MANIPULATOR DRIVE UNIT

PURPOSE:To obtain large driving force by expanding two thrust members by a rubber tube expanded by oil pressure through wedges in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rubber tube, thus driving the arm of an manipulator. CONSTITUTION:At the time of rotating an arm 2, oil pressure is fed into the rubber tube 10 of a power element 8 through oil pressure piping 12. Wedges 11 driven to the sides by the expanding rubber tube 10 bite wedge-like into thrust members 9 so as to expand them in he direction of an arrow. As a result, arms 1, 2 in contact with the thrust member 9 are relatively rotated around a hinge as a fulcrum, and the arm 2 is rotated upward at the tip in relation to the arm 1 with the fixed base end.