Abstract: An articulating surgical instrument includes a housing, a shaft extending distally from the housing, an end effector assembly, and an articulating component interconnecting the shaft and end effector assembly. The articulating component includes a proximal disk connected to the shaft, a distal disk connected to the end effector assembly, an intermediate disk, a first flexible interconnect connecting the proximal and intermediate disks, and a second flexible interconnect connecting the intermediate and distal disks. The first flexible interconnect defines a single plane of bending to enable articulation of the end effector assembly relative to the shaft within a first plane. The second flexible interconnect defines a single plane of bending substantially perpendicular to the single plane of bending of the first flexible interconnect to enable articulation of the end effector assembly relative to the shaft within a second plane substantially perpendicular to the first plane.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining multiple inputs associated with a worker in a manufacturing environment. The method also includes performing a fuzzy logic process on the multiple inputs to generate multiple outputs, where the multiple outputs are associated with performance by the worker of a task in the manufacturing environment. The method further includes providing instructions to an electronic device to display a specified output among the multiple outputs while the worker performs the task in the manufacturing environment, where the specified output includes instruction information for performing the task.

Abstract: An image of an object is received into an augmented reality (AR) device. Information is received for identifying the object or a component associated with the object. A database is accessed to retrieve data relating to the object or the component associated with the object, and a heat map is created as a function of the data relating to the object or the component associated with the object. The heat map is displayed on a computer display device.

Abstract: An image of an object is received into an augmented reality (AR) device. Information is received for identifying the object or a component associated with the object. A database is accessed to retrieve data relating to the object or the component associated with the object, and a heat map is created as a function of the data relating to the object or the component associated with the object. The heat map is displayed on a computer display device.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining multiple inputs associated with a worker in a manufacturing environment. The method also includes performing a fuzzy logic process on the multiple inputs to generate multiple outputs, where the multiple outputs are associated with performance by the worker of a task in the manufacturing environment. The method further includes providing instructions to an electronic device to display a specified output among the multiple outputs while the worker performs the task in the manufacturing environment, where the specified output includes instruction information for performing the task.