Abstract: A gripper has n pseudospherical contact pads providing a point contact with an object to be gripped. The sum of the degrees of liberty existing between the object and each of the pads taken separately is less than, or preferably equal to, 6(n-1)-1. Moreover, the assembly constituted by the object, the pads, the fingers and the frame is isotatic, which means that the total number of degrees of liberty of this assembly is strictly equal to 6(n-1). Strain gauges placed on the fingers permit determining the tensor of the efforts exerted by the object on the gripper. An orientation of the object gripped can be accomplished by providing the pads with additional degrees of liberty controlled by independent actuators.

Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator and to its application to the position servocontrol for a master-slave remote manipulator.The actuator comprises a box or case in which are housed an electric motor, a slightly or non-reversible reducing gear and a torsion bar connecting the led part of the gear to an actuating plate outside the box. Potentiometers make it possible to define the position of the led part with respect to the box and the force applied to the torsion bar. Thus, it is possible to artificially provide the gear with good reversibility characteristics.Application to any movement control in robotics and particularly to the production of miniaturized master arms, master-slave remote manipulators with force return and without either a cable or belt, and to the control of heavy arms.

Abstract: A telescopic remote manipulator includes a rotary passage block which passes through a partition, a telescopic master arm having upper and lower segments, and a telescopic slave arm having upper, intermediate and lower segments. The arms are articulated by their upper segments on the passage block by pins. A control handle and gripping member are respectively mounted on the free ends of the master and slave arms. Means are provided for transmitting to the gripping member movements of the handle and include cable means associated with the master arm and cable means associated with the slave arm, both coacting with a rotary shaft in the passage block to transmit the handle movements to the gripping member. The slave arm cable means pass over pulleys carried by a mobile carriage positioned externally of the slave arm and then on pulleys mounted on the slave arm in the vicinity of its shoulder pin.

Abstract: Isolator for confining and transporting in a sterile atmosphere human beings and in particular babies, comprising a tight enclosure, ventilated by a forced fresh air circulation circulated by a first fan through an absolute inlet filter and an absolute outlet filter, rapid transfer devices which are sealed from the outside, tight intervention devices, certain of which form an integral part of the enclosure wall, wherein it comprises, between the fresh air inlet and outlet, a branch equipped with a second fan and a variable temperature heater element, said temperature being automatically limited to a maximum value of approximately 120.degree. C., so as to produce heating and setting to a reference temperature of the internal atmosphere by the partial recycling thereof, all the energy necessary for the operation of the installation being provided by an autonomous accumulator battery, which can be that of the transportation vehicle.