One or more force control parameters used in force control is adjusted. A robot system includes a robot, a force detector configured to measure an external force exerted on the robot, and a control section that causes the robot to perform an action through feedback control. A measured force value that is a measured value of the external force is produced by causing the robot to perform an action using one or more second servo gains corresponding to one or more first servo gains used when the robot system is caused to perform an actual task, the second servo gains each having a value greater than the value of the corresponding first servo gain, and further using a candidate value of the force control parameters. A new candidate value of the force control parameters is produced by carrying out an optimization process on the force control parameters by using the measured force value. A parameter determination step of determining the force control parameters by repeating a measurement step and a parameter update step is provided.

Systems and methods for moving or manipulating robotic arms are provided. A group of robotic arms are configured to form a virtual rail or line between the end effectors of the robotic arms. The robotic arms are responsive to outside force such as from a user. When a user moves a single one of the robotic arms, the other robotic arms will automatically move to maintain the virtual rail alignments. The virtual rail of the robotic arm end effectors may be translated in one or more of three dimensions. The virtual rail may be rotated about a point on the virtual rail line. The robotic arms can detect the nature of the contact from the user and move accordingly. Holding, shaking, tapping, pushing, pulling, and rotating different parts of the robotic arm elicits different movement responses from different parts of the robotic arm.

As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a device for controlling a collaborative robot includes a collision detection unit configured to sense a collision of the collaborative robot; a control unit configured to control an operation mode of the collaborative robot when the collision detection unit senses the collision; and a collision countermeasure unit configured to apply, when the collision detection unit senses the collision, a collision compensation value to each of a plurality of joints in the collaborative robot so as to change a proceeding direction of a force applied to the each of the plurality of joints.

A vehicle or another object is grasped by a robotic arm of a handling system and caused to undergo one or more movements or manipulations resulting in a change of position, orientation, velocity or acceleration of the vehicle. Sensors provided in the robotic arm capture data representative of forces or torques imparted upon the robotic arm by the vehicle during or after the movement, or power or energy levels of vibration resulting from the movement. A signature representative of an inertial or vibratory response of the vehicle to the movement is derived based on the data. The signature may be compared to a baseline signature similarly derived for a vehicle that is known to be structurally and aerodynamically sound. If the signature is sufficiently similar to the baseline signature, the vehicle may also be determined to be structurally and aerodynamically sound.

Systems and methods relating to generations of models to facilitate safe, automated handling and maneuvering of vehicles, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), by robotic systems, such as a robotic arm. The described systems and methods can include a robotic system, such as a robotic arm, having a load cell to measure certain forces and torques to generate models representing the behavior of vehicles and surfaces on which the vehicles may be placed and/or from which the vehicles may be removed.

A system and method for determining performance of a robot. In one form the robot is constructed as you assembling automotive workpieces onto an automobile assembly. In one form the robot accomplishes the task of assembling an automotive workpiece onto the automotive assembly by using vision feedback and force feedback. The vision feedback can use any number of features perform its function. Such features can include an artificial feature such as but not limited to a QR code, as well as a natural feature such as a portion of the workpiece or automotive assembly. In one embodiment the robot is capable of detecting a collision event and assessing the severity of the collision event. In another embodiment the robot is capable of evaluating its performance by attracting a performance metric against a performance threshold, and comparing a sensor fusion output with a sensor fusion output reference.

Provided is an apparatus for piston insertion, including an insertion robot having a plurality of robot arms connected by a plurality of articulated joints, a piston insertion module directly mounted on the insertion robot, gripping a piston assembly, and inserting the piston assembly into a cylinder bore of a cylinder block, and a controller controlling an operation of the insertion robot and an operation of the piston insertion module.

A method for detecting at least one characteristic parameter of a closure element (12) closing an opening. By means of a handling device (10), a movement is imposed on the closure element (12), wherein at least the interacting force between the closure element and the handing device during the movement is determined by means of a first sensor (20) integrated in the handling device, and position changes of the closure element during the movement sequence are detected by means of a second sensor (26).

The invention relates to a robot controller controlling a robot arm, the robot controller is configured to maintain the robot arm in a static posture when only gravity is acting on the robot arm and allow change in posture of the robot arm when an external force different from gravity is applied to the robot arm. The free-drive mode of operation is activatable by a user establishing a free-drive activation signal to the robot controller, which then is configured to: —monitor a value of at least one joint sensor parameter; —compare the value of the joint sensor parameter to a maintain free-drive joint sensor parameter threshold value; —maintain the robot arm in said free-drive mode of operation for a predetermined maintain free-drive period of time, and —leave the free-drive mode of operation if the value of the joint sensor parameter docs not exceed the maintain free-drive joint sensor parameter threshold value within the maintain free-drive period of time.

A control device includes: first circuitry that generates a command to cause a robot to autonomously grind a grinding target portion; second circuitry that generates a command to cause the robot to grind a grinding target portion according to manipulation information from an operation device; third circuitry that controls operation of the robot according to the command; storage that stores image data of a grinding target portion and operation data of the robot corresponding to the command; and forth circuitry that performs machine learning by using image data of a grinding target portion and the operation data for the grinding target portion, receives the image data as input data, and outputs an operation correspondence command corresponding to the operation data as output data. The first circuitry generates the command, based on the operation correspondence command.