A control method for a robot includes a first working step of executing first work on a first working object by operating a robot arm by force control based on a predetermined position command value, a first memory step of storing first position information of a trajectory in which a control point set for the robot arm passes at the first working step, and a second working step of updating a position command value for the robot arm based on the first position information stored at the first memory step, and executing second work on a second working object by operating the robot arm by the force control based on an updated value as the updated position command value.

A robot control apparatus includes a processor that is configured to: receive first position information representing a first position in which a first operation including force control to be performed based on magnitude of a force detected by a force detector should be executed; determine an initial value of one of a mass coefficient and a viscosity coefficient that should be used in the force control of the first operation based on specific information on a configuration of a robot stored in a memory unit and the first position information; and store the initial value in the memory.

A robot control apparatus includes a robot control part that controls a robot; and a force detection information acquisition part that acquires force detection information from a force detector. The robot control part allows the robot to move a first object closer to a second object and, if a magnitude of at least one of a force and moment contained in the force detection information exceeds a predetermined first threshold value, to perform an operation of bringing a first surface of the first object into surface contact with a second surface of the second object according to position control and force control based on a predetermined distance and a predetermined velocity.

Techniques are provided for achieving stable tracking and/or manipulation by robots of objects. In various implementations, it may be detected, based on force signal(s) from force sensor(s), that an end effector of the robot has made physical contact with an environmental object. Based on the force signal(s), end effector constraint(s) may be identified. These constraint(s) may include a position constraint associated with position control of the end effector and/or a grasp force constraint associated with grasp force control of the end effector. Error measure(s) may be determined based on a measured position/force of the end effector. The error measure(s) may include a position control and/or grasp control error. The measured position and/or force may be compared with the end effector constraint(s) to reduce an impact of the error measure(s) on operation of the robot.

There is provided a robot apparatus which is characterized by comprising: a robot comprising a plurality of motors for driving respective joints and a sensor for obtaining force acting on a hand tip; and a controlling unit for obtaining a torque instruction value for each of the plurality of motors such that a force deviation between the force acting on the hand tip and a force target value becomes small, controlling driving of each of the plurality of motors based on the torque instruction value, and performing a stopping process of decreasing the force target value when a stop order for stopping the robot is received.

In some aspects, a control algorithm is provided for manipulating a pair of articulation arms configured to control an articulation angle of an end effector of a robotic surgical instrument. Other aspects of the present disclosure focus on the robotic arm system, including the pair of articulation arms coupled to the end effector and guided by independent motors controlled by a control circuit. Each of the articulation arms are designed to exert antagonistic forces competing against each other that are apportioned according to a ratio specified in the control algorithm. The ratio of the antagonistic forces may be used to determine the articulation angle of the head or end effector of the robotic surgical arm.

Telerobotic, telesurgical, and/or surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods employ surgical robotic linkages that may have more degrees of freedom than an associated surgical end effector in space. A processor can calculate a tool motion that includes pivoting of the tool about an aperture site. Linkages movable along a range of configurations for a given end effector position may be driven toward configurations which inhibit collisions. Refined robotic linkages and methods for their use are also provided.

A robot control apparatus that controls a robot having a movable part provided with a force detection unit includes a robot control part that performs force control on the movable part based on output of the force detection unit, wherein, when an insertion job of moving at least one of a first object and a second object having an insertion portion and inserting the first object into the insertion portion is performed by the movable part, the robot control part performs the force control on the movable part at least in a part of the insertion job, and a first target force of the force control for the movable part to position the first object in a first position and a second target force of the force control for the movable part to position the first object in a second position different from the first position are different.

The present invention provides a workpiece contact state estimating device and a workpiece contact state estimation method to estimate an actual state of contact of a workpiece A with a peripheral object on the basis of a feasible contact acting force range, which is a feasible range of the value of a contact acting force (the force acting on a manipulator 1 generated by contact) prepared in advance for each of a plurality of types of contact states that are feasible as the states of contact of the workpiece A with the peripheral object, and a measurement value of the contact acting force at the time of contact of the workpiece A with the peripheral object.

Telerobotic, telesurgical, and/or surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods employ surgical robotic linkages that may have more degrees of freedom than an associated surgical end effector in space. A processor can calculate a tool motion that includes pivoting of the tool about an aperture site. Linkages movable along a range of configurations for a given end effector position may be driven toward configurations which inhibit collisions. Refined robotic linkages and methods for their use are also provided.