limb (311) of the arm about two non-parallel rotation axes (20, 21), the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier (28) attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear (33) disposed about the first rotation axis and fast with the carrier, whereby rotation of the carrier relative to the first limb about the first rotation axis can be driven; a second drive gear (37) disposed about the second rotation axis and fast with the second one of the limbs, whereby rotation of the second one of the limbs about the second rotation axis relative to the carrier can be driven; at least one of the first and second drive gears being a sector gear.

A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb (310) of the arm relative to another limb (311) of the arm about two non-parallel rotation axes (20, 21), the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier (28) attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear (33) disposed about the first rotation axis and fast with the carrier, whereby rotation of the carrier relative to the first limb about the first rotation axis can be driven; a second drive gear (37) disposed about the second rotation axis and fast with the second one of the limbs, whereby rotation of the second one of the limbs about the second rotation axis relative to the carrier can be driven; at least one of the first and second drive gears being a sector gear.