A sensor system includes a first member extending along a rotational axis and having a surface disposed circumferentially about the axis. The sensor system further includes a conductive element fixed to the first member and disposed on the surface and about the rotational axis and a second member extending along the axis. A rotational position between the first member and the second member is adjustable. The sensor system further includes a target mounted to and rotatable with the second member and being movable relative to the second member between first and second positions. The target is spaced apart from the conductive element in both the first and second positions and is closer to the conductive element in the second position compared to the first position. The conductive element is configured to sense the target in the second position for any rotational position between the first member and the second member.

A sensor apparatus includes a main body, counter body movable relative to the main body, and a plurality of sensor devices for the output of sensor signals, the sensor devices each including at least one sensor and at least one target area. The sensors are disposed on one of the bodies, and the target areas are disposed on the other body. The sensors are developed for detecting the target areas in each case. The sensor apparatus further includes an evaluation device developed to determine from the sensor signals a relative position, in three translational degrees of freedom and in three rotational degrees of freedom, between the counter body and the main body.

A vacuum clamp inspection system comprises a rigid structure; a sensor system mounted relative to the rigid structure; a calibration fixture mounted on the table; and a vacuum clamp configured to provide at least one of a location and a pose of a component relative to the calibration fixture.

Inspection robots with independent drive module suspension are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing with a first connector on a first side of the housing, and a second connector on a second side of the housing. A first drive module, having at least one wheel and a first motor, may be operatively coupled to the first connector, and a second drive module, having at least one wheel and a first motor, may be operatively coupled to the second connector. The first and second drive modules may be coupled by a drive connector.

A value associated with a plurality of measurement objects that are embedded in a material associated with an intermediate layer of a plurality of layers associated with a tactile sensing unit is sensed. The value associated with the plurality of measurement objects is sensed by a sensor that is included a layer below the intermediate layer of the tactile sensing unit. An output of the sensor is used to make a determination associated with engagement of a robotic arm end effector with an item.

A robot capable of performing precise work is provided.

The robot includes an actuator unit and an end effector provided at a tip of the actuator unit.

The end effector includes a first sensor capable of detecting a pressure distribution in a contact region coming into contact with a workpiece, and a second sensor capable of detecting position information of the contact region.

Inspection robots with swappable drive modules are described. An example inspect robot may include a first removeable interface plate on the side of a robot chassis. The first removable interface plate may couple a first drive module to an electronic board, within the chassis, where the electronic board includes a drive module interface circuit communicatively coupled to the first drive module. The example inspect robot may also include a second removeable interface plate on a side of a robot chassis. The second removable interface plate may couple a second drive module to an electronic board, within the chassis, where the electronic board includes a drive module interface circuit communicatively coupled to the second drive module.

The present disclosure relates to robot technology, and particularly to a method, a device, and a robot for identifying charging station. The method includes: first, obtaining scanning data produced by a radar of the robot; then, determining whether an arc-shaped object exists in a scanning range of the radar of the robot based on the scanning data; finally, in response to determining that the arc-shaped object exists in the scanning range of the robot, determining that the arc-shaped object is a charging station. Compared with the prior art, the present disclosure substitutes the arc identification for the conventional concave-convex structure identification. Since the surface of the arc is relatively smooth, the data jumps at the intersection of the cross-section will not occur, hence the accuracy of charging station identification can be greatly improved.

Provided is a robot system with improved safety and workability. A robot system includes: a movable machine control part, controlling operation of a movable mechanical part operating in a first mode and a second mode; a teaching content registration part, registering teaching content input by applying an operating force to the movable mechanical part; a first sensor, monitoring a first monitoring area set around the movable mechanical part; and an operating mode switch part, switching between a first mode in which the operation of the movable mechanical part is decelerated or stopped when intrusion of an object into the first monitoring area is detected and a second mode in which the teaching content can be accepted and executed while contact of a user with the movable mechanical part is being detected.

Methods and apparatus for verifiable inspection operations are described. An example apparatus may have an inspection description circuit to interpret an inspection definition value and a payload status circuit to provide a payload identification value in response to at least one of a payload specific configuration or signals from a payload. The example apparatus may also have an inspection integrity circuit to determine an inspection description value in response to the inspection definition value and the payload identification value and an inspection reporting circuit to communicate the inspection description value to an external device.