A system for monitoring a condition of a machine includes an acoustic detector configured to capture an audio signal of the machine. A controller is communicatively coupled to the audio detector and configured to transmit the audio signal to a remote computing unit. The remote computing unit configured to generate a condition status signal based on at least one of an unsupervised machine learning process or a supervised machine learning process. The controller is configured to receive the condition status signal from the remote computing unit and communicate a condition status based on the received condition status signal.

A control device includes a control section configured to control a motion of a robot arm using values detected by a plurality of distance sensors. The plurality of distance sensors include a first distance sensor and a second distance sensor disposed in a first direction orthogonal to the axial direction of a dispenser. The second distance sensor is disposed in a position further apart from the dispenser than the first distance sensor. The control section executes, on a robot, a first instruction for causing the robot to execute discharge of a discharge object by the dispenser when a distance acquired by the first distance sensor is a distance in a predetermined range and a distance acquired by the second distance sensor is a distance larger than the distance in the predetermined range.

A drilling method is provided allowing drilling in confined spaces with less effort. Two independent data sources are used for reducing tolerances between the component to be joined to the workpiece. The component is measured at the supplier using photogrammetry or laser scanning. First geometric data of the component obtained by this measurement are put in a data storage, such as a barcode tag or database. At the manufacturer, the first geometric data are used to position the component relative to the workpiece. Subsequently, the component is measured to obtain second geometric data indicative of the positions and diameters of the component joining holes. After determining a deviation between the first and second geometric data to be smaller than a predetermined threshold, the automatic drill is positioned at the correct drilling location and joining holes are drilled into the workpiece. Finally, the component and the workpiece are joined by fasteners.

A process for marking the real position and real orientation of a tool in relation to the manipulator arm of a robot. The process utilizes the amplitude measurements of acoustic signals and the flight time measurement of the acoustic waves emitted by an acoustic probe of the tool and reflected by the fixed reference elements. The position of the center of reference of the probe relative to the end of the manipulator arm is determined. The axes X and Y defining the plane of the probe along reference axes X and Y of known orientations are oriented so that the modification of the position and of the orientation of the probe in the reference frame can be defined. The displacements of the manipulator arm are managed by the controller based on the position of the probe in relation to the manipulator arm and the reference orientation of the probe.

A robot device includes an arm holding a probe of an ultrasonic diagnostic device and a force sensor provided on the arm, supports a manual operation of the probe by an operator based on a signal from the force sensor, operates the arm to automatically operate the probe based on an instruction of the operator, and includes a storage device and a control device. The storage device stores a position and a posture of the probe for each point among multiple random points by the manual operation. The control device interpolates a trajectory between the multiple points stored in the storage device, and operates the arm such that the probe moves along the trajectory in the automatic operation and can stop at a desired position between the multiple points based on the instruction of the operator.

A diagnostic imaging system comprising: a manipulator arm of a robot, the manipulator arm or robot system, comprising a plurality of elements interconnected to each other by a plurality of joints whereby each element is rotatable relative to an adjoining element of the manipulator arm; a diagnostic ultrasound probe module comprising an ultrasound transducer, the diagnostic module being coupled to one of the elements of the manipulator arm by a coupling arrangement to allow movement of the diagnostic module relative to said one of the elements of the manipulator arm; a controller coupled to the manipulator arm and coupling arrangement to employ the manipulator arm to move the diagnostic ultrasound probe module relative to a subject's anatomy, the subject being positioned on a bed frame, wherein the controller is arranged to control the movement of the plurality of elements and the coupling assembly in a plurality of operable modes such that in each operable mode, motion of the ultrasound probe module relative to the subject's anatomy is limited by limiting movement of one or more of the joints of the manipulator arm in said operable mode to limit motion of the diagnostic ultrasound probe module within a pre-defined range.

A method of operating a machine tool apparatus, including: causing a tool mounted on the machine tool apparatus to work on a workpiece, during the working of the workpiece by the tool, at least one sensor monitoring the tool, machine tool apparatus and/or workpiece, for one or more signals indicative of the condition of the tool; and using the output of the one or more sensors to automatically configure when and/or how the tool and/or workpiece is inspected by at least one inspection device, the output of which is used to determine whether or not to keep using the tool.

An ultrasound diagnostic system is an ultrasound diagnostic system that performs diagnosis by moving an ultrasound probe by a robot. The system includes an arm section configured to hold the ultrasound probe, a motor section configured to move the arm section, an amplifier section configured to supply power to the motor section, a robot control section configured to output a control signal to the amplifier section, and a monitoring section configured to monitor states of respective sections constituting a system and shift to a predetermined safety state when an abnormality occurs in any of the respective sections.

A computer numerical control machine tool with a machine head having one or more process tools. The machine head is moveable with respect to a workpiece. A position sensor system detects the position of the machine head relative to the workpiece. A controller coupled to the position sensor system provides closed loop control of the position of the machine head relative to the workpiece. The position sensor system includes an ultrasonic probe. Also a method of controlling the position of a computer numerical control machine tool.

A process for marking the real position and real orientation of a tool in relation to the manipulator arm of a robot. The process utilizes the amplitude measurements of acoustic signals and the flight time measurement of the acoustic waves emitted by an acoustic probe of the tool and reflected by the fixed reference elements. The position of the center of reference of the probe relative to the end of the manipulator arm is determined. The axes X and Y defining the plane of the probe along reference axes X and Y of known orientations are oriented so that the modification of the position and of the orientation of the probe in the reference frame can be defined. The displacements of the manipulator arm are managed by the controller based on the position of the probe in relation to the manipulator arm and the reference orientation of the probe.