Emergency stop pressure sensors 17 are installed on both side surfaces of a movable link 11 of a robot arm 14 of an assembly robot. When a worker S unintentionally walks in a swing range Ra of the robot arm 14 and contacts the emergency stop pressure sensor 17, a detection signal is transmitted to a control unit 19, and the control unit 19 shuts power transmission to a driving source swinging the robot arm. The emergency stop pressure sensor 17 has a first electrode and a second electrode constituting a pair of electrodes and an intermediate layer formed of rubber or a rubber composition, which is disposed between the pair of electrodes, the intermediate layer generating power upon deformation caused by contact with a contacted body (the worker). A side of the intermediate layer in a laminate direction undergoes surface modification treatment and/or inactivation treatment. With this treatment, the one side and the other side of the intermediate layer have different degrees of deformation to the same deformation adding force.

In a gripping device including carriages disposed on a base body so as to be movable relative to each other by a motor drive, the carriages being provided with gripping elements which are movable with the carriages between an opening and a closing position of the gripping elements, at least one of the gripping elements is supported on the respective carriage so as to be able to yield to a certain engagement pressure force which is adjustable in the range of 5 to 300 N in order to prevent excessive damage or injuries-causing engagement forces.

A compliant safe joint and manufacturing method thereof. The compliant safe joint includes an input axis circumferentially connected to a motor shaft of a DC motor; a movable bridge circumferentially mounted on the input axis and slidable along a axial direction of the input axis; multiple bearings, each of the multiple bearings having an inner ring fixed to the movable bridge and having an outer ring; a stationary bridge rotatably mounted on the movable bridge and having a helicoid surface, the outer ring of each bearing being movable along the helicoid surface; and a flexible component connected to the movable bridge. The stationary bridge rotates about the input axis when a torque which exceeds a predetermined threshold is applied to the stationary bridge by the motor shaft, such that the bearings move with respect to the helicoid surface to cause the flexible component to be compressed and extended through the movable bridge.

A robot with an impact buffering member on the surface of a robot arm for alleviating the impact when the arm contacts an object; and a contact detection unit for detecting a contact between the robot arm and object. The unit has a soft porous member on the front surface side of the impact buffering member and softer than the member; a housing member including the soft porous member and formed of a flexible material; a fluid discharge pipe for discharging a fluid inside the housing member when the object makes contact so the volume of the housing member decreases; and a volume change detection portion for detecting a change in volume of the housing member by utilizing the discharged fluid. It is possible to secure sufficient safety in a cooperative work between a person and a robot or the like, even when the person contacts the robot arm.

A method, a delimiting device and an arrangement that includes an automatic movement machine that has at least one movable element, wherein the arrangement includes a delimiting device for delimiting a working region of the automatic movement machine, where the delimiting device includes at least one delimiting element via which it is possible to prevent the at least one element from overshooting at least one boundary of the working region, and the delimiting device also includes a movement apparatus that is configured to move the at least one delimiting element depending on at least one movement of the at least one movable element such that the at least one delimiting element prevents the at least one movable element from overshooting the at least one boundary.

A collaborative robot employs low ratio drives for three or more axes of movement, such as three primary axes. An arm assembly may be mounted to a support for movement along a vertical linear axis, and the arm assembly may include first and second arm links that are each rotatable about vertical axes, e.g., such that the arm links move in a horizontal plane. Low ratio drives may be used for movement along the vertical linear axis and the rotary axes for the first and second arm links. Feedforward and feedback control may be employed to control the movement of the arm assembly and arm links, and feedback torque components may be limited to 25% or less of the maximum drive torque.

A collaborative robot employs low ratio drives for three or more axes of movement, such as three primary axes. An arm assembly may be mounted to a support for movement along a vertical linear axis, and the arm assembly may include first and second arm links that are each rotatable about vertical axes, e.g., such that the arm links move in a horizontal plane. Low ratio drives may be used for movement along the vertical linear axis and the rotary axes for the first and second arm links. Feedforward and feedback control may be employed to control the movement of the arm assembly and arm links, and feedback torque components may be limited to 25% or less of the maximum drive torque.

A monitoring device of a robot system including: a current sensor detecting a value of a current flowing through the servo motor; a current/torque converting the value of the current flowing through the servo motor which is detected by the current sensor into a torque value; a driving torque estimating section estimating at least a part of driving torque required to drive the servo motor; a differential torque calculating differential torque between the torque value obtained by conversion in the current/torque converting section and an estimated value of the driving torque; an external force converting the differential torque calculated by the differential torque calculating section into an external force applied to the robot; and a stop signal generating section which generates to stop the robot based on a value of the external force obtained by conversion in the external force converting section, and supplies the stop signal to the controller.

A rotary joint, including: a hydraulic follow-up mechanism and a rotary transmission mechanism. The hydraulic follow-up mechanism includes a cylinder body, a valve sleeve, a valve core, a valve body, a left end cover and a right end cover. The rotary transmission mechanism includes a tray, a stabilizing ring, a follow-up disk, a torque transfer disk and a stable supporting wheel mechanism. The left end cover and the right end cover are arranged at the left and right ends of the cylinder body, respectively. The valve body is concentrically mounted in a cylindrical hollow chamber of the cylinder body. The output shaft at the right end of the valve body projects out of the right end cover. The right end of the valve core is provided with a valve core torque transfer shaft extending rightwards through the right end of the valve body.

An upper housing assembly includes a pivot arm having an upper cam surface adjacent a distal end. A cam follower is coupled to a laser head to move up and down with a laser head. The cam follower exerts a downward force on the upper cam surface during normal operation. Thus, as the pivot arm rotates back and forth, the laser head moves up and down. A assist gas hose can be coupled between the upper housing and the laser head which has a spiral configuration permitting relative axial movement between the upper housing and the laser head. Upon an upward axial force being exerted on the laser head, the cam follower moves upwardly away from the upper cam surface.