A control apparatus for controlling operation of a work robot for performing work inside a target region using a manipulator includes a trajectory information acquiring unit for acquiring N?1 or N pieces of trajectory information respectively indicating N?1 or N trajectories connecting N work regions where the work robot performs a series of work operations in order of a series of work operations; a classifying unit for classifying the N?1 or N trajectories as (i) trajectories that need correction or (ii) trajectories that do not need correction; and a trajectory planning unit for planning a trajectory of a tip of the manipulator between two work regions relating to the each of the one or more trajectories, for each of the one or more trajectories classified as a trajectory that needs correction by the classifying unit.

A robot system is provided with a robot including a combination of mechanical units serving as multiple modules, a robot control device that controls the robot, and a memory provided in each of the mechanical units. In the memory, a shape model and a parameter for estimating the coasting distance of the robot are stored beforehand, the shape model indicating the shape of the mechanical unit.

A system and method of collision avoidance includes determining first positions of first joints of a first repositionable arm and second positions of second joints of a second repositionable arm. Distal ends of the first and second repositionable arms are configured to support first and second instruments, respectively. The system and method further include determining first and second virtual boundaries around the first and second repositionable arms, determining an overlap between the first and second virtual boundaries, determining an overlap force on the first repositionable arm due to the overlap, mapping the overlap force to virtual torques on the first joints proximal to the overlap, determining a tip force on a distal end of the first instrument, and applying the tip force as feedback on the first instrument.

Devices, systems, and methods for avoiding collisions between a manipulator arm and an outer patient surface by moving the manipulator within a null-space. In response to a determination that distance between an avoidance geometry and obstacle surface, corresponding to a manipulator-to-patient distance is less than desired, the system calculates movement of one or more joints or links of the manipulator within a null-space of the Jacobian to increase this distance. The joints are driven according to the reconfiguration command and calculated movement so as to maintain a desired state of the end effector. In one aspect, the joints are also driven according to a calculated end effector displacing movement within a null-perpendicular-space of the Jacobian to effect a desired movement of the end effector or remote center while concurrently avoiding arm-to-patient collisions by moving the joints within the null-space.

A monitoring system, a monitoring device, and a monitoring method are provided. The monitoring system includes a detection part that detects a position of a worker intruded into a work area, a first specifying part that specifies a worker movable area on the basis of a position of the worker, an image capturing part that captures an image of an area including at least the worker movable area and a predetermined robot occupied area, a second specifying part that specifies a robot movable area from the image of the area, a third specifying part that specifies a human body area of the worker from the image of the area, a measuring part that measures the distance between the robot movable area and the human body area, and a restricting part that restricts movement of the robot when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance.

The invention relates to a method and device for controlling and regulating motors, MOT.sub.m, of a robot, with m=1, 2, . . . M, wherein the robot has robot components that are interconnected via a number, N, of articulated connections GEL.sub.n, the joint angles of the articulated connections GEL.sub.n can be adjusted by means of associated motors MOT.sub.m; Z(t.sub.k) is a state of the robot components in an interval, t.sub.k; and a first system of coupled motion equations BGG is predetermined and describes rigid-body dynamics or flexible-body dynamics of the connected robot components.

A method for the safety control, through direct teaching, of a robotised system comprises a learning step, wherein a processing unit determines a relative distance (RD) between at least one link (L) of the robot manipulator and an operator (O) and controls whether the relative distance (RD) of the at least one link (L) exceeds a predefined distance threshold value (TV); wherein the predefined distance threshold value (TV) is equal to or greater than the distance covered by the robot manipulator in the amount of time needed to stop starting from a respective maximum linear speed (VMAX); in case the relative distance (RD) is smaller than the predefined distance threshold value (TV), the method entails stopping the robot.

Devices, systems, and methods for avoiding collisions between a manipulator arm and an outer patient surface by moving the manipulator within a null-space. In response to a determination that distance between an avoidance geometry and obstacle surface, corresponding to a manipulator-to-patient distance is less than desired, the system calculates movement of one or more joints or links of the manipulator within a null-space of the Jacobian to increase this distance. The joints are driven according to the reconfiguration command and calculated movement so as to maintain a desired state of the end effector. In one aspect, the joints are also driven according to a calculated end effector displacing movement within a null-perpendicular-space of the Jacobian to effect a desired movement of the end effector or remote center while concurrently avoiding arm-to-patient collisions by moving the joints within the null-space.

Devices, systems, and methods for avoiding collisions between manipulator arms using a null-space are provided. In one aspect, the system calculates an avoidance movement using a relationship between reference geometries of the multiple manipulators to maintain separation between reference geometries. In certain embodiments, the system determines a relative state between adjacent reference geometries, determines an avoidance vector between reference geometries, and calculates an avoidance movement of one or more manipulators within a null-space of the Jacobian based on the relative state and avoidance vector. The joints may be driven according to the calculated avoidance movement while maintaining a desired state of the end effector or a remote center location about which an instrument shaft pivots and may be concurrently driven according to an end effector displacing movement within a null-perpendicular-space of the Jacobian so as to effect a desired movement of the end effector or remote center.

Devices, systems, and methods for avoiding collisions between a manipulator arm and an outer patient surface by moving the manipulator within a null-space. In response to a determination that distance between an avoidance geometry and obstacle surface, corresponding to a manipulator-to-patient distance is less than desired, the system calculates movement of one or more joints or links of the manipulator within a null-space of the Jacobian to increase this distance. The joints are driven according to the reconfiguration command and calculated movement so as to maintain a desired state of the end effector. In one aspect, the joints are also driven according to a calculated end effector displacing movement within a null-perpendicular-space of the Jacobian to effect a desired movement of the end effector or remote center while concurrently avoiding arm-to-patient collisions by moving the joints within the null-space.