Abstract: A robot having seven or more degrees of freedom is disclosed. In various embodiments, the robot includes a positioning robot having m degrees of freedom and a manipulator robot having n degrees of freedom coupled to the positioning robot. The robot is configured to be operated in a first mode of operation, in which the positioning robot is controlled to position move the manipulator robot into a position to perform a task and the manipulator robot is controlled independently of the positioning robot to perform the task; and in a second mode of operation, in which at least a subset of the m degrees of freedom of the positioning robot and at least a subset of the n degrees of freedom of the manipulator robot are controlled together, by a single controller, to perform the task.

Abstract: A robot having seven or more degrees of freedom is disclosed. In various embodiments, the robot includes a positioning robot having m degrees of freedom and a manipulator robot having n degrees of freedom coupled to the positioning robot. The robot is configured to be operated in a first mode of operation, in which the positioning robot is controlled to position move the manipulator robot into a position to perform a task and the manipulator robot is controlled independently of the positioning robot to perform the task; and in a second mode of operation, in which at least a subset of the m degrees of freedom of the positioning robot and at least a subset of the n degrees of freedom of the manipulator robot are controlled together, by a single controller, to perform the task.

Abstract: A robotic actuator may include a series elastic actuator (SEA) that includes an elastic element made of a viscoelastic material. The viscoelastic material may have hardness, stiffness, hysteresis, or damping properties suitable for a particular robotic application. The elastic element may include two portions of the viscoelastic material in compression with each other in the SEA. The SEA may include a motor to generate mechanical power, a speed reduction element to amplify motor torque, an encoder to measure deflection of the viscoelastic elastomer due to an applied force, and a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism may be connected to the motor using a pulley and may route mechanical power to an output joint. The SEA may be a prismatic SEA or another type of linear actuator. The motor may include a 3D printed liquid cooling jacket that includes removable fluid seals and that is assembled and disassembled using removable screws.

Abstract: A liquid-cooled motor may include a removable liquid cooling jacket. The jacket may enclose a commercial off-the-shelf electric motor. The jacket may be ribbed and may include multiple fluid channels, allowing fluid to circulate over the surface of the electric motor and limiting eddy currents. A front-most portion of the liquid-cooled motor may include electrical and fluid interfaces, including an inlet and an outlet for tubing to carry fluids. Removable gaskets or O-rings may be placed between the front-most portion and the jacket, and between a rear-most portion and the jacket. The jacket may be connected to the front-most portion and the rear-most portion using removable screws. The liquid-cooled motor may be disassembled for maintenance and then re-assembled. The jacket, front-most portion, and rear-most portion may be 3D printed from a watertight acrylic polymer, or machined from an engineering thermoplastic.

Abstract: A shoe or stocking has a tip portion which consists of five toe compartments. In each toe compartment a flexible side and front wall interconnects a part of the sole with a part of the upper.