A method for controlling a mechanical system having a plurality of components interlinked by a plurality of driven joints, the method comprising: measuring torques or forces about or at the driven joints and forming a load signal representing the measured torques or forces; receiving a motion demand signal representing a desired state of the system; implementing an impedance control algorithm in dependence on the motion demand signal and the load signal to form a target signal indicating a target configuration for each of the driven joints; measuring the configuration of each of the driven joints and forming a state signal representing the measured configurations; and forming a set of drive signals for the joints by, for each joint, comparing the target configuration of that joint as indicated by the target signal to the measured configuration of that joint as indicated by the state signal.

An object of the present invention is to prevent unnecessary driving stop of a stepping motor. A robot arm section includes a robot arm, a stepping motor 31a, a motor driver 31b, an encoder 31c and a step-out detection section 31e. The robot arm has a joint J1. The stepping motor generates power for operating the joint. The motor driver drives the stepping motor according to a target angle. The encoder outputs an encoder pulse every time a drive shaft of the stepping motor rotates by a predetermined angle. The step-out detection section detects a step-out of the stepping motor based on the target angle and a current angle of the stepping motor that is identified based on the encoder pulse. When the stepping motor does not recover from the step-out before a predetermined grace time elapses from a time at which the step-out is detected, the motor driver stops driving the stepping motor at the time point at which the grace time elapses.

In one embodiment, a method includes by a robotic system: accessing a trajectory plan to be executed by the robotic system, where the trajectory plan includes desired poses at specified times, respectively, for each actuator of the robotic system, executing the trajectory plan for each actuator of the robotic system; monitoring, in real-time for each actuator during execution of the trajectory plan, an actual pose of the respective actuator, determining, based on the monitoring of the actuators, that one or more of the actuators is lagging, where the actual pose of each lagging actuator deviates from the desired pose by more than an error threshold, and adjusting, in real-time responsive to determining that one or more of the actuators is lagging, one or more of the desired poses at one or more specified times, respectively, of the trajectory plan.

A control method and a control system using the same as are provided. The method includes: extracting a corresponding component data from a component data stream based on an application protocol registered by each of a plurality of applications and encapsulating a corresponding application data packet for the application in response to receiving the component data stream in a current control period; transmitting the corresponding application data packet to each of the applications; obtaining control data reported by each of the applications according to data reporting timing corresponding to the application; and generating a component control instruction for controlling each of the components according to the control data reported by each of the applications in the current control period and the application protocol registered by the application. In this manner, the orderly control of a smart devices within a limited control period can be achieved.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide proportional integral derivative control (PID) using multiple actuators. In one embodiment, a process includes providing a PID controller in communication with a primary actuator and a secondary actuator, the primary actuator and the secondary actuator coupled to a handler, such as a robotic arm for manipulating an object. The process further includes receiving position feedback and a specified trajectory for the handler, and generating a dynamic feedforward force command and a position correction command for the handler based on the position feedback and the specified trajectory. The process further includes providing, from the PID controller, the dynamic feedforward force command to the secondary actuator and the position correction command to the primary actuator.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide proportional integral derivative control (PID) using multiple actuators. In one embodiment, a process includes providing a PID controller in communication with a primary actuator and a secondary actuator, the primary actuator and the secondary actuator coupled to a handler. The process further includes receiving position feedback and a specified trajectory for the handler, and generating a dynamic feedforward force command and a position correction command for the handler based on the position feedback and the specified trajectory. The process further includes providing, from the PID controller, the dynamic feedforward force command to the secondary actuator and the position correction command to the primary actuator.

Semi-closed control or fully closed control is selected as a control system for a joint using a motor configured to drive a joint of a robot arm via a reduction gear, an input-side encoder, and an output-side encoder, the semi-closed control being control in which an output of the input-side encoder is used, the fully closed control being control in which an output of the output-side encoder is used. A test run is performed plural times in which the robot arm is caused to perform a specific operation while semi-closed control is being performed on the joint, and semi-closed control or fully closed control is selected using outputs of the output-side encoder obtained in the test runs or in accordance with the content of a task that the robot arm is to be caused to perform.

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for driving axial motion of a shaft of a medical instrument using a drive device. Axial motion can include insertion and/or retraction of the instrument. For example, a robotic medical system can include a medical instrument comprising an instrument base and a flexible shaft configured for insertion into a patient, and a first robotic arm attachable to the instrument base of the medical instrument. The system also includes a drive device configured to engage the flexible shaft, and a second robotic arm attachable to the drive device. The second robotic arm is configured to operate the drive device to drive axial motion of the flexible shaft, and the first robotic arm is configured to move in coordination with operation of the drive device.

A teaching apparatus includes circuitry. The circuitry is configured to obtain result information corresponding to a position of a worked region on a workpiece. The circuitry is configured to generate first teaching information based on the result information. The first teaching information specifies a motion of an examination robot configured to examine the workpiece that has undergone work.

A method of operating a robot includes detecting the occurrence of an abnormal operating condition of the robot during operation from hardware state data relating to the operation of the robot system. In response, current hardware state data of the robot at the time of the detection is captured, including robot positional information. A counter corresponding to the abnormal operating condition may then be incremented and, if the counter exceeds a threshold value or exceeds a threshold value in a certain time, a report may be generated including the captured hardware state data. The abnormal condition may for example be a fluctuation in vacuum level or a data transmission error.