Artificial limbs and joints that behave like biological limbs and joints employ a synthetic actuator which consumes negligible power when exerting zero force, consumes negligible power when outputting force at constant length (isometric) and while performing dissipative, nonconservative work, is capable of independently engaging flexion and extension tendon-like, series springs, is capable of independently varying joint position and stiffness, and exploits series elasticity for mechanical power amplification.

A control system according to an embodiment includes a motor configured to drive a link, a first sensor configured to detect information about the driving by the motor or information about a relation between the driving means and the load member as first sensor information, a second sensor configured to detect information about a displacement of the link as second sensor information, and a control unit configured to perform feedback control of the driving means so as to follow a command value in a two-inertial system model including an inertial system on a load side and an inertial system on a driving side. The control unit includes a disturbance observer configured to estimate a disturbance, and a filter configured to convert an estimated value of the disturbance into a driving force of the motor.

A robotic assembly comprises a first joint comprising first and second support members rotatably coupled together, and a joint position restoration assembly coupled to at least one of the first or second support members. The joint position restoration assembly can comprise a first spring and a mechanical linkage, wherein the joint position restoration assembly is operable to apply a restoring torque to the first joint. The joint position restoration assembly can be configured to provide a restoring torque versus joint position profile relative to the first joint that corresponds to known mass properties of at least a portion of the robotic assembly acting on or otherwise associated with the first joint, such that, when the first joint is not undergoing powered actuation, the joint position restoration assembly operates to apply, based on the profile, the restoring torque to position and to support the first joint in a stable support position.

There is provided a polishing amount estimation device which can facilitate the setting of parameters of teaching trajectory or force control in a polishing operation. A polishing amount estimation device for estimating a polishing amount in a polishing operation which is performed by bringing a polishing tool mounted on a robot manipulator into contact with a target workpiece by force control includes a memory which stores a motion program, and a polishing amount estimation part configured to estimate the polishing amount based on at least one of a motion trajectory of the polishing tool, a movement speed of the polishing tool, and a pressing force of the polishing tool against the target workpiece, which are obtained based on the motion program.

There is provided a robot simulation part device which can facilitate the setting of parameters of force control. A robot simulation device for simulating a force control operation which is performed while bringing a tool part mounted on a robot manipulator into contact with a target workpiece includes a memory which stores a motion program and a force control parameter, which is a set parameter related to the force control operation, and a force control simulation execution part which executes a simulation of the force control operation based on the motion program and the force control parameter, wherein the force control simulation execution part has a virtual force generation part configured to generate, based on position information of the tool part obtained from results of the simulation of the force control operation, a virtual force received by the tool part from the target workpiece in a state in which the tool part is in contact with the target workpiece, and executes the simulation of the force control operation based on the virtual force and a target force set as the force control parameter.

A robot control device includes the following: a main control unit; a servo control unit, which receives a position command θc from the main control unit; and a bending correction block (24), which corrects the bending of the reduction gear connected to the servo motor. The bending correction block (24) includes the following: a first position-correction-value calculation means (63), which finds a first position-command correction value θsgc based on the position command θc; and a second position-command-correction-value calculation means (64), which finds a second position-command correction value θskc based on the interference torque τa. The servo control unit drives the servo motor based on a new position command obtained by adding the first position-command correction value θsgc and the second position-command correction value θskc to the position command θc.

A robot controller that moves a first workpiece mounted on a robot with respect to a second workpiece, the robot having a sensor for detecting one of magnitude of force acting on the first workpiece and magnitude of torque acting on the robot, the robot controller including a calculation unit configured to calculate a force between the first workpiece and the second workpiece and a moment on the first workpiece, based on the magnitude of the force or the torque, a controller carrying out force control so that the calculated force and the moment correspond to a predetermined force and moment, and a display displaying at least one of a velocity of the first workpiece and an angular velocity, the velocity and the angular velocity occurring as a result of control by the controller, the velocity and the angular velocity being overlapped on an image of the robot.

A mechanical arm system includes at least two links, at least two control devices and at least two motor devices. Each of the control devices includes a first control unit, a mechanical arm control unit and a driving unit. The first control unit receives an end-position command to output a first torque signal. The mechanical arm control unit includes a rigid mechanical unit and a mechanical model unit. The rigid mechanical unit receives the first torque signal to obtain a rigid mechanical torque, and the mechanical model unit receives the rigid mechanical torque and operates the flexible mechanical model to establish the mechanical arm model for obtaining the target torque, and the target position signal is output according to the target torque. The driving unit generates a driving signal according to the target position signal to adjust a rotation angle of the corresponding motor device.

A control method for controlling an actuator (11) connected to a load (50) for handling, the method comprising the steps of: detecting an intention to handle the load (50); applying an increasing command to the actuator (11) until detecting a movement of the actuator (11); storing the value reached by the command when a movement of the actuator (11) is detected; using the stored value reached by the command to determine an estimate of the opposing force exerted by the load (50) for handling; and controlling the actuator by means of a force servocontrol relationship using the estimate of the opposing force exerted by the load (50) for handling in order to establish the commands to be applied to the actuator (11).

A cobot (1) arranged to perform the method.

A method includes: controlling actuators of a robot manipulator to compensate for influence of gravity; during a manual guidance of the robot manipulator detecting an orientation of an end effector; and controlling at least part of the actuators in such a way that during manual guidance of the end effector, the end effector: within a first range of a first rotation, opposes no or a speed-dependent resistance and outside the first range opposes a rotation angle-dependent resistance to the manual guidance, wherein the first rotation is a rotation angle of the end effector about its longitudinal axis; and within a second range of the second rotation, opposes no or a speed-dependent resistance to the manual guidance, and outside the second range, opposes a deflection-dependent resistance to the manual guidance, wherein the second rotation is a rotational deflection of the end effector from its original longitudinal axis or a vertical axis.