Spatial, parallel-architecture robotic carpal wrist

A robotic Carpal wrist comprising:

• a base member;
• a distal member;
• three basal linking members pivotally attached via basal pivoting structures to said base member at first ends of said basal linking members with said basal pivoting structures allowing a single degree-of-freedom between each of said basal linking members and said base member;
• three actuators mounted in fixed relationship relative to said base member and being connected to said three basal linking members for pivoting said basal linking members about pivot axes of said basal linking members;
• three connecting members, with each of said connecting members being pivotally attached to a corresponding one of said three basal linking members at a second end of said corresponding basal linking member, the connecting members each comprising a plurality of revolute joints;
• and
• said three connecting members each being pivotally attached to a corresponding distal linking member at a second end of said corresponding distal linking member, first ends of said distal linking members being pivotally attached via distal pivoting structures to said distal member, with said distal pivoting structures allowing a single degree-of-freedom between each of said distal linking members and said distal member.

A method for moving and positioning an element in space using a device that includes;

• a basal plate and a distal plate,
• six linking members, each having two ends and being of substantially equal length,
• a first three of said linking members each being connected at one end to said basal plate by a basal joint allowing a single degree-of-freedom, and at an opposite end to one of a second three of said linking members by a mid-joint allowing three degrees-of-freedom, said mid-joint comprising a plurality of revolute joints;
• and
• each of said second three of said linking members being connected at one end to said distal plate by a distal joint allowing a single degree-of-freedom, the method comprising:
• mounting the element to the distal plate, and
• moving and positioning the element by driving at
• least one of the linking members.