A system for robot and human collaboration. The system comprises: a multi-axis robot; one or more torque sensors, each torque sensor being configured to measure a torque about a respective axis of the multi-axis robot; and a controller configured to: receive one or more torque measurements taken by the one or more torque sensors; compare the one or more torque measurements or a function of the one or more torque measurements to a threshold value; and control the multi-axis robot based on the comparison.

Faster, less computational intense, and more robust techniques to optimize velocity of robots or portions thereof without violating constraints on acceleration and jerk (derivative of acceleration with respect to time) are described. A nonlinear problem of optimizing velocity without violating acceleration constraints is linearized, and produces acceleration constrained velocity estimates. A nonlinear problem of optimizing velocity without violating jerk constraints in linearized, and produces jerk constrained velocity estimates, and may be feed by the acceleration constrained velocity estimates. Configuration and timing may be generated and provided, e.g., as vectors, to control operation of a robot, robotic appendage or other structure.

A control device for a robot includes a comparing unit and a controller. When the robot equipped with a force sensor capable of detecting force components of a same type in a plurality of directions operates, the comparing unit compares a magnitude of each of the force components detected by the force sensor with a predetermined threshold value for each of the directions. If the comparing unit determines that a magnitude of a force component in any of the directions exceeds the threshold value, the controller controls the robot to avoid an increase in the magnitude of the force component in the direction.

A trajectory generation device which generates a trajectory of a robot includes: a trajectory exploration graph generation unit which is configured to generate a trajectory exploration graph composed of a plurality of nodes for generating the trajectory; an acceleration upper limit value acquisition unit which is configured to acquire a first acceleration upper limit value based on orientations and an acceleration direction of the robot at a current node; a velocity and acceleration setting unit which is configured to set a first velocity representing a velocity when moving from the current node to a next node adjacent to the current node based on the acquired first acceleration upper limit value, and an acceleration; and a node cost calculation unit which is configured to calculate a moving time by using the set first velocity and the acceleration as cost from the current node to the next node.

Embodiments included herein may be configured for controlling jerk on one or more robotic joints of a robot. Embodiments may include calculating a first path to be traveled by a robot without applying one or more jerk restrictions. One or more jerk restrictions may be applied to the first path after the first path has been calculated to generate a second path.

A robot control apparatus includes a setting unit which sets a workpiece parameter, which is a parameter of a workpiece itself and affects transferability of the workpiece transferred by the industrial robot, a storage unit which stores a rated workpiece parameter, which is a maximum parameter of the workpiece itself which can be transferred by the robot at a rated velocity, and a velocity limiting unit which reduces the maximum velocity of the industrial robot to a value lower than the rated velocity when the workpiece parameter set by the setting unit exceeds the rated workpiece parameter stored in the storage unit.

In some cases, grasp point algorithms can be implemented so as to compute grasp points on an object that enable a stable grasp. It is recognized herein, however, that in practice a robot in motion can drop the object or otherwise have grasp issues when the object is grasped at the computed stable grasp points. Path constraints that can differ based on a given object are generated while generating the trajectory for a robot, so as to ensure that a grasp remains stable throughout the motion of the robot.

A simulation system to determine an optimal trajectory path for a robot with an attached implement includes a trajectory simulator which provides a simulated trajectory path for an implement, an implement model database which comprises motion data of the implement, and a logger that associates a time stamp of the implement's motion during the simulated trajectory path to generate logger data. A profile is determined by the logger data received from the logger which identifies implement motion that exceeds predetermined thresholds, and a tuner adjusts the simulated trajectory path so as to reduce the number of times predetermined thresholds are exceeded.

One variation of a method for controlling a robotic arm includes: moving the robotic arm through a trajectory; at a first time in which the robotic arm occupies a first position along the trajectory, measuring a first capacitance of a first sense circuit comprising a first electrode extending over a first arm segment of the robotic arm; at a second time in which the robotic arm occupies a second position along the trajectory, measuring a second capacitance of the first sense circuit; calculating a first rate of change in capacitance of the first sense circuit based on a difference between the first capacitance and the second capacitance; in response to the first rate of change in capacitance of the first sense circuit exceeding a threshold rate of change, issuing a proximity alarm; and reducing a speed of the robotic arm moving through the trajectory in response to the proximity alarm.

A substrate transfer robot includes a robot body including a first hand having a first substrate placing part on which a substrate is placed and a first substrate holding mechanism configured to hold and release the substrate, and a robot controller. The robot controller controls a speed of the first hand such that an absolute value of a first maximum speed or an absolute value of a first maximum acceleration during a first period after the first hand starts retreating until the substrate is held by the first substrate holding mechanism is lower than an absolute value of a second maximum speed or an absolute value of a second acceleration during a second period after the substrate is held until the first hand ends retreating.