Task automation by support robots for robotic process automation (RPA) is disclosed. RPA robots may be located on the computing systems of two or more users and/or remotely. The RPA robots may use an artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) model that is trained to use computer vision (CV) to recognize tasks that the respective user is performing with the computing system. The RPA robots may then determine that the respective user is performing certain tasks on a regular basis in response to a certain action, such as receiving a request via email or another application, determining that a certain task has been completed, noting that a time period has elapsed, etc., and automate the respective tasks.

An overhead system assists an operator in moving an object when the operator imparts a manual force to the object in a shared workspace characterized by overlapping ranges of motion of the robot and operator. The system includes an articulated serial robot, a cable, sensors, and a control system. One end of the cable connects to a distal end link of the robot. Another end of the cable connects to the object to suspend the object. The sensors measure a cable force and/or angle. The control system regulates operation of the robot by translating vertically and horizontally in response to the cable force and/or angle. The control system limits the position and/or velocity of the end link according to corresponding work space rules, including respective position and velocity limits, such that the system is immune to a single-point failure.

A control device according to one or more embodiments may control a robot that performs a collaborative work with a worker. The control device may include: a storage section storing an operation program to cause the robot to perform the collaborative work with the worker; a control section controlling the robot based on the operation program when the collaborative work is performed; a calculation section calculating a motion of the worker when the collaborative work is performed; and a correction section correcting the operation program based on the motion of the worker calculated by the calculation section.

A technique shortens the time taken to adjust a protection area. An area setting device includes a setting unit that sets a protection area in at least a part of a surrounding environment of a robot to detect an entry of an object, an obtainer that obtains surrounding information about the robot, and a storage prestoring a set value for the protection area and the surrounding information associated with each other. The setting unit sets the protection area based on the set value read from the storage.

A control device (10) includes: an acquisition unit (12) that acquires outside-world information (11B) around a mobile body (100); and a control unit (13) that performs control to switch characteristics of a contact portion (130) capable of switching characteristics of a portion where a leg portion of the mobile body (100) comes into contact with an external environment on the basis of the outside-world information (11B) such that a contact sound between the contact portion (130) and the external environment changes.

Crosstalk mitigation among cameras in neighboring monitored workcells is achieved by computationally defining a noninterference scheme that respects the independent monitoring and operation of each workcell. The scheme may involve communication between adjacent cells to adjudicate non-interfering camera operation or system-wide mapping of interference risks and mitigation thereof. Mitigation strategies can involve time-division and/or frequency-division multiplexing.

A robotic device including one or more proximity sensing systems coupled to various portions of a robot body. The proximity sensing systems detect a distance of an object about the robot body and the robotic device reacts based on the detected distance. The proximity sensing systems obtain a three-dimensional (3D) profile of the object to determine a category of the object. The distance of the object is detected multiple times in a sequence to determine a movement path of the object.

Safety systems in distributed factory workcells intercommunicate or communicate with a central controller so that when a person, robot or vehicle passes from one workcell or space into another on the same factory floor, the new workcell or space need not repeat the tasks of analysis and classification and can instead immediately integrate the new entrant into the existing workcell or space-monitoring schema. The workcell or space can also communicate attributes such as occlusions, unsafe areas, movement speed, and object trajectories, enabling rapid reaction by the monitoring system of the new workcell or space.

A work management system is applied to a work area in which a predetermined work is executed by a worker and a robot. The work management system includes a control section configured to control the robot such that a specified operation set in advance is included in an operation by the robot executing the predetermined work, an information acquisition section configured to acquire work information indicating a presence or absence of the specified operation in at least one of an execution result and an execution process of the predetermined work, and an identification section configured to identify whether a work subject of the predetermined work is the worker or the robot based on the work information acquired by the information acquisition section.

A robot system including a robot that is controlled by a robot controller and a wireless communication device that is worn or carried by a person present in the periphery of the robot. The wireless communication device has a sensor capable of detecting an acceleration, the wireless communication device is configured to transmit information related to the acceleration to the robot controller of the robot in a state in which the wireless communication device is not operated by the person, and the robot controller performs operation restriction of the robot when the acceleration exceeds a threshold.