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Sensors in Flexible Manufacturing Systems
FIGURE 8.37 An unmanned laparoscopic robotic surgery machine. 421
Only a few non-Japanese companies ultimately managed to sur-
vive in this market, the major ones being Adept Technology, Stäubli-
Unimation, the Swedish-Swiss company ABB Asea Brown Boveri,
and the German company KUKA Robotics.
8.14.1 Technical Description
The following are several definitions of robotic terms.
• Number of axes. Two axes are required to reach any point in
a plane; three axes are required to reach any point in space. To
fully control the orientation of the end of the arm (i.e. the
wrist) three more axes (yaw, pitch, and roll) are required.
Some designs (e.g., the SCARA robot) trade limitations in
motion possibilities for cost, speed, and accuracy.
