Abstract: A remote controller for a biped robot is of a simple arrangement capable of remotely controlling movement of the biped robot while taking into account the stability of the attitude of the robot. A manipulation unit 23 outputs, to a robot A, signals representative of manipulated positions of manipulator levers 26, 26 which correspond respectively to both legs 2, 2 of the robot A. A control unit 19 mounted in the robot A generates a motion command (desired gait) for determining motions of the legs for at least two steps of a walking action of the robot A depending on the manipulated positions of manipulator levers 26, 26 which are represented by output signal data from the manipulation unit 23, and controls motions of the legs 2, 2 based on the motion command.

Abstract: In a biped walking robot having a body and two articulated legs each connected to the body through a hip joint and having a knee joint and an ankle joint, connected by a shank link, a knee pad is mounted on the shank link as a landing/shock absorbing means at a position adjacent to the knee joint which is brought into contact with the floor when coming into knee-first contact with the floor such that the knee joint is to be positioned at a location forward of the center of gravity of the robot in a direction of robot advance, while absorbing impact occurring from the contact with the floor. With this, the robot can be easily stood up from an attitude with its knee joint regions in contact with the floor. Moreover, when coming into knee-first contact with the floor, it can absorb the impact of the contact to protect the knee joint regions and the floor from damage.

Abstract: An arm structure for anthropomorphic robots minimizes the occurrence of a singularity state of a shoulder joint assembly while the arm of the anthropomorphic robot is normally working, for thereby allowing the arm to operate smoothly. The position and posture of first through third joints (11), (13), (15) of a shoulder joint assembly (5) and the position of an elbow joint assembly (6) with respect to the third joint (15) are established such that the elbow joint assembly (6) is located above a horizontal plane lying through the point of intersection of the axes (10), (12), (14) of the first through third joints (11), (13), (15), while the shoulder joint assembly (5) is operated into a singularity state wherein the first axis (10) of the first joint (11) and the third axis (14) of the third joint (15) are aligned with each other and the elbow joint assembly (6) is positioned laterally of a torso (1).

Abstract: An arm structure for anthropomorphic robots minimizes the occurrence of a singularity state of a shoulder joint assembly while the arm of the anthropomorphic robot is normally working, for thereby allowing the arm to operate smoothly. The position and posture of first through third joints (11), (13), (15) of a shoulder joint assembly (5) and the position of an elbow joint assembly (6) with respect to the third joint (15) are established such that the elbow joint assembly (6) is located above a horizontal plane lying through the point of intersection of the axes (10), (12), (14) of the first through third joints (11), (13), (15), while the shoulder joint assembly (5) is operated into a singularity state wherein the first axis (10) of the first joint (11) and the third axis (14) of the third joint (15) are aligned with each other and the elbow joint assembly (6) is positioned laterally of a torso (1).

Abstract: A cigarette testing apparatus includes a ventilation-characteristic measuring section having a ventilation vessel which is disposed horizontally so as to reduce the vertical dimension of the apparatus. A cigarette is supplied in a horizontal position from a cigarette supplying section to a weight measuring section where the cigarette weight is measured. The cigarette ejected therefrom is transferred to a circumference measuring section, a ventilation-characteristic measuring section and a length/hardness measuring section in this order in a condition that the horizontal position is kept unchanged. In these sections, the circumference, ventilation characteristic, length and hardness of the cigarette are measured in sequence.

Abstract: A legged moving robot has a plurality of movable legs for repeatedly touching and leaving a floor. A force sensor is mounted on each of the movable legs at a position spaced from a foot sole thereof toward a proximal end thereof, and detects at least a force and a moment based on a reactive force applied from the floor to the foot when the foot is landed on the floor. The foot is tilted along a ridge on the floor by actuators when the foot is landed on the ridge such as the edge of a stair. A position of the center of the reactive force applied from the floor to the foot is recognized on the basis of the force and the moment detected by the force sensor, in a plurality of tilted attitudes of the foot when the foot is tilted. A landed direction and/or a landed position of the foot with respect to the ridge is recognized on the basis of the position of the center of the reactive force recognized in the plurality of tilted attitudes of the foot.

Abstract: A legged moving robot has a plurality of movable legs extending downwardly from an upper body and having actuators associated respectively with joints thereof. A fall judging unit decides whether the robot is likely to fall down while the robot is operating. An actuator controller controls the actuators associated respectively with the joints of the movable legs to lower the center of gravity of the robot when the fall judging unit determines that the robot is likely to fall down.

Abstract: A legged moving robot has a plurality of movable legs for repeatedly touching and leaving a floor. An apparatus for detecting the landing position of a foot sole of each of the movable legs has a force sensor mounted on each of the movable legs at a position spaced from a foot sole thereof toward a proximal end thereof. The force sensor detects at least a perpendicular force perpendicular to the foot sole and a moment about an axis extending in a lateral direction of the foot sole and passing through a predetermined reference point on the foot sole. A time when the foot sole touches or leaves the floor is detected on the basis of the perpendicular force detected by the force sensor. A landing position for the foot sole to start touching or end leaving the floor is determined on the basis of the perpendicular force and the moment detected by the force sensor, at the detected time or in a predetermined time range near the detected time.

Abstract: Legs of a musical instrument are received in corresponding posts on a caster beam via slidable telescopic connection whose degree is changeable depending on the selected level of the musical instrument and uncontrolled fall of the musical instrument during level adjustment is mechanically prevented without any manual assistance for easier level adjustment.