A compliant joint is provided for prosthetic and robotic devices which permits rotation in three different planes. The joint provides for the controlled use of cable under motion. Perpendicular outer mounting frames are joined by swaged cables that interlock at a center block. Ball bearings allow for the free rotation of the second mounting frame relative to the first mounting frame within a predetermined angular rotation that is controlled by two stop devices. The cables allow for compliance at the stops and the cables allow for compliance in six degrees of freedom enabling the duplication or simulation of the rotational movement and flexibility of a natural hip or knee joint, as well as the simulation of a joint designed for a specific robotic component for predetermined design parameters.
A compliancy joint for a robot has six degrees of compliancy freedom and comprises a housing having an inner ring. A float block is movably disposed in the interior of the housing and a plurality of circumferentially arranged pneumatic cylinders on the housing apply force circumferentially to the float block. Sensors are used to detect when the float block is near its compliancy limit and a controller is operatively connected to the sensors and the cylinders for preventing the float block from reaching its compliancy limit. This joint is able to break away from the robot should the robot exceed the device's compliancy limit, preventing damage to the robot and robot end of arm tooling.
A composite flexure unit 10, 10', 120 includes a flexure member (12, 12', 12", 100) comprising a low modulus of elasticity material. The flexure unit (10, 10', 120) includes a first portion (22, 122) for mounting the flexure (12, 12', 12", 100), a second portion (32, 124) for mounting the flexure, and a third portion (40, 121) connecting the first portion (22, 122) to the second portion (32, 124). The flexure (12, 12', 12", 100) is bendable about a rotational axis passing through the third portion (40, 121) of the flexure member. A tension load bearing element (18A, 18B, 18C, 18D, 18E, 18F, 18G, 120) comprising a high modulus of elasticity material provides longitudinal strength and stiffness to the flexure (12, 12', 12", 100) without significantly increasing flexion stiffness about the rotational axis (14) is incorporated with the flexure.
A method and an array filling system for loading a plurality of disparate sample containers, the sample containers comprising an integral structure. Each receptacle is characterized by a hydrophilic surface, and the receptacles are separated by a hydrophobic surface. The system has a liquid transfer device capable of holding liquid and adapted for motion to cause sequential communication of liquid held in the liquid transfer device with successive receptacles of the array by dragging the liquid across the hydrophobic surface.
