A following robot including an arm, at least one visual sensor, a feature-value storage unit that stores, as target data for causing the visual sensor to follow a follow target, first feature values related to at least the position and the orientation of the follow target, a feature-value detecting unit for detecting, by using an image acquired by the visual sensor, second feature values related to at least current position and orientation of the follow target, a movement-amount computing unit computing a movement instruction based on differences between the second feature values and the first feature values and adjusting the movement instruction by using at least feedforward control, a movement instructing unit which moves the arm based on the movement instruction, and an input-value storage unit that stores a signal acquired when a specific motion of the follow target is started and an input value for the feedforward control.

After a forward end of a workpiece is inserted into a through-hole and fitting is started, a follow operation of moving the workpiece to follow the shape of the through-hole is performed during the movement of the workpiece in a fitting direction. At this time, the workpiece is fitted into the through-hole while a control point of a robot is changed in a direction opposite to the fitting direction according to the amount of movement of the workpiece in the fitting direction.

A robot includes a robot arm, a force sensor, and a control unit configured to control the operation of the robot art. The control unit initializes the force sensor while the robot arm is moving at uniform speed. It is preferable that the control unit initializes the force sensor while the robot arm is moving at the uniform speed and the amplitude of a detection value of the force sensor is smaller than a threshold.

A human cooperation robot system includes: an external force detecting unit that detects an external force acting on a robot; a retreat operation commanding unit that commands a retreat operation for causing the robot to be moved in a direction such that the external force is decreased when the external force detected by the external force detecting unit is greater than a first threshold value; and an external force variation monitoring unit that stops the retreat operation when a variation width of the external force at a predetermined time after the retreat operation is commanded by the retreat operation commanding unit is smaller than a second threshold value.

An article discharge system includes a placement unit in which the article group is placed, plural grippers, a movable member, a robot that moves the movable member, weight acquisition units, and a control unit. The plural grippers grip some articles with gripping member. The plural grippers are attached to the movable member. The weight acquisition units acquire weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips. The control unit moves the movable member, brings the plural grippers closer to the placement unit, causes the plural grippers to grip some of the articles of the article group placed in the placement unit, and, based on the result of a combination calculation using the weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips and which the weight acquisition units have acquired, causes predetermined grippers among the plural grippers to release the articles and thereby discharge the articles.

A device for robotic direct lead-through teaching includes a robot, a replacing member and a lead-through teaching member. The robot has an operation member coupled with the replacing member. The lead-through teaching member mounted replaceably at the replacing member has a force sensor. The force sensor has six-axis load information. A path teaching is executed manually upon the operation member of the robot so as to store coordinate information. In additional, a method for robotic direct lead-through teaching is also provided.

An isolated force/torque sensor assembly for a force controlled robot includes an end effector for operatively attaching to an arm of the force controlled robot, the end effector having a gripping portion adapted to be gripped by a hand of a user, and a force/torque sensor adapted to be disposed between the gripping portion and the arm of the robot, the force/torque sensor having a high force end effector interface adapted to be attached to the arm of the robot, a low force end effector interface operatively attached to the gripping portion, and a transducer disposed between the high force end effector interface and the low force end effector interface for reacting to loads applied to the low force end effector interface for user controlled positioning of a surgical tool and for generating corresponding output signals, and wherein the transducer is bypassed for high loads.

A method of estimating one or more mass characteristics of a payload manipulated by a robot includes moving the payload using the robot, determining one or more accelerations of the payload while the payload is in motion, sensing, using one or more sensors of the robot, a wrench applied to the payload while the payload is in motion, and estimating the one or more mass characteristics of the payload based, at least in part, on the determined accelerations and the sensed wrench.

A control method for a robot system includes a detection step of detecting a position of a female connector, a reference position setting step of setting a reference position as a reference for determination as to whether or not an insertion of a male connector into the female connector is successful based on the position of the female connector, and an insertion operation step of moving the male connector in an insertion start position along an insertion direction of the female connector, with a position where a force sensor of a robot detects a predetermined force generated by contact between the male connector and the female connector during the movement as a comparison position, and determining whether or not the insertion is successful by comparing the reference position and the comparison position.

An end effector includes a pair of machining tools. The pair of machining tools is separated by an interval in one direction perpendicular to a tool rotational axis and rotatable around the tool rotational axis. The pair of machining tools is position-controlled, and is force-controlled in a machining direction perpendicular to the one direction and an axial direction of the tool rotational axis, and is torque-controlled around the tool rotational axis.