Patent ID: 6425177
Filing Date: 2002-07-30
Classification: A61B,B23P,B25J,Y10T

Abstract:
An apparatus for positioning an object comprising:a base plate; a locator plate; a plurality of actuators interconnecting said base plate and said locator plate and being movable relative to one another to move said locator plate relative to said base plate, each of said actuators including a first end operatively connected to said base plate and a second end operatively connected to said locator plate, wherein said first end of a first actuator is paired with said first end of a second actuator at said base plate, and said first and second actuators extend divergently from said base plate to said locator plate such that said second end of said first actuator is paired with said second end of a third a actuator at said locator plate and said second end of said second actuator is paired with said second end of a fourth actuator at said locator plate; and a control circuit connected to said actuators for selectively actuating said actuators to move said locator plate to a predetermined position relative to said base plate and responsive to a force applied to said locator plate for actuating said actuators to change the applied force.