A carrying device includes a swivel that swivels around a central axis line of a revolution orbit that passes through a workpiece transfer area and a workpiece work area for a workpiece to be worked on by a robot, multiple workpiece holders positioned on the swivel such that when a first one of the workpiece holders is positioned in the workpiece transfer area, a second one of the workpiece holders is positioned in the workpiece work area, a revolution driver that causes the swivel to swivel around the central axis line of the revolution orbit, and a tilting driver that tilts each of the workpiece holders with respect to the central axis line of the revolution orbit.

Pre-plating systems and related methods are disclosed. A pre-plating system includes a press, an infeed robot configured to deliver a structural member to the press, and an outfeed robot configured to remove the structural member from the press. The press is configured to secure a plate to the structural member while the structural member is held in position by at least one of the infeed robot or the outfeed robot. A pre-plating system includes a press, a transfer pedestal, a plate picking robot, and a press loading robot. The plate picking robot is configured to pick a plate from a container and position the plate on the transfer pedestal. The press loading robot is configured to transfer the plate to the press. The press is configured to press the plate into a structural member positioned within the press.

A holding device according to the present invention is a holding device that holds a workpiece having flexibility. A controller sets the workpiece to a reference state in such a manner that with first and second holding mechanisms holding the workpiece, a moving mechanism moves at least one of the first and second holding mechanisms in a length direction based on a length, detected by a detector, of the workpiece in a held state and a length, prestored in a storage, of the workpiece in a reference state.

A parts fastening system using a cooperative robot that fastens a module part to a fastening target includes: a jig to load the module part at a predetermined position; a loading robot to grip the module part loaded on the jig, and to move and align the module part to a fastening area in which the module part is fastened to the fastening target; a fastening robot including a first camera, the fastening robot to fasten the module part to the fastening target; and a control device to control movements of the loading robot and the fastening robot.

A method for controlling a robot is provided. The method includes the steps of: determining a target robot to travel to a first loading station among a plurality of robots, on the basis of information on a location of the first loading station and a task situation of each of the plurality of robots, when a first transport target object is placed at the first loading station; and determining a travel route of the target robot with reference to information on the location of the first loading station and a location of a first unloading station associated with the first transport target object.

Telerobotic, telesurgical, and/or surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods employ surgical robotic linkages that may have more degrees of freedom than an associated surgical end effector in space. A processor can calculate a tool motion that includes pivoting of the tool about an aperture site. Linkages movable along a range of configurations for a given end effector position may be driven toward configurations which inhibit collisions. Refined robotic linkages and methods for their use are also provided.

Systems and methods for moving or manipulating robotic arms are provided. A group of robotic arms are configured to form a virtual rail or line between the end effectors of the robotic arms. The robotic arms are responsive to outside force such as from a user. When a user moves a single one of the robotic arms, the other robotic arms will automatically move to maintain the virtual rail alignments. The virtual rail of the robotic arm end effectors may be translated in one or more of three dimensions. The virtual rail may be rotated about a point on the virtual rail line. The robotic arms can detect the nature of the contact from the user and move accordingly. Holding, shaking, tapping, pushing, pulling, and rotating different parts of the robotic arm elicits different movement responses from different parts of the robotic arm.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for performing robot plan online adjustment. A method includes receiving an initial plan for performing a particular task with a robot having a sensor. The initial plan defines an initial path having a plurality of waypoints. Each waypoint is associated with a target position and a target velocity. The method includes generating an alternative path from the initial path. Generating an alternative path includes generating a plurality of alternative paths including performing respective modifications to one or more waypoints in the initial plan, evaluating each alternative path according to a simulated total time duration required for the robot to traverse the alternative path, and selecting an alternative path having a total time duration that is less than a total time duration of the initial plan.

The invention provides automated spacer processing systems and methods. The systems and methods involve at least one robot arm that is configured to process spacers for multiple-pane insulating glazing units. In some embodiments, the systems also include an insulating glazing unit assembly line and a spacer conveyor system. Additionally or alternatively, the systems may include a sealant applicator.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for state estimation in a robotics system. One of the systems includes an execution subsystem configured to drive one or more robots in an operating environment including continually evaluating a plurality of execution predicates, wherein each execution predicate comprises a rule having a predicate value, and wherein, whenever a state value that satisfies the predicate value of the predicate is detected by the execution subsystem, the execution subsystem is configured to trigger a corresponding action to be performed in the operating environment by the one or more robots. A state estimator is configured to continually execute a state estimation function using one or more sensor values or status messages obtained from the operating environment and to automatically update a discrete state value for a first execution predicate of the plurality of execution predicates evaluated by the execution subsystem.