Patent ID: 8338768

Claim:
An actuation assembly comprising: a casing; a plurality of linear actuators coupled to the casing and symmetrically arranged about a central axis, each of the linear actuators having first and second components and being configured to move the second component thereof relative to the first component thereof along a respective first axis; and a plurality of translational member sets, each being coupled to the second component of a respective one of the linear actuators and the casing and being configured such that when the second component of the respective linear actuator moves along the respective first axis, a selected portion of the translational member set moves substantially along a respective second axis, each of the second axes substantially orthogonal to the respective first axis, wherein: the translational member sets each comprise at least first and second members, the first member comprising the selected portion of the respective translational member set and a first engagement formation and the second member being coupled to the casing to rotate about a third axis and comprising a second engagement formation a distance from the third axis and mated with the first engagement formation, and the first and second engagement formations each have a length as measured in a direction substantially parallel to the first axis, the length of the first engagement formation being substantially different from the length of the second engagement formation.