Delta mechanism with enhanced torsional stiffness

A robot, comprising:

• a translation stage;
• a translation assembly operatively connected to said translation stage so as to impart linear motions to said translation stage, wherein said translation assembly comprises a plurality of at least three arms pivotably connected to said translation stage at a first end of each arm of said plurality of at least three arms;
• a base assembly wherein each arm is rotationally connected thereto at a second end of each arm;
• and
• a control system configured to communicate with said translation assembly to control motion of said translation stage in response to commands by a user,
• wherein each arm of said plurality of at least three arms comprises three rigid elongate structures arranged substantially parallel and non-coplanar with respect to each other so as to act in cooperation to cancel torques so that substantially purely linear motion is imparted to said translation stage by said plurality of at least three arms, and
• wherein said translation assembly constrains motion of said translation stage to be substantially purely translational motion free of rotational motion,
• wherein said base assembly comprises three substantially parallel, non-coplanar track assemblies extending from a base structure, wherein each of said three track assemblies is configured to receive a corresponding one of said arms of said plurality of at least three arms such that each arm is slidable along a respective track of said track assemblies as well as being rotatable about an axis substantially orthogonal to a direction of said track extending from said base structure.