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.

Methods of and systems for executing a simulation of a constrained multi-body system. The method comprises, using a physics engine, simulating the constrained multi-body system, wherein: the constrained multi-body system comprises articulated constraints, the articulated constraints are associated with a geometric stiffness matrix; the geometric stiffness matrix defining a geometric stiffness; a diagonal approximation of the geometric stiffness matrix is generated; and the diagonal approximation is used as part of a stability analysis in which damping is automatically adjusted so that the damping stabilizes the simulation of the constrained multi-body system.

A robot system includes a robot, a teach pendant having an operator interface, and a robot controller with a computer and associated hardware and software containing a virtual representation of the robot and the environment. The system employs a method for avoiding collisions including moving a manipulator arm along an actual path in an environment containing objects constituting collision geometry. Operator input is entered into the teach pendant, whereby the operator is able to directly control motion of the robot along the actual path. A recent history of the motion of the robot is recorded, and a predicted path of the robot is developed based on the input entered into the teach pendant and the recent history of the motion of the robot. Real-time collision checking between the predicted path and the collision geometry is performed while the operator manually controls the robot using the teach pendant.

An offline teaching device includes: a storage unit that stores a program; a display control unit that causes a monitor to display four or more coordinate points P1 to P6 based on teaching point data described in the program and one line connecting the four or more coordinate points P1 to P6 successively; and a correction amount generation unit that, after two coordinate points P2 and P5 are selected on the monitor from remaining coordinate points P2 to P5 except the coordinate points P1 and P6 serving as a starting point and an ending point of the line and one coordinate system is selected among a plurality of coordinate systems, generates correction amounts of the coordinate points P2 to P5 without changing the teaching point data on the basis of dragging of a segment between the selected two coordinate points P2 and P5 according to the selected coordinate 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 robot simulator includes a generating unit, a display unit, a display control unit, and a simulation instructing unit. The generating unit generates a virtual image that includes a virtual robot obtained by imaging an actual robot having at least one axis and an operation handle capable of operating three-dimensional coordinate axes having a predetermined control point of the virtual robot as the origin. The display control unit displays on the display unit the generated virtual image. The simulation instructing unit, when an operator's operation for the operation handle is received, acquires at least one of a displacement amount of the control point and a rotation amount of the three-dimensional coordinate axes attributable to the operator's operation, and instructs the generating unit to regenerate the virtual image in which a posture of the virtual robot is changed in accordance with the displacement amount or the rotation amount thus acquired.

Various embodiments relate to a method for motion simulation for a manipulator, such as an NC-controlled manipulator, in a machining environment, wherein the manipulator is moved in an operating mode by a control apparatus and the machining environment is at least partly mapped in an environment model and wherein the method comprises computation of a trajectory plan by the control apparatus from a setpoint movement of the manipulator starting from an initial situation and based on a kinematic model of the manipulator, performance of a kinematic collision check based on the trajectory plan, the kinematic model and the environment model, and production of a prediction result based on the kinematic collision check. The method is characterized in that the initial situation corresponds to the current manipulator state. Further, some embodiments relate to a corresponding computer program with program code and to a corresponding system for motion simulation for a manipulator.

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.

A method for replicating the terrain of a remote environment by a terrain replicator with a plurality of extendable elements is disclosed. The method includes mounting the plurality of extendable elements in close proximity on the surface of a flat stage to form a matrix of extendable elements; connecting each extendable element in the matrix to a control node in an array of control nodes, wherein each control node in the array is assigned to control one extendable element in the matrix of extendable elements; sending data of an actual physical terrain in the remote environment to a terrain analysis computer in the terrain replicator; converting the remote terrain data by the terrain analysis computer into a terrain-generating data stream for driver electronics; producing by the driver electronics a plurality of control signals from the terrain-generating data stream, wherein each signal in the plurality of control signals addresses a control node in the array of control nodes to extend or retract each extendable element in the matrix of extendable elements; and generating by the matrix of extendable elements a topography precisely corresponding to the topography of the actual physical terrain at the remote environment.

Systems and a method for facilitating a concurrent simulation of multiple tasks of a plurality of robots in a virtual environment, wherein at least one virtual robot is foreseen to concurrently simulate one robotic motion task and a set of robotic logic tasks by concurrently executing one corresponding robotic motion program and a set of corresponding robotic logic programs on a set of operands. During a concurrent execution of the plurality of robotic motion programs and the plurality of sets of robotic logic programs of the plurality of robots, the execution of at least one given logic program is suspended and resumed by repetitively: executing a run of the given logic program; collecting a subset of operands used in the executed run; if none of the collected operands is modified in the execution run, suspending the execution of the given logic program and resuming its execution when one of the collected operands is modified.