An apparatus for labeling support structures includes: a chassis having a locomotive assembly, and supporting an effector assembly with an end movable relative to the chassis and carrying a label modification unit with an image sensor; a controller coupled to the locomotive assembly, effector assembly and label modification unit, and configured to: obtain label modification data defining a location relative to a support structure reference feature for a label modification operation; control the locomotive assembly to travel to the support structure; detect the reference feature via image data captured at the image sensor; control the effector assembly to place the label modification unit at the location relative to the reference feature; control the effector assembly and the label modification unit perform the label modification operation.

A method for automatically predetermining an intended movement of a manipulator arrangement of a medical system having a medical instrument and a recording means for generating images, wherein the recording means and/or the instrument is guided by the manipulator arrangement. The method includes establishing an intended transformation between a reference stationary in relation to the recording means and a reference stationary in relation to the instrument; monitoring a deviation between the intended transformation and a current transformation between the reference stationary in relation to the recording means and the reference stationary in relation to the instrument; and determining a reset movement of the manipulator arrangement for returning the current transformation to the intended transformation when the deviation satisfies a predetermined condition.

A robot controller, a measurement system and a calibration method, by which measurement regions for improving positioning accuracy of a robot can be appropriately generated. First and second measurement regions are specified in a movable range of the robot, the calibration of a mechanical parameter of the robot is executed in each measurement region, and calibration results are stored as first and second calibration results. When the difference between the calibration results exceeds a predetermined threshold, a third measurement region is specified between the first and second measurement regions, and the calibration is further executed in the third measurement region. The result of the further calibration is stored as a third calibration result.

A supplementary metrology position coordinates determination system is provided for use with a robot. A first accuracy level defined as a robot accuracy (e.g., for controlling and sensing an end tool position of an end tool that is mounted proximate to a distal end of a movable arm configuration of the robot) is based on using position sensors (e.g., encoders) included in the robot. The supplementary metrology position coordinates determination system includes an imaging configuration, XY scale, image triggering portion and processing portion. One of the XY scale or imaging configuration is coupled to the movable arm configuration and the other is coupled to a stationary element (e.g., a frame above the robot). The imaging configuration acquires an image of the XY scale, which is utilized to determine metrology position coordinates that are indicative of the end tool position, with an accuracy level that is better than the robot accuracy.

A supplementary metrology position coordinates determination system is provided for use with an articulated robot. A first accuracy level defined as a robot accuracy (e.g., for controlling and sensing an end tool position of an end tool that is coupled to a robot arm portion that moves in an XY plane), is based on using position sensors (e.g., rotary encoders) included in the robot. The supplementary system includes an imaging configuration, XY scale, image triggering portion and processing portion. One of the XY scale or imaging configuration is coupled to the robot arm portion and the other is coupled to a stationary element (e.g., a frame located above the robot). The imaging configuration acquires an image of the XY scale, which is utilized to determine a relative position that is indicative of the end tool position, with an accuracy level that is better than the robot accuracy.

A robot arm apparatus including: an arm unit made up of a plurality of links joined by one or a plurality of joint units, the arm unit is connectable to an imaging unit. An internal model including at least geometric information of the arm unit and focus position information of the imaging unit is updated based on internal model information acquired in a state in which the imaging unit is pointed at a reference point in a real space.

A robot control apparatus includes: a robot control unit to control operation of a robot using calibration data; an image processing unit to acquire camera coordinates of a reference marker from image data acquired by a vision sensor; an error calculating unit to calculate an error on a basis of a difference between camera coordinates of the reference marker corresponding to the calibration data and current camera coordinates of the reference marker; a calibration-data calculating unit to calculate new calibration data when an absolute value of the error becomes greater than a threshold; and a calibration-data storing unit to register the new calibration data. The robot control apparatus causes the calibration-data calculating unit to calculate the new calibration data a plurality of times while causing the robot to operate between the calculations and causes the calibration-data storing unit to register a plurality of pieces of calibration data.

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for estimating a systematic error of a commissioning tool of an industrial robot, the industrial robot including an operational tool and an application camera, the commissioning tool including a touchscreen and a stylus, the method including: a driving step of driving the operational tool to rotate around a preset rotation axis; a first image obtaining step of obtaining a plurality of first images of the operational tool during rotation; and a first offset calculating step of calculating a first offset of the stylus relative to the operational tool according to the plurality of first images, so as to obtain the systematic error.

A robot includes an instruction receiving unit that receives a calibration initiation instruction, and an arm that changes a positional relationship between a marker which indicates a reference point and a capturing unit when the calibration initiation instruction is received, in which the calibration of a coordinate system of the capturing unit and a coordinate system of the robot is performed on the basis of an image in which the marker is captured by the capturing unit after the positional relationship between the capturing unit and the marker changes.

A positioning system using a robot, capable of eliminating an error factor of the robot such as thermal expansion or backlash can be eliminated, and carrying out positioning of the robot with accuracy higher than inherent positioning accuracy of the robot. The positioning system has a robot with a movable arm, visual feature portions provided to a robot hand, and vision sensors positioned at a fixed position outside the robot and configured to capture the feature portions. The hand is configured to grip an object on which the feature portions are formed, and the vision sensors are positioned and configured to capture the respective feature portions.