Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for robot programming. One of the methods comprises generating an interactive user interface that includes an illustration of a virtual robot corresponding to a physical robot; receiving first user input data specifying a first target pose of the virtual robot; causing the physical robot to traverse to the first target pose while updating in real-time the illustration of the virtual robot as the physical robot transitions to the first target pose; receiving a user request to switch from operating in a synchronized mode to operating in an unsynchronized mode; receiving second user input data specifying a second target pose of the virtual robot; and generating an animation of the virtual robot transitioning from the first target pose to the second target pose but withholding causing the physical robot to traverse to the second target pose.

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for robotic programming are disclosed. To improve upon or even solve the dilemma that teach-in techniques cannot work for all kinds of objects and offline programming requires complicated simulation of a robot and objects, a solution is provided to use a virtual item marked by a marker during programming of the robot and display the virtual item to a user. As such, even very large items can be used and also replaced easily during programming, which makes the programming procedures go smoothly and efficiently.

A robot control method includes defining a robot monitor model that covers at least a part of the robot and defining a monitor region parallel to a coordinate system for the robot. The monitor region is configured to monitor a range of motion of the robot. The method further includes transforming a position of a definition point that is an arbitrary point contained in the robot monitor model into a position of the definition point in a coordinate system different from the coordinate system for the robot (ST9), determining whether or not the robot monitor model is put into contact with a boundary surface of the monitor region by using the transformed position of the definition point (ST6), and stopping motion of the robot if the robot monitor model is put into contact with the boundary surface (ST8).

A Multi-Purpose Dynamic Simulation and run-time Control platform includes a virtual process environment coupled to a physical process environment, where components/nodes of the virtual and physical process environments cooperate to dynamically perform run-time process control of an industrial process plant and/or simulations thereof. Virtual components may include virtual run-time nodes and/or simulated nodes. The MPDSC includes an I/O Switch which delivers I/O data between virtual and/or physical nodes, e.g., by using publish/subscribe mechanisms, thereby virtualizing physical I/O process data delivery. Nodes serviced by the I/O Switch may include respective component behavior modules that are unaware as to whether or not they are being utilized on a virtual or physical node. Simulations may be performed in real-time and even in conjunction with run-time operations of the plant, and/or simulations may be manipulated as desired (speed, values, administration, etc.). The platform simultaneously supports simulation and run-time operations and interactions/intersections therebetween.

A structure allows more efficient simulation using preliminary obtained image data for a target such as a workpiece. A simulator includes a creating unit that virtually creates a simulation target system in a three-dimensional virtual space, a measurement unit that performs image measurement of preliminary obtained image data using a visual sensor and outputs a measurement result, a reception unit that receives a setting of an imaging area defined for the visual sensor in a manner associated with the created system, a calculation unit that calculates a transform parameter based on a relative positional relationship between the created system and the set imaging area, and an execution unit that receives an input of a result obtained by transforming the measurement result generated by the measurement unit using the transform parameter, and executes a control operation in accordance with a control program associated with the system.

A laser processing robot system and a laser processing method, by which the motion accuracy of a robot in the system can be improved and laser processing with high accuracy can be carried out. The robot system is configured to: execute a first robot motion for moving an laser irradiation device to a predetermined command position; measure an actual three-dimensional position of the irradiation device in the first robot motion; calculate a deviation between the command position and the measured actual three-dimensional position of the irradiation device in the first robot motion; store the calculated deviation as a time series of deviation data; and execute a second robot motion in which a robot motion similar to the first robot motion is executed while correcting the laser irradiation position so that the laser irradiation position coincides with a desired position, based on the stored deviation data.

Provided is a method for detecting an imminent collision between an object and a component of an autonomous system in the real environment including at least one real, decentralized autonomous component, whereby of at least a part of the autonomous system a virtual image is available, emulating at least one aspect of the autonomous system.

A Multi-Purpose Dynamic Simulation and run-time Control platform includes a virtual process environment coupled to a physical process environment, where components/nodes of the virtual and physical process environments cooperate to dynamically perform run-time process control of an industrial process plant and/or simulations thereof. Virtual components may include virtual run-time nodes and/or simulated nodes. The MPDSC includes an I/O Switch which delivers I/O data between virtual and/or physical nodes, e.g., by using publish/subscribe mechanisms, thereby virtualizing physical I/O process data delivery. Nodes serviced by the I/O Switch may include respective component behavior modules that are unaware as to whether or not they are being utilized on a virtual or physical node. Simulations may be performed in real-time and even in conjunction with run-time operations of the plant, and/or simulations may be manipulated as desired (speed, values, administration, etc.). The platform simultaneously supports simulation and run-time operations and interactions/intersections therebetween.

A Multi-Purpose Dynamic Simulation and run-time Control platform includes a virtual process environment coupled to a physical process environment, where components/nodes of the virtual and physical process environments cooperate to dynamically perform run-time process control of an industrial process plant and/or simulations thereof. Virtual components may include virtual run-time nodes and/or simulated nodes. The MPDSC includes an I/O Switch which delivers I/O data between virtual and/or physical nodes, e.g., by using publish/subscribe mechanisms, thereby virtualizing physical I/O process data delivery. Nodes serviced by the I/O Switch may include respective component behavior modules that are unaware as to whether or not they are being utilized on a virtual or physical node. Simulations may be performed in real-time and even in conjunction with run-time operations of the plant, and/or simulations may be manipulated as desired (speed, values, administration, etc.). The platform simultaneously supports simulation and run-time operations and interactions/intersections therebetween.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a robot system as well as a robot system. The robot system includes the following components: a robot ROBO with elements driven by actuators; first sensors S1i for sensing a current robot state; a central control unit ZSE, which executes a current control program SP(t) for controlling the robot system; one or more user interfaces NS.sub.p; one or more processor units PE.sub.r (205), which execute services MPSr for the central control unit ZSE and/or for one or more of the other components of the robot system; wherein the robot ROBO, the first sensors S1.sub.i, the central control unit ZSE, the user interfaces NS.sub.p, and the processor units PE.sub.r communicate with one another over a data network DN. The central control unit ZSE is configured and executed to predictively test whether an execution of the current control program SP(t) will lead to an error state. If such an error state is predicted during the test, execution of one or more actions takes place.