Adept Technology, Inc.

Carl R Witham

John W Meadows

Brian R Carlisle

Donald R Allan

An articulated direct drive robotic manipulator providing rotation of first and second arms about first and second parallel axes including first and second motors for driving the rotation of the first and second arms. A pedestal is mounted on a base, the first motor is directly coupled to a rotatable column in the pedestal for providing a first robot arm with a first degree of freedom, a second motor is coupled to a rotatable column coaxial to the first column for providing the manipulator with a second degree of freedom by rotation of the second arm. The distal end of the second arm includes support for an end effector for movement about a third axis which is a vertical axis and a fourth axis which is a rotational axis and support for a quill. Also included is a modular device adapted to be coupled to the end of the quill which can move within horizontal planes passing through the third axis to provide a fifth degree of freedom.

Direct drive robotic system

A direct drive robot which includes a pedestal having two motors which rotate around a common axis to directly drive rotation of first and of second linking arms which are rotating in a plane perpendicular to this pedestal. The first, inner link is preferably driven through a column directly driven by a first motor rotor, the column supporting the inner end of the link. The second, outer link is driven by the second coaxial direct drive motor through a simple, highly-tensioned belt and pulley arrangement. As a result of this direct drive arrangement, movement is provided about two separate parallel axes by two arms arranged perpendicular to the first axis which mounts the two major driving motors of the robot. These two arms are linked together between this major pedestal and the end effector of the robot, centralizing the driving motors at the main stabilizing pedestal, while providing rapid rotational movement around each of the two axes. The first axis is defined by the major pedestal, the second axis is defined by the junction between the inner and outer linking arms which connect the pedestal to the end effector.

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Dublin, CA, United States of America

Carl R Witham