A robot system includes: a robotic arm; a passive arm which is coupled to and uncoupled from the robotic arm and is operated by the robotic arm; and a controller which controls first and second operations of the robotic arm. The first operation of the robotic arm is an operation that acts on a target object. The second operation of the robotic arm is an operation of causing the passive arm to act on the target object. In the second operation, the controller executes: coupling the robotic arm and the passive arm; causing the robotic arm to operate the passive arm to engage the passive arm with the target object; and causing the robotic arm to operate the passive arm, which has engaged with the target object, to operate the target object.

A liquid material is discharged in a constant amount per unit time regardless of a relative moving speed. The liquid material application apparatus includes a discharge head, a robot moving the discharge head relative to a workpiece, a movement control unit controlling relative movement of the discharge head and the workpiece, and a discharge control unit controlling an operation of discharging a liquid material from a discharge head, wherein the discharge control unit executes, in a switchable manner in accordance with an application program, first mode discharge control of changing a discharge amount of the liquid material, which is discharged from the discharge head per unit time, depending on a relative moving speed between the discharge head and the workpiece, and second mode discharge control of operating the discharge head to discharge the liquid material in a predetermined discharge amount per unit time regardless of the relative moving speed.

The present disclosure provides a method and system by which a precise amount of a viscous fluid sealing compound can be dispensed at required locations through computer vision-based observation of the fluid deposited, its rate and amount of deposition and location; and that the dispensed fluid may be accurately shaped through robotic or other special purpose mechanism motion. The invention enables instant quality inspection of the dispensing process in terms of the locations, amounts and shapes of newly created seals.

The present invention relates to a method for interactively providing waypoints to a mobile robot for use in the marking of a geometric figure on a ground surface comprising the steps of: i) Selecting a control function accepting manual positioning of a mobile robot at two or more target locations on a ground surface; ii) Positioning the mobile robot in proximity to a first target location to be marked on a surface, and directing a position determining device of the mobile device to said first target location to be marked; iii) instructing the mobile robot to store the first target location as a first waypoint; iv) Repeating steps ii)-iii) to obtain at least a second waypoint; v) Selecting a control function accepting manual selection of a geometric figure for being marked on said ground surface; vi) instructing the mobile robot to compute the best hi for the selected geometric figure on the surface based on the two or more waypoints; vii) Instructing the mobile robot to compute waypoint coordinates of the geometric figure for being marked from the fitted position of said geometric figure; and viii.a) Instructing the mobile robot to store the computed waypoint coordinates of the geometric figure; or viii.b) Instructing the mobile robot to mark the geometric figure on the surface.

A system for generating a path to be followed by a robot used to perform a process on a workpiece has a computing device that has program code for operating the robot and obtaining information related to the workpiece and a vision system that scans the workpiece to obtain images thereof that are provided to the computing device. The computing device processes the images to obtain geometric information about the workpiece that the computing device uses in combination with process related reference parameters stored in the computing device to generate program code for a path to be followed by the robot to perform the process on the workpiece. The computing device also includes code configured to verify for quality the generated program code for the path to be followed by the robot to perform the process on the workpiece.

A coating system for coating components, e.g., for paining motor vehicle body components, is provided. The system includes a coating booth, a conveying system, an application system, a process technology system, a safety system, and a robot system. The robot system includes at least one multi-axis coating robot for guiding the application device and a control unit. The control unit also controls the conveying system, the application system, the safety system and/or the process technology system.

The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer program products for remotely operating a painting device in real time or near real time using a digital user interface to produce a physical artwork According to one method, input is received from a user via a user interface and automatically translated into instructions that, when executed by a remotely located painting device, cause the operation of the painting device to be controlled by the user in real time or near real time. Operation of the movement and position of the painting device in real time or near real time based on the received instructions to eject paint from one or more nozzles onto a physical surface.

Apparatus and method for a painting machine are provided. The painting machine may include an end effector controlled by custom software. The painting machine may include a self-contained medium circulation system. The custom control software may be capable of coordinated n-axis manipulation of an end. Illustrative end effectors may include an inkjet head, brush, air brush or any suitable tool for applying ink, paint, color and/or texture to a surface. For example an end effector may utilize oil-based ink or ultraviolet-cured ink. Illustrative surfaces may include canvas, paper, brick, glass etc. The custom control software may control manipulation of the end effector based on a variety of electronic inputs. The custom software may manipulate different end effectors in different ways depending on the input data, type of ink/paint being used, type of surface receiving the ink/paint or any other variable.

Apparatus and method for a painting machine are provided. The painting machine may include an end effector controlled by custom software. The custom control software may be capable of coordinated n-axis manipulation of an end. Illustrative end effectors may include an inkjet head, brush, air brush or any suitable tool for applying ink, paint, color and/or texture to a surface. For example an end effector may utilize oil-based ink or ultraviolet-cured ink. Illustrative surfaces may include canvas, paper, brick, glass etc. The custom control software may control manipulation of the end effector based on a variety of electronic inputs. The custom software may manipulate different end effectors in different ways depending on the input data, type of ink/paint being used, type of surface receiving the ink/paint or any other variable.

The disclosure relates to a path correction method for correcting paint tracks when coating a component (e.g., motor vehicle body component) with a coating agent (e.g., paint). The path correction method includes: Defining a reference path, applying a first paint track of the coating agent to the component, where the first paint track and the reference path run adjacent to one another and ideally adjoin one another without a path error at a seam, determining the interfering path error at the seam between the first paint track and the adjacent reference path, and determining path correction values for correcting the course of the first paint track in a subsequent coating operation, the path correction values being determined as a function of the path error.

Furthermore, the disclosure comprises a corresponding coating method and a correspondingly adapted coating system.