Abstract: A robotic joint contains a transmission system that can shift from one gear set to another, either automatically or manually, allowing the joint to have different gear ratios that can drive different speeds and output torques. The transmission system is coupled to a driving actuator enclosed within the robotic joint, which may use a secondary actuator to activate a clutch such that it can shift the transmission from one gear set to another. A feedback system using sensors embedded within the robotic joint as well as sensors distributed within the environment may be used to detect the size and weight of an object that the robotic arm and its joints will be manipulating.