Techniques are described for testing whether an end effector, or component thereof, is correctly or incorrectly installed to a manipulation system. In an example, a manipulation system can include a manipulator arm configured to receive an end effector having a first moveable jaw, a transducer configured to provide first effort information of the end effector as the end effector moves, and a processor configured to provide a command signal to effect a first test move of the first moveable jaw, and to provide an installation status of the end effector using the first effort information of the first test move.

An articulated robot having an arm, a drive motor for driving the arm, a gas spring for supporting a load acting on the arm to reduce a load of the drive motor and a control unit for controlling the drive motor. The control unit has a function of estimating a decrease state of a gas sealed inside the gas spring based on an actual current value of the drive motor obtained at a stop position at which the drive motor is operated and stopped in an energized state. Thus, the decrease state of the gas sealed inside the gas spring can be estimated based on the current value of a servo motor without causing decline in operation rate of the robot and the like.

The present disclosure aims to provide an evaluation apparatus and an evaluation method capable of evaluating a walking assistance apparatus by simulating an actual person's walking motion. An evaluation apparatus 1 includes a placement part 5 on which a sole part of a walking assistance apparatus 4 to be evaluated is placed; an actuator 3 configured to apply a load to the walking assistance apparatus 4 in a direction of the placement part 5 in a state in which the sole part faces the placement part 5; and an actuator 6 configured to change a relative positional relation between the placement part 5 and the sole part.

Systems and methods for designing, testing, and validating a robotic system for space are provided. A system includes: a robotic manipulator; a dynamic system emulator configured to simulate a motion behaviour response of a first space robotic system based on forces and moments measured by the first robotic manipulator during physical interaction of the first robotic manipulator with a second robotic manipulator emulating motion behaviour of a second space robotic system; an arm controller configured to generate a manipulator tip reference trajectory command based on the motion behaviour response simulated by the dynamic system emulator and provide the manipulator tip reference trajectory command to the robotic manipulator; and an arm mechanism in the robotic manipulator configured to track a trajectory based on the manipulator tip reference trajectory command, such that the robotic manipulator emulates motion behaviour of the first space robotic system.

Methods and systems according to one or more examples are provided for testing an automated platform, such as a robot. In one example, a system comprises a first robot configured to perform one or more processing operations on a workpiece. The system further comprises a second robot configured to simulate one or more parameters of the workpiece and an associated processing operation to provide one or more test conditions corresponding to each of the one or more processing operations the first robot would perform on the workpiece to test the first robot.

Provided is a life evaluating device that evaluates the life of a lubricant in a machine including a motor and a transmission mechanism that is lubricated by the lubricant and transmits power of the motor to a movable unit. The life evaluating device includes a motor-heat-value calculating unit that calculates a motor heat value on the basis of a current value of the motor, a frictional-heat-value calculating unit that calculates a frictional heat value in the transmission mechanism on the basis of rotating speed of the motor and a coefficient of friction of the transmission mechanism, a lubricant-temperature estimating unit that estimates temperature of the lubricant on the basis of the calculated frictional heat value and the calculated motor heat value, and a life estimating unit that estimates the life of the lubricant on the basis of the estimated temperature of the lubricant and information concerning impurities in the lubricant.

Techniques and apparatus for performing a power-on self-test for a braking system in an autonomous delivery robot are described. One technique includes moving each wheel of the autonomous delivery robot in a first direction in accordance with predefined criteria, while brake module(s) of the braking system are engaged to one or more of the wheels to stop movement of the one or more wheels. A first amount of movement of at least a first wheel that is engaged to a first brake module is determined. Upon determining that the first amount of movement satisfies a predetermined condition, a determination is made that the braking system has failed the test and the brake module(s) of the braking system are kept in an engaged state.

A ground simulation device and method for an on-orbit manipulation of a space manipulator is provided. The ground simulation device includes: a dual-arm robot, configured to simulate the space manipulator operating a target object; a suspension device, including a fixed post and passive rods, where the passive rods are movably connected with a top end of the fixed post, and the target object is suspended to the passive rods; and a simulation platform, configured to fix the dual-arm robot and the suspension device thereon. The ground simulation device provides the passive rods on the suspension device and suspends the target object to the passive rods, thus overcoming the gravity of the target object. In addition, the passive rods can drive the target object to move under an influence of an external force, achieving a similar suspension effect to that in space, and providing a desired, safe, and reliable implementation effect.

A mechanical arm calibration system and a mechanical arm calibration method are provided. The method includes: locating a position of an end point of a mechanical arm in a three-dimensional space to calculate an actual motion trajectory of the end point when the mechanical arm is operating; retrieving link parameters of the mechanical arm, randomly generating sets of particles including compensation amounts for the link parameters through particle swarm optimization (PSO), importing the compensation amounts of each of the sets of particles into forward kinematics after addition of the corresponding link parameters, to calculate an adaptive motion trajectory of the end point; calculating position errors between the adaptive motion trajectory and the actual motion trajectory of each of the sets of particles for a fitness value of the PSO to estimate a group best position; and updating the link parameters by the compensation amounts corresponding to the group best position.

A method for examining a robot apparatus which includes a driving source configured to drive a joint, the position and orientation of which are controlled based on trajectory data determined in advance for a normal motion. The examination method includes generating examination motion data for driving a joint as an examination target under a driving speed that causes the examination target joint to resonate and causing the examination target joint to pass through a path based on the trajectory data. A resonance amplitude of the joint is acquired based on the examination motion data.