The system can include a set of joints, a controller, and a model engine; and can optionally include a support structure and an end effector. Joints can include: a motor, a transmission mechanism, an input sensor, and an output sensor. The system can enable articulation of the plurality of joints.

a speed reducer angular transmission error identification system including a variation data acquisition unit that acquires first variation data indicating a periodic variation of an operation of a second joint caused by a first motor's angular transmission error when a first joint control unit rotates a first motor's output shaft in a first direction at a constant first target speed and a second joint drive unit rotates an output shaft of a second motor at a constant second target speed, second variation which is data indicating a periodic variation of an operation of second joint caused by the first motor's angular transmission error when the first joint control unit rotates the first motor's output shaft in a second direction at the constant first target speed and the second joint control unit rotates the second motor's output shaft at the constant second target speed.

A control apparatus controls a horizontal articulated robot including a base, a first arm provided at the base and pivoting around a first axis relative to the base, a second arm provided at the first arm and pivoting around a second axis relative to the first arm, a shaft provided in the second arm and linearly moving in directions along a third axis, a motor that drives linear motion of the shaft, a position detector that detects a position of the motor, and an inertial sensor provided in the second arm, and includes a control section that feeds back output of the inertial sensor to control of the motor and drives the motor.

An angular transmission error identification system that identifies an angular transmission error of a speed reducer of a robot arm including a joint that is rotationally driven by a motor via the speed reducer, including an identification unit that calculates amplitude and phase parameters of an angular transmission error identification function, which is a periodic function that models an angular transmission error of the speed reducer and has the parameters, and identifies the error using the function, wherein the unit calculates an amplitude parameter corresponding to a gravitational torque current value which is a value acting on a joint when the error is identified using a first or second amplitude function according to a value of the gravitational torque current value, and calculates a phase parameter corresponding to the gravitational torque current value using a first or second phase function according to a value of the gravitational torque current value.

According to a certain aspect of the present invention, a control device for a robot is provided. The control device includes a processor configured to implement: a function of obtaining a signal indicating a detected value of a sensor detecting a state quantity of the robot; and a function of, in converting the detected value to an estimated value of the state quantity according to a conversion function obtained by calibration of the sensor, applying an offset value compensating for a difference between the estimated value and the actual state quantity in a critical situation in operation of the robot.

A medical observation apparatus includes an imaging device that captures an observation target, an arm that supports the imaging device and includes multiple links joined to each other by multiple joints, and driving circuitry. The driving circuitry is configured to determine a control torque in at least one joint to be controlled from among the multiple joints and to control driving of the at least one joint based on the control torque such that an external torque acting on the at least one joint according to an operation on the arm is within a fixed range.

A system includes a robotic manipulator including a serial chain comprising a first joint, a second joint, and a first link. The system further includes a processing unit including one or more processors. The processing unit is configured to receive first link data from a first sensor system located at the first link, generate a first joint state estimate of the first joint based on the first link data, and generate a second joint state estimate of the second joint. The processing unit is further configured to apply a first weight to the first joint state estimate to generate a first weighted joint state estimate, apply a second weight to the second joint state estimate to generate a second weighted joint state estimate, and control the first and second joints based on the first weighted joint state estimate and second weighted joint state estimate.

A system includes a robotic manipulator including a serial chain comprising a first joint, a second joint, and a first link. The system further includes a processing unit including one or more processors. The processing unit is configured to receive first link data from a first sensor system located at the first link, generate a first joint state estimate of the first joint based on the first link data, and generate a second joint state estimate of the second joint. The processing unit is further configured to apply a first weight to the first joint state estimate to generate a first weighted joint state estimate, apply a second weight to the second joint state estimate to generate a second weighted joint state estimate, and control the first and second joints based on the first weighted joint state estimate and second weighted joint state estimate.

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of robotics and computer animation, more particularly, method and apparatus to solve the inverse kinematics problem to control a kinematic chain such as a robot arm or an animation character's skeleton to reach a target position. The new method simulates a kinematic chain whose links and joints are elastic and can be distorted. The method distorts the kinematic chain to move its end to the target position, calculates distortions, and iteratively adjusts link and joint configurations of the kinematic chain to reduce distortions while keeping its end at the target position until a solution with near zero distortions is found. The resulting link and joint configurations of the simulated kinematic chain then can be used for the actual kinematic chain to reach the same target position.

A system comprises a robotic manipulator for control of motion of a medical tool. The robotic manipulator including a joint and a link connected to the joint. The link is configured to connect to the medical tool. A processing unit of the system is configured to receive first data from an encoder of the joint. A first tool tip estimate of a first parameter of a tool tip coupled at a distal end of the medical tool is generated using the first data. The first parameter of the tool tip is a position or a velocity of the tool tip. Second data is received from a sensor system located at a sensor portion of the link or the medical tool. The joint is controlled based on a first difference between the first tool tip estimate and a second tool tip estimate generated using the first and second data.