Patent ID: 7803034

Claim:
A system for moving and positioning an object, comprising: a first assembly comprising a first rotatable portion that is rotatable about a first axis; a second assembly comprising a second rotatable portion that is rotatable about a second axis that is parallel to but not coincident with the first axis; a third assembly comprising a third rotatable portion that is rotatable about a third axis that is parallel to but not coincident with both the first and second axes; an object coupled to the third assembly and lying along an object axis that is transverse to each of the first, second and third axes and lies in an object motion plane; wherein the assemblies are coupled such that rotation of the first rotatable portion causes eccentric rotation of the second and third rotatable portions about the first axis, and rotation of the second rotatable portion causes eccentric rotation of the third rotatable portion about the second axis, to position the object in the object motion plane; wherein rotation of the third rotatable portion causes rotation of the object about a object positioning axis that is orthogonal to the object motion plane, to angularly position the object in the object motion plane; and a controller for causing one or each of the first, second and third rotatable portions to rotate, so as to establish a desired position of the object in the object motion plane, and a desired angular position of the object in the object motion plane.