A robotic gripper (end effector) for an arm-type robotic system includes a hierarchical sensor architecture that utilizes a central data processing circuit to generate rich sensory tactile data in response to pressure, temperature, vibration and/or proximity sensor data generated by finger-mounted sensor groups in response to interactions between the robotic gripper and a target object during robotic system operations. The rich sensory tactile data is used to generate feedback signals that directly control finger actuators and/or tactile information that is supplied to the robotic system's control circuit. Sensor data processing circuits are configured to receive single-sensor data signals in parallel from the sensor groups, and to transmit corresponding finger-level sensor data signal on a serial bus/signal line to the central data processing circuit. Each sensor group and an associated sensor data processing circuit are disposed on a PCB structure and mounted on a contact portion of an associated gripper finger.

In an embodiment a device includes a piezoelectric transducer element and a support connected mechanically to each other thereby forming an assembly, wherein the piezoelectric transducer element and the support are configured to be jointly deformed under an action of a first force, wherein the support includes a neutral fiber arranged inside the support, the neutral fiber configured to not undergo any change in length during a bending of the assembly, and wherein the piezoelectric transducer element includes a ferroelectric polymer layer or a layer having a composite material including a ceramic material and a piezoelectric polymer matrix.

An apparatus for collision avoidance by surface proximity detection includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements disposed adjacent to a surface of an object, a memory storing instructions, and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to control a first one among the piezoelectric elements to generate an acoustic wave along the surface of the object, and receive, via a second one among the piezoelectric elements, an acoustic wave signal corresponding to the generated acoustic wave. The at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to filter the received acoustic wave signal, using a band-pass filter for reducing noise of the received acoustic wave signal, obtain a proximity signal for proximity detection, from the filtered acoustic wave signal, using a linear time-invariant filter, and detect whether an obstacle is proximate to the surface of the object by inputting the obtained proximity signal into a neural network.

An articulated-arm robot and a method for machining a workpiece by means of the articulated-arm robot includes a base; a working head holder; several lever arms, which are arranged between the base and the working head holder, the lever arms being coupled to one another by means of revolute joints; a working head which is arranged on the working head holder, the working head comprising a working spindle which is arranged in a spindle housing and is mounted in the spindle housing at least at a first bearing point and a second bearing point. At least one sensor for sensing a radial force is formed at each of the first bearing point and the second bearing point. At least one sensor for sensing an axial force is formed at least one of the two bearing points.

An item picking system configured to pick items from a collection region for placing said items into an item container, the system comprising a robotic arm. One or more end effectors coupled to the robotic arm for holding and manipulating an item, wherein at least one of the end effectors comprises a contact pressure sensing assembly including a piezoresistive sensor configured to obtain piezoresistive signals indicative of contact pressure between said sensor and an item held by said end effector. Signal processing circuitry configured to process the piezoresistive signals, the signal processing circuitry comprising a differential amplifier having a first input terminal coupled to the sensor to receive the piezoresistive signals therefrom. A second input terminal arranged to receive a calibration signal and an output terminal for providing a difference signal based on the two input signals, wherein, for each piezoresistive signal provided to the differential amplifier, the system is configured to control the calibration signal provided to the second input terminal of the differential amplifier to be within a selected range from said piezoresistive signal. A control unit coupled to the output terminal of the differential amplifier, wherein the control unit is configured to control operation of the robotic arm based on the difference signals from the differential amplifier.

A robot system including a master device configured to receive a manipulating instruction from an operator and transmit the received manipulating instruction as a manipulating input signal, a plurality of slave robots configured to operate according to the manipulating input signal transmitted from the master device, a management control device configured to manage operations of the plurality of slave robots, respectively, and an output device configured to output information transmitted from the management control device. The management control device determines a priority of transmitting the manipulating input signal from the master device to the slave robot among the plurality of slave robots that are in a standby state of the manipulating input signal, and transmits information related to the determined priority to the output device. Thus, the operator is able to efficiently transmit the manipulating input signal to the plurality of slave robots through the master device.

Plurality of robot main bodies a remote control device including contactless action detecting part configured to detect contactless action including at least one given operation instructing action by operator, and control device communicably connected to remote control device and configured to control operations of plurality of robot main bodies, are provided. Control device includes memory part configured to store operational instruction content data defining operation mode of robot main body corresponding to the at least one operation instructing action, operational instruction content identifying module configured to identify operation mode of robot main body corresponding to one of operation instructing action detected by contactless action detecting part based on operational instruction content data, and motion controlling module configured to control operation of at least one given robot main body among plurality of robot main bodies based on operation mode identified by operational instruction content identifying module.

A robot system which is capable of reducing an operator's workload and easily correcting preset operation of a robot. The robot system includes a robot main body having a plurality of joints, a control device configured to control operation of the robot main body and an operating device including a teaching device configured to teach the control device one of positional information on the robot main body and angular information on the plurality of joints so as to execute an automatic operation of the robot main body and a manipulator configured to receive a manipulating instruction from an operator to manually operate the robot main body or correct the operation of the robot main body under the automatic operation.

A robot system which includes a manipulator configured to receive a manipulating instruction from an operator, a slave arm having a plurality of joints, and a control device configured to control operation of the slave arm. The control device is configured, while the slave arm is operating at a speed equal to or higher than a first given the threshold, even when an operational instruction value for correcting the operation of the slave arm is inputted from the manipulator during an automatic operation of the slave arm, to prevent the correction of the operation of the slave arm.

Remote control robot system includes a master device, slave arm having plurality of control modes including automatic and manual mode, control device configured to operate slave arm, an entering-person sensing device configured to detect entering person into operational area of slave arm, entering-person identifying information acquisition device configured to acquire entering-person identifying information for identifying whether entering person is operator who carries master device, and operation regulating device configured to regulate operation of slave arm based on information acquired from entering-person sensing device and information acquisition device. In automatic mode, operation regulating device regulates operation of slave arm when entering person is detected. In manual mode, operation regulating device allows operation of slave arm to continue when entering person is detected and entering person is operator, and regulates operation of the slave arm when entering person is other than operator.