A system for controlled distribution of components, the system including a vibrating bowl provided with an enclosure having a wall extending right around an axis of revolution of the bowl and in which the components are placed in bulk, and an articulated gripping arm provided to distribute the components to the automatic assembly installation, the vibrating bowl including an ascending helical ramp extending along an internal face of the wall between a base and an upper edge of the vibrating bowl constituting an exit of the ramp, the components being able to travel along this ramp towards a supply platform, particularly a slide, on which at least one component is arranged in advance of its seizure by the articulated gripping arm, the supply platform being connected to the exit and extending above or in the enclosure of the vibrating bowl.

This system includes a robot and a machine tool or another robot for cooperating with each other, and the system is provided with a reference clock that updates time periodically. The robot and the machine tool or another robot is equipped with: an internal clock; a storage unit which, by previously executing a created operation program on the basis of the internal clock, stores therein data regarding positions and times involved in said operation program between a synchronization start command and a synchronization end command; and an operation unit which causes, during synchronous operation in the operation program, the robot and the machine tool or another robot, to operate in synchronization with the reference clock on the basis of the reference clock and data of the positions and times of the operation program that have been stored by the storage unit.

A system for controlling the position of an articulated robotic arm includes a robotic catheter procedure system having the articulated robotic arm and a controller coupled to the articulated robotic arm. The system further includes a patient table positioned proximate to and separate from the articulated robotic arm and a tracking system coupled to the controller and configured to measure a change in a position of the patient table. The controller is configured to adjust the position of the articulated robotic arm based on the measured change in position of the patient table.

This control device is able to prevent the position displacement of a workpiece supported by a workpiece moving device. The control device includes a workpiece moving device controller configured to control the workpiece moving device wherein a time constant corresponding to a time period from a commencement to an termination of acceleration and deceleration of the workpiece moving device is longer for causing the robot and the workpiece moving device to perform an operation other than the workpiece processing operation, compared with the time constant for performing a workpiece processing operation in which the robot and the workpiece moving device perform work on the workpiece in cooperation with each other.

A microplate handling apparatus comprising: a housing; a robotic arm mounted to the housing; and a controller located within the housing and arranged to control the robotic arm and further arranged to control an instrument. By embedding the controller within the robotic arm rather than having it as a separate PC the controller becomes a dedicated controller for the robotic arm and any associated instruments. As the controller is a dedicated controller, users are less likely to attempt to make use of the controller for any other purpose. The system provider/installer retains much greater control of the set up, e.g. of the operating system and software installation. There is a much lower likelihood of conflicting software or erroneous settings causing software problems. This reduces the number of software support problems that need to be answered which in turn reduces the cost of the system itself and/or any associated support contract. This benefit is particularly relevant to smaller, bench top systems where the operational scale (lab scale) is generally smaller and project budgets are also smaller. Thus the equipment and support cost is of much greater importance in such systems.

The present invention relates to devices and methods for controlled motion of a tool. In one embodiment, the device can support a tool needed to perform an activity requiring a highly-precise, stable motion, while also accommodating a person's hand for the purposes of moving the tool. In another embodiment, the device of the present invention allows for rotational motion of a tool independently of the directive motion of the tool. In yet another embodiment, the present invention relates to the design of a force transducer useful in a cooperative robot. The device and methods of the present invention are particularly useful for microsurgery or other tasks that are typically performed using cooperative robotics.

A system for controlling the position of an articulated robotic arm includes a robotic catheter procedure system having the articulated robotic arm and a controller coupled to the articulated robotic arm. The system further includes a tracking system coupled to the controller and configured to measure a change in a position of a patient table positioned proximate to and separate from the articulated robotic arm. The controller is configured to adjust the position of the articulated robotic arm based on the measured change in position of the patient table.

The control system includes a first controller, a second controller, and a third controller. The third controller includes a first communication module, a second communication module, and a control processing module configured to output a first operation command for operating the first controlled object to the first controller via the first communication module, configured to output a second operation command for operating the second controlled object to the second controller via the second communication module, configured to switch a mode between a normal control mode and a synchronous control mode, and configured to output, to the second controller via the second communication module, a command to decrease the second gain during at least part of a period of the synchronous control mode as compared with the normal control mode.

A system for controlling the position of an articulated robotic arm includes a robotic catheter procedure system having the articulated robotic arm and a controller coupled to the articulated robotic arm. The system further includes a patient table positioned proximate to and separate from the articulated robotic arm and a tracking system coupled to the controller and configured to measure a change in a position of the patient table. The controller is configured to adjust the position of the articulated robotic arm based on the measured change in position of the patient table.

A system for controlling the position of an articulated robotic arm in a robotic catheter procedure system, includes an articulated robotic arm, a first controller coupled to the articulated robotic arm and a patient table. The patient table includes a user interface and a second controller coupled to the user interface and the first controller. The second controller is programmed to generate a control signal in response to a user input received using the patient table user interface, the user input indicating a change in position of the patient table. The second controller is also programmed to transmit the control signal to the patient table and to transmit the control signal to the first controller.