A robot comprising a chopstick, configured for at least four degrees of freedom of movement, a stiff body of shape and proportions approximate to a pool cue; an electromagnetic actuator, comprising a motor, for each degree of freedom of movement coupled with the stiff body, wherein the functional mapping from each actuator's motor current to torque output along an axis of motion is stored, and used in concert with a calibrated model of the robot for effective impedance control; and a 6-axis force/torque sensor mounted inline between the actuators and each chopstick.

A system comprises a database; at least one hardware processor coupled with the database; and one or more software modules that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, receive at least one of sensory data from a robot and images from a camera, identify and build models of objects in an environment, wherein the model encompasses immutable properties of identified objects including mass and geometry, and wherein the geometry is assumed not to change, estimate the state including position, orientation, and velocity, of the identified objects, determine based on the state and model, potential configurations, or pre-grasp poses, for grasping the identified objects and return multiple grasping configurations per identified object, determine an object to be picked based on a quality metric, translate the pre-grasp poses into behaviors that define motor forces and torques, communicate the motor forces and torques to the robot in order to allow the robot to perform a complex behavior generated from the behaviors.

A robot for making coffee and a method for controlling the same are provided to couple or decouple a portafilter to or from an espresso machine without damage to the espresso machine or the portafilter due to a collision between the espresso machine and the portafilter. The robot includes a robot arm to move with a predetermined degree of freedom, a gripper provided in the robot arm to grip a portafilter, a torque sensor provided in the robot arm to detect repulsive force (Fr) when the portafilter makes contact with a group head of an espresso machine, and a controller configured to set a virtual spring having a predetermined elastic modulus (C) based on the repulsive force (Fr) detected by the torque sensor, and to control driving torque (T) of the robot arm depending on the restoring force (Fe) of the virtual spring.

A computer-implemented method executed by a robotic system for performing a positional search process in an assembly task is presented. The method includes applying forces to a first component to be inserted into a second component, detecting the forces applied to the first component by employing a plurality of force sensors attached to a robotic arm of the robotic system, extracting training samples corresponding to the forces applied to the first component, normalizing time-series data for each of the training samples by applying a variable transformation about a right tilt direction, creating a time-series prediction model of transformed training data, applying the variable transformation with different directions for a test sample, and calculating a matching ratio between the created time-series prediction model and the transformed test sample.

A robot system includes a robot including leading end, base, and multi-articular arm, and circuitry that controls the atm to move the end based on motion control program specifying transition over time of target position and posture of the end, the transition including correction target portion starting and ending in the transition; controls the arm to move the end in response to guided manipulation applying external force to the robot while the circuitry controls the arm; obtains relative command information based on the target position and posture at start of the correction portion and specifying the target position and posture at points in the correction portion including start and end in the correction portion; and controls the arm to move the end from the position and posture based on the information, beginning at time when movement of the arm controlled by the circuitry in response to the manipulation has ended.

The velocity and force of a target is controlled to have a predetermined relationship, independently of changes in the velocity at which the target is driven using a velocity command value and in an external force from the target. A controller controls a control target, driven to generate a predetermined viscous force as a reaction force, by periodically outputting a command value to the control target using a target value calculated from a command pattern for driving the control target and a feedback value from the control target relative to the target value. A correction operation unit obtains a control physical quantity different from the command value, calculates a correction command value based on a relationship between an error of the obtained control physical quantity from its target value and an error of the feedback value from the target value, and outputs the correction command value to the control target.

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 detection unit. The robot control part, in which a range of control values for operating a robot by force control based on the force detection information is designated, operates the robot based on the control values and the designated range.

A method for controlling a mechanical system having a plurality of components interlinked by a plurality of driven joints, the method comprising: measuring torques or forces about or at the driven joints and forming a load signal representing the measured torques or forces; receiving a motion demand signal representing a desired state of the system; implementing an impedance control algorithm in dependence on the motion demand signal and the load signal to form a target signal indicating a target configuration for each of the driven joints; measuring the configuration of each of the driven joints and forming a state signal representing the measured configurations; and forming a set of drive signals for the joints by, for each joint, comparing the target configuration of that joint as indicated by the target signal to the measured configuration of that joint as indicated by the state signal.

A method for controlling a mechanical system having a plurality of components interlinked by a plurality of driven joints, the method comprising: measuring torques or forces about or at the driven joints and forming a load signal representing the measured torques or forces; receiving a motion demand signal representing a desired state of the system; implementing an impedance control algorithm in dependence on the motion demand signal and the load signal to form a target signal indicating a target configuration for each of the driven joints; measuring the configuration of each of the driven joints and forming a state signal representing the measured configurations; and forming a set of drive signals for the joints by, for each joint, comparing the target configuration of that joint as indicated by the target signal to the measured configuration of that joint as indicated by the state signal.

A method for controlling a mechanical system having a plurality of components interlinked by a plurality of driven joints, the method comprising: measuring torques or forces about or at the driven joints and forming a load signal representing the measured torques or forces; receiving a motion demand signal representing a desired state of the system; implementing an impedance control algorithm in dependence on the motion demand signal and the load signal to form a target signal indicating a target configuration for each of the driven joints; measuring the configuration of each of the driven joints and forming a state signal representing the measured configurations; and forming a set of drive signals for the joints by, for each joint, comparing the target configuration of that joint as indicated by the target signal to the measured configuration of that joint as indicated by the state signal.