The invention relates to a robot, a robot control system, and a method for controlling a robot. The robot comprises a movable, multi-membered robot structure (102) that can be driven by means of actuators (101), at least one marked structural element S being defined on the movable robot structure (102), with at least one point P.sub.S marked on the structural element S. The robot is designed such that, in an input mode, it learns positions POS.sub.PS of the point PS and/or poses of the structural element S in a work space of the robot, the user exerting an input force F.sub.EING on the movable robot structure in order to move the structural element S, which is conveyed to the point P.sub.S as F.sub.EING,PS, and/or to the structural element S as torque M.sub.EING,S. A control device (103) of the robot is designed such that, in the input mode, the actuators (101) are controlled on the basis of a pre-defined space-fixed virtual 3D grid that at least partially fills the work space, such that the structural element S is moved with a pre-defined force F.sub.GRID (POS.sub.PS), according to the current position POS.sub.PS of the point P.sub.S in the 3D grid, to the adjacent grid point of the 3D grid or in a grid point space defined around the adjacent grid point of the 3D grid, the point P.sub.S of the structural element S remaining on said adjacent grid point or in said grid point space in the event of the following holding true: |F.sub.EING,PS|<|F.sub.GRID(POS.sub.PS) and/or, in the input mode, the actuators (101) are controlled on the basis of a pre-defined virtual discrete 3D orientation space O, where the 3D orientation space O=: (.sub.i, .sub.j, .sub.k) where i=1, 2, . . . , I, j=1, 2, . . . J, k=1, 2, . . . , K is defined or can be defined by a pre-defined angle .sub.i, .sub.j, .sub.k, in such a way that the structural element S is moved with a pre-defined torque)(SO ROM according to the current orientation OR.sub.S of the structural element, towards the adjacent discrete orientation of the 3D orientation space O=: (.sub.i, .sub.j, .sub.k), S, the structural element remaining in said adjacent discrete orientation of the 3D orientation space O in the event that the following holds true: |M.sub.EING,S|<|M.sub.O(OR.sub.S).

Generating a robot control policy that regulates both motion control and interaction with an environment and/or includes a learned potential function and/or dissipative field. Some implementations relate to resampling temporally distributed data points to generate spatially distributed data points, and generating the control policy using the spatially distributed data points. Some implementations additionally or alternatively relate to automatically determining a potential gradient for data points, and generating the control policy using the automatically determined potential gradient. Some implementations additionally or alternatively relate to determining and assigning a prior weight to each of the data points of multiple groups, and generating the control policy using the weights. Some implementations additionally or alternatively relate to defining and using non-uniform smoothness parameters at each data point, defining and using d parameters for stiffness and/or damping at each data point, and/or obviating the need to utilize virtual data points in generating the control policy.

Generating a robot control policy that regulates both motion control and interaction with an environment and/or includes a learned potential function and/or dissipative field. Some implementations relate to resampling temporally distributed data points to generate spatially distributed data points, and generating the control policy using the spatially distributed data points. Some implementations additionally or alternatively relate to automatically determining a potential gradient for data points, and generating the control policy using the automatically determined potential gradient. Some implementations additionally or alternatively relate to determining and assigning a prior weight to each of the data points of multiple groups, and generating the control policy using the weights. Some implementations additionally or alternatively relate to defining and using non-uniform smoothness parameters at each data point, defining and using d parameters for stiffness and/or damping at each data point, and/or obviating the need to utilize virtual data points in generating the control policy.

Provided is a robot system including a robot including at least one sensor that detects an applied external force and a controller that controls the robot. The controller changes an operation mode of the robot when performing lead-through teaching in accordance with a position and a pattern of the external force detected by the sensor.

A cooperation robot for moving a bumper to a predetermined position of a vehicle in a vehicle production system includes: a multi-axis arm, a front end portion of which is connected to and a rear end portion of which is connected to a robot body so that the multi-axis arm is movably disposed to upper, lower, left and right sides on the basis of the robot body. The multi-axis arm is disposed to rotate the gripper. A force torque (FT) sensor is disposed between the multi-axis arm and the gripper and detects a direction of external force which is applied to the gripper and the bumper gripped by the gripper. An operator controls the multi-axis arm so that positions of the gripper and the bumper vary. A controller controls the operator according to the direction of the external force detected by the FT sensor when the multi-axis arm is in a stand-by condition to move the gripper in the direction the external force.

A cooperation robot for moving a bumper to a predetermined position of a vehicle in a vehicle production system includes: a multi-axis arm, a front end portion of which is connected to and a rear end portion of which is connected to a robot body so that the multi-axis arm is movably disposed to upper, lower, left and right sides on the basis of the robot body. The multi-axis arm is disposed to rotate the gripper. A force torque (FT) sensor is disposed between the multi-axis arm and the gripper and detects a direction of external force which is applied to the gripper and the bumper gripped by the gripper. An operator controls the multi-axis arm so that positions of the gripper and the bumper vary. A controller controls the operator according to the direction of the external force detected by the FT sensor when the multi-axis arm is in a stand-by condition to move the gripper in the direction the external force.

Some implementations are directed to methods and apparatus for determining, based on sensor data generated during physical manipulation of a robot by a user, one or more grasp parameters to associate with an object model. Some implementations are directed to methods and apparatus for determining control commands to provide to actuator(s) of a robot to attempt a grasp of an object, where those control commands are determined based on grasp parameters associated with an object model that conforms to the object. The grasp parameter(s) associated with an object model may include end effector pose(s) that each define a pose of a grasping end effector relative to the object model and/or translational force measure(s) that each indicate force applied to an object by a grasping end effector, where the force is at least partially the result of translation of an entirety of the grasping end effector.

An industrial robot including a movable robot arm for supporting a tool, and a control unit configured to control the movement of the robot. The control unit is provided with an alignment function for aligning the tool with at least one specified axis. The control unit is configured to supervise the movement of the robot, and to automatically adjust the orientation of the tool so that the tool is aligned with the specified axis upon detecting that the movement of the robot has been stopped and the alignment function is activated. Also disclosed is a method for controlling the industrial robot, and to the use of the method for teaching a robot a path including a plurality of target points by lead-through programming.

An industrial robot including a movable robot arm for supporting a tool, and a control unit configured to control the movement of the robot. The control unit is provided with an alignment function for aligning the tool with at least one specified axis. The control unit is configured to supervise the movement of the robot, and to automatically adjust the orientation of the tool so that the tool is aligned with the specified axis upon detecting that the movement of the robot has been stopped and the alignment function is activated. Also disclosed is a method for controlling the industrial robot, and to the use of the method for teaching a robot a path including a plurality of target points by lead-through programming.

A dummy tool is used to teach a robot the path the robot will follow to perform work on a workpiece to eliminate the possibility of damaging an actual tool during the training. The dummy tool provides the robot programmer an indication of potential collisions between the tool and the workpiece and other objects in the work cell when path is being taught. The dummy tool can have a detachable input/output device with a graphic user interface (GUI) that can communicate wirelessly with the robot controller. The dummy tool can also have a moveable camera attached thereto to track the relationship of the tool to objects in the work area.