A control device includes a stop command unit for stopping an operation of a robot when a person comes in contact with the robot, and a speed limit unit for limiting the operation speed of the robot. A distance determination value relating to an accident caused by sandwiching a person is predetermined. The speed limit unit includes a model generation unit for generating three-dimensional models of two objects among the component of the robot, a hand, and object arranged around the robot, and a distance calculation unit for calculating the shortest distance between the models of the two objects. When the shortest distance is less than the distance determination value, the speed limit unit controls the operation speed of the robot so that the operation speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined limit speed.

A laser machining head has at least one channel in a welding nozzle, through which welding filler material is deposited. At least one of the following features i) to iv) is implemented: i) a wire-shaped welding filler material is supplied through the channel into the laser beam via a drive motor. An electric current in the drive motor is measured, and the feed movement of the filler material is influenced by the measured current; ii) a strain gauge is attached to a housing or the welding nozzle, where by the strain gauge a termination of the machining process is initiated when a measurement signal value is reached; iii) a termination of the machining process is initiated by a contact arrangement on the housing; and/or iv) an electronic camera is used to monitor the supply of welding filler material, and the feed movement of at least one filler material is influenced.

A robot system includes a robotic arm having a wrist in a tip-end part thereof, the wrist being rotatable on a rotational axis extending in a given direction, an end effector attached to the wrist, and a deformation detecting device configured to detect deformation of the end effector by using a target pin having a target part where a given detection part of the end effector reaches. The target part has an indicate function to indicate that the detection part reaches the target part. The deformation detecting device includes a search part configured to control the robotic arm so that the detection part touches the target pin to search for the target part, and detect that the detection part reaches the target part based on the indicate function, and a deformation detecting part configured to compare an assumed position of the detection part when the detection part reaches the target part with a given reference position, and detect the deformation of the end effector.

A control system is provided for controlling movements of an end effector connected to a clutch output of at least one magnetorheological (MR) fluid clutch apparatus. A clutch driver is configured to drive the at least one MR fluid clutch apparatus between a controlled slippage mode, in which slippage between a clutch input and the clutch output of the MR fluid clutch apparatus varies, and a lock mode, in which said slippage between the clutch input and the clutch output is maintained below a given threshold, the clutch output transmitting movement to the end effector. A motor driver is configured to control a motor output of at least one motor, the motor output coupled to the clutch input. A mode selector module is configured to receive signals representative of at least one movement parameter of the end effector, the mode selector module selecting a mode between the controlled slippage mode and the lock mode of the clutch driver based on the signals, and switching the selected mode based on the signals. A movement controller controls the clutch driver and the motor driver to displace the end effector based on at least one of the selected mode and on commanded movements of the end effector for the end effector to achieve the commanded movements. A method for controlling movements of an end effector connected to the MR fluid clutch apparatus is also provided.

A method and a gonioradiometer for the direction-dependent measurement of at least one photometric or radiometric characteristic of an optical radiation source. The emission direction of the photometric or radiometric characteristic is described using a system of planes (A, B, C), the planes of which intersect at an intersection line which passes through the radiation centroid of the radiation source, and using an emission angle (, , ) which specifies the emission direction (, , ) within a considered plane. A sensor or the radiation source is fastened to a multi-axis articulated robot. The robot is configured to only swivel about precisely one of its axes during a measuring process, in which measurement values relating to different emission angles (, , ) within a considered plane of the system of planes (A, B, C) or to different planes at a considered emission angle (, , ) are detected.

A human-robot collaboration (HRC) workstation includes a robot having a robot controller and a robot arm comprising a plurality of joints and links connecting the joints. The joints are automatically adjusted by the controller to move or hold in space a tool or workpiece held by the robot arm by adjusting the joints. The (HRC) workstation further comprises a mounting device having a stationary base frame and a fixing device configured to hold in place a workpiece or a tool such that the workpiece and/or tool held on the mounting device may be assembled and/or machined in interaction with the robot arm. The mounting device includes a mechanical adjusting device and a triggering device controlled by the robot controller and the adjusting device is configured to automatically adjust the fixing device relative to the base frame from an operating position to a safety position when the triggering device is activated.

A sensorized covering, prearranged for covering at least part of a movable structure of an automated device. The sensorized covering is useful for sensing an actual impact or anticipating an imminent impact to the automated device. The sensorized covering includes one or more covering modules wherein each covering module may include contact sensors and/or proximity sensors, a loading bearing structure and/or controls. The individual sensorized modules may be independently connected or controlled, or connected together and collectively controlled. Examples of the automated device my include a movable robots or an automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

A safety control device for releasing an operation of a machine, in particular a robot, includes an input device for detecting a manual contact, in particular a finger contact. The safety control device has a retaining device for securing the input device to a finger, in particular a fingertip, of an operator, in particular in a frictional manner, and/or a signaling means for outputting a signal, in particular an optical, acoustic, tactile, thermal, and/or electric signal, if a contact force detected by the input device is smaller than a specified upper minimum value and/or for outputting a signal, in particular the same signal or a different signal, in particular an optical, acoustic, tactile, thermal, and/or electric signal, if a contact force detected by the input device is greater than a specified lower maximum value.

A drilling apparatus includes an attachment box configured to couple to a machine tool. The drilling apparatus facilitates formation of a hole in a workpiece with workpiece structure that results in a large offset distance from a start location of the hole to the machine tool, restricted access to the start location, or both. The drilling apparatus includes a bearing housing coupled to the attachment box. The bearing housing includes a pair of bearings. The drilling apparatus includes a shaft position through the bearing housing to couple to the bearings. The shaft includes an end effector interface configured to couple to one or more end effectors of the machine tool at a first end of the shaft. The shaft includes a tool interface configured to couple to a tool at a second end of the shaft. The drilling apparatus also includes an offset foot coupled to the bearing housing.

A safety coupling for connecting an end effector to a manipulator, comprising a manipulator coupling portion for connecting the safety coupling to the manipulator, an end effector coupling portion for connecting the safety coupling to the end effector, a lowering device, which connects the manipulator coupling portion and the end effector coupling portion to one another in a way that the end effector coupling portion and an end effector optionally coupled to the end effector coupling portion can descend relative to the manipulator coupling portion, with control, in particular with automatic braking, as a result of gravity, and a securing device, which can assume a normal configuration and an emergency configuration, the securing device blocking the lowering device when the securing device is in the normal configuration and releasing the lowering device when the securing device is in the emergency configuration.