A method of coordinating automated systems, the method includes providing a first automated system that is programmed with a set of predetermined operating instructions that correspond with automated system processing requirements, monitoring an operational status of the first automated system with a second automated system, automatically generating a second system action, with the second automated system, that is complimentary to a first system action of the first automated system, where the first system action corresponds to the set of predetermined operating instructions and the second system action depends on the operational status of the first automated system, and performing the second system action with the second automated system so that the second automated system cooperates with the first automated system to perform a predetermined operation.

A robot includes an arm, and a force detector that is disposed on the arm and detects a force, in which a first object is held from both of a gravity direction and a direction opposite to the gravity direction, and the first object is inserted into an insertion portion provided in a second object.

An automatic assembling system, comprising: a robot performing an operation of inserting a first member into a second member; a force sensor for detecting an insertion force exerted on the first member by the robot; and a controller for controlling the insertion force with a closed-loop feedback control according to a difference between the insertion force detected by the force sensor and a predetermined insertion force, so that the insertion force is less than the predetermined insertion force to protect the first member and/or the second member from damage due to an overlarge insertion force. The present invention also is directed to a method for automatically assembling a product.

A robot for performing an assembly operation is provided. The robot comprises a processor configured to determine a control law for controlling a plurality of motors of the robot to move a robotic arm according to an original trajectory, execute a self-exploration program to produce training data indicative of a space of the original trajectory, and learn, using the training data, a non-linear compliant control law including a non-linear mapping that maps measurements of a force sensor of the robot to a direction of corrections to the original trajectory defining the control law. The processor transforms the original trajectory according to a new goal pose to produce a transformed trajectory, update the control law according to the transformed trajectory to produce the updated control law, and command the plurality of motors to control the robotic arm according to the updated control law corrected with the compliance control law.

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.

Automated assembly systems and methods are configured to automatically insert components into grommets. The systems include a component insertion sub-system configured to insert first components into first cavities of a first grommet, an imaging sub-system configured to acquire images of the first grommet, and a grommet shift determination sub-system in communication with the component insertion sub-system and the imaging sub-system. The grommet shift determination sub-system is configured to compare at least two images of the first grommet acquired by the imaging sub-system to determine distance changes between the first cavities in response to one or more of the first components being inserted into one or more of the first cavities, and generate an insertion map that accounts for the distance changes.

A method of automatic shoe lacing is proposed to include steps of: (a) capturing, by a camera system, at least two images of shoelace holes of a shoe from different positions relative to the shoe; (b) acquiring, by a computer device through conducting an analysis according to the at least two images of the shoe, coordinates of the shoelace holes relative to a robotic arm; and (c) the robotic arm lacing the shoe according to the coordinates acquired in step (b).

Disclosed are various embodiments of a three-dimensional perception and object manipulation robot gripper configured for connection to and operation in conjunction with a robot arm. In some embodiments, the gripper comprises a palm, a plurality of motors or actuators operably connected to the palm, a mechanical manipulation system operably connected to the palm, a plurality of fingers operably connected to the motors or actuators and configured to manipulate one or more objects located within a workspace or target volume that can be accessed by the fingers. A depth camera system is also operably connected to the palm. One or more computing devices are operably connected to the depth camera and are configured and programmed to process images provided by the depth camera system to determine the location and orientation of the one or more objects within a workspace, and in accordance therewith, provide as outputs therefrom control signals or instructions configured to be employed by the motors or actuators to control movement and operation of the plurality of fingers so as to permit the fingers to manipulate the one or more objects located within the workspace or target volume. The gripper can also be configured to vary controllably at least one of a force, a torque, a stiffness, and a compliance applied by one or more of the plurality of fingers to the one or more objects.

A method and robot for inserting an object into an object-receiving area using an actuator-driven robot manipulator of a robot, wherein the robot manipulator has an effector at its distal end, designed to receive and/or grip the object, and wherein an inserting trajectory T is defined for the object-receiving area and the object to be inserted, and a target orientation O.sub.soll({right arrow over (R)}.sub.T) of the object to be inserted is defined along the inserting trajectory T for locations {right arrow over (R)}.sub.T of the inserting trajectory T including the following operations: receiving/gripping the object using the effector, moving the object using the robot manipulator along the inserting trajectory {right arrow over (T)} into the object-receiving area while continuously performing predetermined tilting motions of the object that are closed and cyclical motions relative to the target orientation O.sub.soll({right arrow over (R)}.sub.T) via a force-regulated and/or impedance-regulated control of the robot manipulator until a specific threshold condition G1 for a torque acting on the effector and/or a force acting on the effector is reached or exceeded, and/or a provided force/torque signature and/or a position/speed signature on the effector is reached or exceeded, which indicate(s) that the object has been completely successfully inserted into the object-receiving area within specified tolerances; releasing the object by the effector; and moving the effector away from the object-receiving area along the exit trajectory A using the robot manipulator.

Device and method for operating a robot. As a function of a first state of the robot and/or its surroundings and as a function of an output of a first model, a first part of a manipulated variable for activating the robot for a transition from the first state into a second state of the robot is determined. A second part of the manipulated variable is determined as a function of the first state and regardless of the first model. A quality measure is determined as a function of the first state and of the output of the first model using a second model. A parameter of the first model is determined as a function of the quality measure. A parameter of the second model is determined as a function of the quality measure and a setpoint value. The setpoint value is determined as a function of a reward.