Patent ID: 8635928

Claim:
A robotic arm deployment apparatus comprising: a housing and an arm mounted to the housing, the arm having a deployment path defined in the housing along which the arm can be deployed or retracted with respect to the housing, the arm comprising at least a first segment and a second segment, wherein the first and second segments respectively comprise a plurality of articulated links arranged sequentially along the arm; a first actuator having a first set of control cables operativley connected to a link in the first segment wherein the first actuator is operable to adjust the lengths of the first set of control cables, thereby to control the orientation of the link in the first segment; a second actuator having a second set of control cables operatively connected to a link in the second segment, wherein the second actuator is operable to adjust the lengths of the second set of control cables, thereby to control the orientation of the link in the second segment; and a guide arranged along the deployment path, the guide being adapted to constrain the arm within the guide to a straight configuration, and the guide having a length which is at least equal to the length of the first or second segments, wherein the first and second actuators are configured respectively to adjust the lengths of the first and second sets of control cables so that the first and second sets of control cables are at a predetermined tension when the first and second segments respectively are constrained to a straight configuration by the guide.