DEPLOYABLE ROBOTIC ARM

1 . A robotic arm system, comprising:

a mechanical ground;

a first joint; and

a manipulator coupled to the first joint, the manipulator rotatable relative to the mechanical ground at the first joint, the manipulator comprising:

a manipulator link coupled to the first joint;

a second joint coupled to the manipulator link distal from the first joint;

an elevation linkage coupled to the manipulator link at the second joint;

a wrist coupled to the elevation linkage distal from the second joint, the wrist translatable via the elevation linkage without changing orientation relative to the elevation linkage, the wrist having multiple degrees of freedom; and

an end effector coupled to the wrist.

2 . The robotic arm system of claim 1 , comprising a vehicle that acts as the mechanical ground, and the first joint is coupled to the vehicle.

3 . The robotic arm system of claim 2 , wherein the first joint is coupled to the vehicle through a deployment link that is coupled to a deployment joint that is coupled to the vehicle, the deployment link movable between a stowed position adjacent a side of the vehicle and a deployed position apart from the side of the vehicle.

4 . The robotic arm system of claim 3 , wherein the deployment joint comprises a 1 degree of freedom (DoF) joint configured to angularly adjust the deployment link between the stowed position and the deployed position.

5 . The robotic arm system of claim 4 , wherein the deployment joint comprises a yaw joint configured to angularly adjust the deployment link between the stowed position and the deployed position about a vertical axis.

6 . The robotic arm system of claim 3 , wherein:

the first joint and the manipulator link are configured such that the manipulator link is rotatable to a storage position under the deployment link in the stowed position,

the second joint and the elevation linkage are configured such that the elevation linkage is rotatable to a storage position under the manipulator link in the stowed position, and

the deployment link, the manipulator link, and the elevation linkage are positioned in parallel against the side of vehicle in the stowed position.

7 . The robotic arm system of claim 2 , wherein the manipulator is configured to move a payload from or onto a support surface positioned in the vehicle.

8 . The robotic arm system of claim 7 , wherein the support surface comprises a table that is movable within the vehicle to position the payload at or near one or more storage racks in the vehicle.

9 . The robotic arm system of claim 1 , wherein the first joint comprises a first yaw joint, and the second joint comprises a second yaw joint, the system comprising a third yaw joint coupled in a deployment system between the mechanical ground and the manipulator.

10 . The robotic arm system of claim 9 , wherein each of the first, second, and third yaw joints is configured for angular displacement about respective first, second and third vertical axes.

11 . The robotic arm system of claim 8 , wherein each of the first, second, and third yaw joints comprise a slip ring joint that is configured for 360° angular displacement about the respective first, second and third vertical axes.

12 . The robotic arm system of claim 1 , wherein the first joint is coupled to the mechanical ground through a deployment system that comprises a deployment joint, the deployment joint comprising:

a roll joint configured to adjust a level position of the manipulator with respect to a support surface; and

a pitch joint configured to adjust an orientation position of the manipulator relative to a gravity vector.

13 . The robotic arm system of claim 12 , wherein the elevation linkage comprises at least one gravity compensating spring oriented to align with the gravity vector in response to the roll joint adjusting a position of the manipulator level with the support surface and in response to the pitch joint adjusting a position of the manipulator aligned with the gravity vector.

14 . The robotic arm system of claim 12 , wherein a proportion of a force asserted by the at least one gravity compensating spring that acts to oppose a gravitational load force of a payload held by the end effector is maximized based on the at least one gravity compensating spring oriented to align with the gravity vector.

15 . The robotic arm system of claim 12 , wherein each axis of rotation of the first joint and the second joint is aligned with vertical in response to the roll joint adjusting a position of the manipulator level with the support surface and in response to the pitch joint adjusting a position of the manipulator aligned with the gravity vector.

16 . The robotic arm system of claim 12 , wherein the deployment joint comprises a skewed yaw joint coupled to the roll joint.

17 . The robotic arm system of claim 12 , wherein the roll joint comprises a self-leveling roll joint, and the pitch joint comprises a self-aligning pitch joint.

18 . The robotic arm system of claim 12 , wherein the roll joint comprises a roll joint actuator, and the pitch joint comprises a pitch joint actuator, the system comprising an electronic control system configured to perform operations comprising:

autonomously control the roll joint actuator to operate the roll joint to adjust the level position of the manipulator with respect to the support surface; and

autonomously control the pitch joint actuator to operate the pitch joint to adjust the orientation position of the manipulator relative to the gravity vector.

19 . The robotic arm system of claim 16 , wherein the skewed yaw joint has a skewed yaw axis of rotation.

20 . The robotic arm system of claim 19 , wherein the deployment system comprises a deployment link having a link axis, and the deployment link is rotatable about the skewed yaw axis from a first position at which the link axis is horizontal to a deployment position at which the link axis is not horizontal.

21 . The robotic arm system of claim 1 , wherein the wrist comprises a wrist yaw joint, a wrist roll joint, and a wrist pitch joint.

22 . The robotic arm system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic arm system comprises a yaw, roll, pitch, yaw, yaw, elevation kinematic chain.

23 . The robotic arm system of claim 1 , wherein the end effector is adapted to radially grasp a payload.