An apparatus for holding a cable for an electric vehicle charger includes a cable holding unit configured to restrict a charging cable extended and connected to a charging coupler, and to ascend or descend to predetermined positions, a housing unit mounted in a manner that is rotatable along a leftward-rightward direction, the cable holding unit being accommodated inside the housing unit, a driving unit configured to provide drive power for enabling the cable holding unit to ascend and descend and drive power for rotating the housing unit, and a control unit configured to control the driving unit in such a manner that the cabling holding unit and the housing unit are selectively driven when the charging coupler is removed from an electric vehicle charger or rests thereon.

A system for increasing safety during robot-human collaborations in a manufacturing environment is provided. The method includes at least one wearable device for use by a human worker and an industrial robot in operative communication with the at least one wearable device. The industrial robot is equipped to detect location of the human worker using the at least one wearable device. The at least one wearable device may include an earpiece. The at least one wearable device may include a set of earpieces including a left wearable earpiece and a right wearable earpiece.

A management device includes: a data acquisition unit for acquiring modification information indicating a modification that has been applied to an operation program, and execution information indicating that the operation program has been executed in order to operate a robot; an input receiving unit for receiving an input for authorizing the modification information acquired by the data acquisition unit; an authorization determination unit for determining, when the data acquisition unit has acquired the execution information, whether the modification information for the operation program being executed has been authorized; and a process execution unit for executing a predetermined accident prevention process if the authorization determination unit 66 has determined that the modification information has not been authorized.

A system for increasing safety during robot-human collaborations in a manufacturing environment is provided. The method includes at least one wearable device for use by a human worker and an industrial robot in operative communication with the at least one wearable device. The industrial robot is equipped to detect location of the human worker using the at least one wearable device. The at least one wearable device may include an earpiece. The at least one wearable device may include a set of earpieces including a left wearable earpiece and a right wearable earpiece.

Systems and methods are described for reacting to a feature in an environment of a robot based on a classification of the feature. A system can detect the feature in the environment using a first sensor on the robot. For example, the system can detect the feature using a feature detection system based on sensor data from a camera. The system can detect a mover in the environment using a second sensor on the robot. For example, the system can detect the mover using a mover detection system based on sensor data from a lidar sensor. The system can fuse the data from detecting the feature and detecting the mover to produce fused data. The system can classify the feature based on the fused data and react to the feature based on classifying the feature.

Systems and methods for determining safe and unsafe zones in a workspacewhere safe actions are calculated in real time based on all relevant objects (e.g., some observed by sensors and others computationally generated based on analysis of the sensed workspace) and on the current state of the machinery (e.g., a robot) in the workspacemay utilize a variety of workspace-monitoring approaches as well as dynamic modeling of the robot geometry. The future trajectory of the robot(s) and/or the human(s) may be forecast using, e.g., a model of human movement and other forms of control. Modeling and forecasting of the robot may, in some embodiments, make use of data provided by the robot controller that may or may not include safety guarantees.

Example implementations may relate to a robotic system configured to provide feedback. In particular, the robotic system may determine a model of an environment in which the robotic system is operating. Based on this model, the robotic system may then determine one or more of a state or intended operation of the robotic system. Then, based one or more of the state or the intended operation, the robotic system may select one of one or more of the following to represent one or more of the state or the intended operation: visual feedback, auditory feedback, and one or more movements. Based on the selection, the robotic system may then engage in one or more of the visual feedback, the auditory feedback, and the one or more movements.

This invention comprehensively detects an operational abnormality caused by a disturbance factor such as contact of a robot arm. A robot device according to the present embodiment is equipped with an articulated arm mechanism, and includes: a plurality of links; a plurality of joints interconnecting the plurality of links; a plurality of motors that generate motive power for driving the plurality of joints; a transmission mechanism that transmits rotation of a drive shaft of a motor of at least one joint among the plurality of joints to a rotary shaft of the at least one joint; a first encoder that detects rotation of the drive shaft of the motor of the at least one joint; a second encoder that detects rotation of the rotary shaft of the at least one joint; and a determining section that determines an operational abnormality based on an encoder pulse that is output from the first encoder and an encoder pulse that is output from the second encoder.

A method for warning a person in a working area about at least one first robot, and a robot system that includes the at least one first robot, wherein the movement of the robot in a future working interval is predicted, a determination is made as to whether a working area segment will be passed over by the robot in a first or second time period, a first or second visual warning is emitted in accordance with when the working area segment will be passed over, and the first or second visual warnings are respectively emitted onto a floor segment that is assigned to a respective working area segment.

Example implementations may relate to a robotic system configured to provide feedback. In particular, the robotic system may determine a model of an environment in which the robotic system is operating. Based on this model, the robotic system may then determine one or more of a state or intended operation of the robotic system. Then, based one or more of the state or the intended operation, the robotic system may select one of one or more of the following to represent one or more of the state or the intended operation: visual feedback, auditory feedback, and one or more movements. Based on the selection, the robotic system may then engage in one or more of the visual feedback, the auditory feedback, and the one or more movements.