A production system includes a robot, a robot controller, and a person detection part. The controller includes first speed comparison unit that has the function of activating a power cutoff unit so as to stop an operation of the robot when a current speed exceeds a predetermined reference speed; and an external-force comparison unit that has the function of activating the power cutoff unit so as to stop the operation of the robot when a current force applied to the robot exceeds a predetermined reference force. The controller disables the functions of the first speed comparison unit and the external-force comparison unit while the person detection part detects the absence of the operator in the cooperative operation space.

The invention relates to a method for monitoring the safety of a joint (12) of a serial kinematic structure (30), which carries out tasks within a work region (100) under the control of a control unit (20), wherein a current state variable of the joint (12), such as the absolute position (AP) or the time derivatives thereof, is determined cyclically during operation from the current axis position (P) of the joint (12) and compared to a configurable limit value (SA, TA, SL), wherein a function module (3, 4, 5) is used to monitor the state variable. A function module (3, 4, 5) is assigned to each state variable to be monitored. These function modules (3, 4, 5) are designed independently of the control unit (20) of the serial kinematic structure (30), whereby the safety monitoring system (10) can be operated concurrently with and independently of the control unit (20) of the serial kinematic structure (30).

A controller teaches a teaching point of a slave axis corresponding to a master axis so as to perform a synchronous operation. The controller calculates a teaching range based on one moving speed pattern selected from a plurality of moving speed patterns of the master axis which are preliminarily registered, a preliminarily-set allowable speed in an operation of the slave axis, and a calculated teaching range, in which teaching can be performed, of a following teaching point, so as to display the teaching range on a display device.

A robot system includes a detector for detecting the position and posture of a workpiece; a robot for performing a predetermined operation on the workpiece; and a robot control device. The robot control device includes an area divider for dividing an operation area into a plurality of areas; an area determiner for determining in which area the workpiece is present; a learning controller for learning an operation speedup ratio to speed up an operation by varying speed or acceleration on an area-by-area basis in which the workpiece is present; a memory for storing the position of the workpiece and the operation speedup ratio; and a controller that performs the operation on a new workpiece using the learned operation speedup ratio when the operation has been learned in the area having the new workpiece, and makes the learning controller learn the operation speedup ratio when the operation has not been learned.

A method for controlling a robot having a drive arrangement with at least one drive includes determining an actual velocity of the robot, determining a target velocity for the robot, and determining a damping drive parameter based on a difference between the target velocity and the actual velocity. The target velocity is determined based on at least one of a predetermined maximum velocity, a predetermined minimum velocity, or a first distance of the robot from at least one predetermined boundary. The drive arrangement of the robot is then controlled based on the damping drive parameter.

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.

As speed operation range identification system for motion systems driven by permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) or induction motors leverages both characteristics of the motor as well as dynamic characteristics of the motion systemincluding the friction and loadto identify suitable maximum speeds for operation of the motion system in the normal speed and field weakening regions. The identification system can model both motor characteristics as well as real-time dynamics of the controlled mechanical system that may vary during operation. The system can apply an optimization algorithm to this model to determine suitable maximum speeds for operation in the normal speed and/or field weakening regions. The determined maximum speeds can be used to perform substantially real-time adjustments to motion profile limits or current reference values generated by the motor controller in order to ensure that the speed of the system remains below the determined maximum.

Provided is a highly safe robot system. A robot system includes: an arm operation control unit that controls operations of an arm; and a storage unit that records hazardous part information related to at least any one of a grip unit of the arm and a work target gripped with the grip unit, and the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate such that the hazardous direction of the hazardous part is different from a moving direction of the grip unit on the basis of the hazardous part information.

In a control method for controlling a robot system including a robot arm, a control unit configured to control an operation of the robot arm, and a functional safety unit configured to forcibly stop the operation of the robot arm when a speed monitoring function of the robot arm is enabled and a moving speed of the robot arm exceeds a set speed limit, the method includes: detecting, by the control unit, the moving speed of the robot arm; decelerating, by the control unit, the moving speed to less than the speed limit when a predetermined condition including that the moving speed exceeds the speed limit is satisfied in a case in which a safety input signal that enables a speed limit from a safety input device is received; and enabling, by the functional safety unit, the speed monitoring function when a switching time elapses after receiving the safety input signal.

A robot control device includes: a robot tool tip position calculator configured to calculate a position of a tip part of a tool of a robot; an operation limited region setting unit provided for a user to set an operation limited region having a desired size; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the position of the tip part of the tool is within the operation limited region; and an operation limiting unit configured to, in the case where the position of the tip part of the tool is within the operation limited region, limit at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the robot.