A robot operation apparatus includes a touch panel, a display, an operation detecting unit capable of detecting a touch operation or a drag operation on the touch panel, a motion command generating unit that generates a motion command for operating a robot, and a display control unit that controls display content of the display. The motion command generating unit performs a motion speed determining process in which a motion speed of the robot is determined based on a slide distance that is a distance from a start position of a drag operation detected by the operation detecting unit to a current position. The display control unit performs a speed graphics display process in which a speed graphics in which the slide distance and the motion speed of the robot are correlated and that changes in aspect in accompaniment with changes in the slide distance is displayed on the display.

A method creates gripping-task-specific gripper sequence programs of an item gripper which is controlled by a gripper control module and has a gripper main body and a gripping tool. The item gripper transmits a gripper-main-body-specific identification signal to the gripper control module. The gripper control module assigns a gripper dataset from a database to this identification signal. The dataset has an allowable value range for each settable parameter of the item gripper. A gripping-task-specific configuration dataset for the item gripper is created by a peripheral device. The gripper control module determines gripping-task-specific target values and test criteria. A processing unit of the item gripper establishes the time profile of the actuation of the gripper drive from the target values and determines gripper-specific test values from the test criteria. The present method creates both a sequence program for closing the item gripper and a sequence program for opening the item gripper.

A teaching device generating an operation program for executing an operation of a robot having a base and a robot arm including a proximal arm coupled to the base and a distal arm coupled to a side opposite to the base of the proximal arm is provided. The teaching device includes: a display unit displaying a first operation unit accepting an operation of designating the proximal arm of the robot arm and changing an attitude of the robot arm and a second operation unit accepting an operation of designating a position of a control point set for the robot arm and changing the attitude of the robot arm; and an operation program generation unit generating the operation program, based on the attitude designated at the first operation unit or the second operation unit.

A lab system identifies a set of steps associated with a protocol for a lab meant to be performed by a robot within the lab using equipment and reagents. The lab system renders, within a user interface, a virtual representation of the lab, a virtual robot, and virtual equipment and reagents. Responsive to operating in a first mode, the lab system simulates the identified set of steps identify virtual positions of the virtual robot within the lab as the virtual robot performs the steps and modifies the virtual representation of the lab to mirror the identified positions of the virtual robot in real-time. Responsive to operating in a second mode, the lab system identifies positions of the robot within the lab as the robot performs the identified set of steps and modifies the virtual representation of the lab to mirror the identified positions of the robot in real-time.

A lab system identifies a set of steps associated with a protocol for a lab meant to be performed by a robot within the lab using equipment and reagents. The lab system renders, within a user interface, a virtual representation of the lab, a virtual robot, and virtual equipment and reagents. Responsive to operating in a first mode, the lab system simulates the identified set of steps identify virtual positions of the virtual robot within the lab as the virtual robot performs the steps and modifies the virtual representation of the lab to mirror the identified positions of the virtual robot in real-time. Responsive to operating in a second mode, the lab system identifies positions of the robot within the lab as the robot performs the identified set of steps and modifies the virtual representation of the lab to mirror the identified positions of the robot in real-time.

A lab system accesses a first protocol for performance by a first robot in a first lab. The first protocol includes a set of steps, each associated with an operation, reagent, and equipment. For each of one or more steps, the lab system modifies the step by: (1) identifying one or more replacement operations that achieve an equivalent or substantially similar result as a performance of the operation, (2) identifying replacement equipment that operates substantially similarly to the equipment, and/or (3) identifying one or more replacement reagents that, when substituted for the reagent, do not substantially affect the performance of the step. The lab system generates a modified protocol by replacing one or more of the set of steps with the modified steps. The lab system selects a second lab including a second and configures the second robot to perform the modified protocol in the second lab.

The invention relates to a method for preparing and carrying out tasks by means of a robot, in which method, in a preparation phase at least one probable action goal is determined on the basis of surroundings information and taking into account a user command probability, at least one preparation action sequence is generated which is aimed at the at least one probable action goal, and the at least one preparation action sequence is carried out. The invention also relates to a robot for carrying out tasks, and to a computer program.

A teaching device for creating a program using icons representing functions that form a control program for an industrial machine, the teaching device being provided with: a screen display generation unit that generates a program creation screen which has a predetermined region for arranging multiple icons to create a control program; and a relationship display generation unit that, on the basis of information related to multiple icons, extracts two or more icons which are related to each other in terms of processing contents from among the multiple icons arranged on the predetermined region, and displays the relationships between the extracted two or more icons so as to be visibly recognized.

The purpose of the present invention is to obtain an manipulation feeling and improve ease of use in a teaching device for industrial machines, including robots and machine tools, in order to accurately designate a manipulation amount without performing manipulation by an erroneous manipulation amount during display of a rotary dial on a touch-panel-equipped device and during control of machinery. This purpose can be achieved by a touch-panel-type teaching device, wherein a rotary dial to which graduations are applied with respect to prescribed manipulation rotation amounts is displayed on a touch-panel-type display screen, an operation amount for the industrial machinery is designated by the rotation manipulation amount of the rotary dial, and a sound effect or vibration is emitted each time the rotary dial is rotationally manipulated by a rotation amount corresponding to one graduation.

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.