Abstract: There is provided a rotary stocker which includes: a base; a rotary part provided on the base and rotatably connected to the base about a rotary axis extending in a vertical direction; a rotary drive device provided for rotating the rotary part; a plurality of shelves on which an object to be placed is placed, the plurality of shelves being fixed to the rotary part and being arranged in a circumferential direction about the rotary axis; and a sensor positioned outside the plurality of shelves in a radial direction of the rotary axis, the sensor capable of detecting whether the object to be placed is placed on each of the shelves positioned between the rotary axis and the sensor.

Abstract: A component inspecting device inspects presence or absence of an abnormal state of two linear wires based on changes in the amount of received light of a first light ray and a second light ray received by a first light receiver and a second light receiver, respectively when a component is moved such that the two linear wires in the normal state block the first light ray and the second light ray in a posture wherein an arrangement direction of the two linear wires crosses optical axes of the first light ray of the first light projector and the second light ray of the second light projector. This device can detect an abnormality such as a bend or the like of linear wires by a simple configuration and a simple operation in a component having two linear wires which have axis directions parallel to each other and have different lengths.

Abstract: A particulate matter supply device having a simple configuration, which includes: a fixing plate through which a flow path that allows passage of particulate matter penetrates; a bottom portion through which a discharge port that allows passage of particulate matter penetrates; and a movable portion between the fixing plate and the bottom portion, has an accommodation region capable of accommodating particulate matter in the accommodation region and penetrating the movable portion along a facing direction in which the fixing plate and the bottom portion face each other, and is movable to a position where the accommodation region communicates with the flow path and to a position where the accommodation region communicates with the discharge port. The fixing plate is provided with a level-off portion that, when the movable portion moves, levels off particulate matter so as to remove an amount of particulate matter exceeding a capacity of the accommodation region.

Abstract: An articulated robot includes a pedestal and two or more modules supported by the pedestal. Each of the two or more modules includes a support member, a link member supported by the support member to be rotatable about a first axis, and a first drive unit provided in the link member and for rotating the link member about the first axis with respect to the support member.

Abstract: A particulate matter supply device capable of suppressing leakage of particulate matter includes an accommodation region formed so as to penetrate a rotating member along a facing direction in which a spiral member and a fixing plate face each other. The spiral member includes a level-off portion that levels off particulate matter in excess of the capacity of the accommodation region when the rotating member moves from a position where the accommodation region communicates with a flow path for supplying particulate matter to the accommodation region to a position where the accommodation region communicates with a discharge port.

Abstract: A food holding apparatus is a food holding apparatus configured to hold or release an ingredient. The food holding apparatus includes a base portion, a pair of arms drivably attached to the base portion, a pair of distal end portions respectively provided to distal ends of the pair of arms, and a control device configured to control an operation of the pair of arms. The control device is configured to control the operation of the pair of arms such that the pair of distal end portions hold the ingredient in an inner side between the distal end portions in a state of facing each other, and the pair of distal end portions release the ingredient held in the inner side between the distal end portions in a state of being separated from each other.

Abstract: A robot configured to perform a work to a moving workpiece is provided, which includes a first robotic arm provided at a tip end thereof with a guide tool configured to support the workpiece, a second robotic arm provided at a tip end thereof with a work tool configured to perform a specific work to the workpiece, and a control device configured to control operations of the first and second robotic arms. The control device controls the operations of the first and second robotic arms according to timing information for which the workpiece reaches a workspace of the robot so that the guide tool guides the workpiece located in the workspace into the space and the work tool performs the specific work to the workpiece guided into the space.

Abstract: Life of a non-volatile memory is extended without increasing processing time due to turning power ON/OFF. An EEPROM stores counter information and setting information, a first RAM and a second RAM store counter information and setting information, a memory management unit manages a storage area in the first RAM for the counter information and setting information so as to be updatable and manages a storage area in the second RAM for the counter information and setting information so as not to be updatable, and a system control unit, when a change in contents of the counter information and the setting information occurs, rewrites the counter information and the setting information in the first RAM in accordance to the changed contents, and when the power is turned OFF, reads and compares the counter information and the setting information in the first RAM with the counter information and the setting information in the second RAM, and writes only different data to the EEPROM.

Abstract: A robot includes: a main body portion; a first robot arm and a second robot arm each being located at the main body portion and including a plurality of joint shafts, the first and second robot arms sharing a first joint shaft; and a worktable being located at the main body portion and including a work surface where the robot performs work.

Abstract: An electronic-component mounting device is provided with: a gripping portion for holding an electronic component having a lead wire; a conveyance portion for conveying the electronic component gripped by the gripping portion onto a substrate to which an insertion hole is provided; and a swinging portion for swinging the electronic component and the substrate relative to each other, the electronic component being released on the substrate from gripping by the gripping portion.

Abstract: A transport device transports a container used in a sample measurement device or a rack housing the container. The transport device may include: a robotic arm configured to transport the container or the rack between a first sample measurement device and each of other sample measurement devices different from the first sample measurement device; and a controller that controls operation of the robotic arm.

Abstract: A sample pretreatment apparatus includes: a plurality of sample pretreatment sections, each of which executes a sample pretreatment prior to a measurement; and a robotic arm including: an articulated arm member; and a hand attached to the articulated arm member. The plurality of sample pretreatment sections includes a sample dispenser that dispenses a sample in a first sample container into a second sample container. For a first measurement, the robotic arm holds the second sample container with the hand and transports the second sample container to a pretreatment group of the plurality of sample pretreatment sections, the pretreatment group including the sample dispenser. For a second measurement, the robotic arm holds the second sample container with the hand and transports the second sample container to another pretreatment group of the plurality of sample pretreatment sections, the another pretreatment group including the sample dispenser.

Abstract: A robot includes: a restricting member configured to restrict a horizontal movement of a predetermined workpiece; and a workpiece moving member configured to generate an action for horizontally moving the workpiece. The controller performs a control operation of positioning the workpiece at a stop position in such a manner that: based on predetermined size information of the workpiece and preset stop position information of the workpiece, the restricting member is positioned at a predetermined restricting position included in the stop position for the workpiece, and the workpiece moving member acts on the workpiece and is moved toward the restricting position to horizontally move the workpiece; and the workpiece is brought into contact with the restricting member.

Abstract: A self-traveling articulated robot for working in a production factory is provided, which includes a carriage having at least two operation shafts driven by servomotors, respectively, and self-travelable in a two-dimensional plane, a robotic arm supported by the carriage and having at least one operation shaft driven by a servomotor and constituting a joint, an end effector provided to a tip portion of the robotic arm, and a control unit provided in the carriage and for controlling the operation shaft of the robotic arm and the operation shafts of the carriage to operate in cooperation with each other so that a control point defined in one of the robotic arm and the end effector reaches a target position.

Abstract: There is provided an end effector that is attached to a tip end of a robot arm for providing dispensation using a pipette and a chip attached to the pipette. The pipette includes a press button configured to draw a liquid into the chip or to discharge the liquid drawn into the chip from the chip as the press button is pressed and operated. The end effector includes a holding part for holding the pipette, a motor, and a swing part that presses and operates the press button as the swing part is driven and swung by the motor.

Abstract: A liquid surface detecting apparatus including: a retaining section that retains liquid as sample or reagent; a light emitter that emits light toward the liquid retained in the retaining section; an image capturing device that captures an image of the liquid retained in the retaining section; and a detecting device that detects a level of a liquid surface of the liquid retained in the retaining section based on the image of the liquid captured by the image capturing device, wherein the image capturing device is provided at a position such that the light, emitted by the light emitter and reflected by the liquid surface of the liquid, directly enters the image capturing device.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus that dispenses a sample into a well of a microplate, including a light emitter that emits light to the well, a light receiver that receives light emitted by the light emitter and returned from the well; and a control unit that determines whether foreign matter is present in the well based on information on the light received by the light receiver.

Abstract: A method of attaching a tip to a pipette, which is executed in a robot system, includes: making an end effector of a robot hold a pipette; bringing a vicinity portion of a distal end of the pipette into contact with or close to an edge of an opening formed in a base of a tip while tilting an axis direction of the pipette by a predetermined angle with respect to an axis direction of the tip; attaching the tip to the pipette by inserting the distal end of the pipette and the vicinity portion of the distal end of the pipette into the tip while raising the pipette such that the axis direction of the pipette is aligned with the axis direction of the tip; and separating the pipette and the tip attached to the pipette from the predetermined spot.

Abstract: A dispensing robot of an assay robot system includes a first contact surface oriented in a downward direction or an obliquely downward direction in a vertical direction and dispenses when the dispensing robot operates a pipette that allows a tip to be attached to a lower end of the pipette and the attached tip to be detached by pressing a tip ejector, the dispensing robot comprising: a robot arm having a hand to hold a pipette holding piece attached thereto; and a controller controls the robot arm such that the robot arm holds the pipette with the tip attached thereto by causing the hand to hold the pipette holding piece and that the robot arm is elevated and the tip ejector is pressed by bringing an upper end portion of the tip ejector of the held pipette into contact with the first contact surface from the downward direction.

Abstract: A reagent storage arranged at a predetermined position where predetermined work is able to be performed by a robot. The reagent storage cabinet includes: a container accommodating portion including an upper-surface opening portion and accommodating a reagent container; and a storage cabinet main body including a front-surface opening portion through which the container accommodating portion is put in and pulled out and a storage space communicating with the front-surface opening portion and accommodating the container accommodating portion. In an accommodated state that is a state where the container accommodating portion is accommodated in storage cabinet main body, the upper-surface opening portion of the container accommodating portion is sealed. In a pulled-out state that is a state where the container accommodating portion is pulled out from storage cabinet main body, the robot is able to directly access, from above, a reagent in the reagent container accommodated in the container accommodating portion.