A system for acquiring surface data from one of the surfaces of a curved glass sheet and developing a surface definition of the glass sheet includes a conveyor for conveying the glass sheet in a first direction, at least one display projecting a preselected multi-phase non-repeating contrasting pattern, and at least one camera, each one of the cameras uniquely paired with one of the displays. The system may also include a control programmed to execute logic for controlling each of the camera/display pairs to acquire the desired images, and logic for analyzing and combining the data acquired by the cameras to construct a definition of the surface of the glass sheet.

A robot control apparatus for controlling a robot manipulating a target object includes a measurement unit configured to measure a change of a gripping unit configured to grip the target object when the gripping unit contacts the target object, a first acquisition unit configured to acquire the change of the gripping unit measured by the measurement unit, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire a gripping state, which is a state of gripping of the target object by the gripping unit, based on the change of the gripping unit acquired by the first acquisition unit, and a control unit configured to control an action of the robot based on the gripping state acquired by the second acquisition unit.

A robot control apparatus for controlling a robot manipulating a target object includes a measurement unit configured to measure a change of a gripping unit configured to grip the target object when the gripping unit contacts the target object, a first acquisition unit configured to acquire the change of the gripping unit measured by the measurement unit, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire a gripping state, which is a state of gripping of the target object by the gripping unit, based on the change of the gripping unit acquired by the first acquisition unit, and a control unit configured to control an action of the robot based on the gripping state acquired by the second acquisition unit.

Controlling the position of a tool mounted on a robotic arm comprising projecting an image onto the workpiece from a projector and detected using a camera. The camera and projector are mounted on the tool or robotic arm. The image is used to determine a relative position of the tool with respect to a workpiece and the relative position is provided as an input to a controller which is configured to compare the relative position to a predetermined value. If the relative position is not equal to the predetermined value, a control signal is issued to a position controller to move the tool to a new position in which the relative position of the tool is closer to the predetermined value. Or, if the relative position is equal to the predetermined value, a control signal is issued to the position controller to maintain the tool in its current position.

A conditionally visible bite line may be demarcated on a shoe upper using at least one of a fluorescent or an Infrared (IR)-responsive material. Such a conditionally visible bite line may be observable only under particular conditions, such as when illuminated by an ultraviolet light source or an IR light source, as appropriate. A light may be projected to intersect the conditionally visible bite line under conditions rendering the conditionally visible bite line detectable. The intersection(s) of the projected light and the conditionally visible bite line may be used to create a virtual bite line for use in generating a tool path to process the surface of a shoe upper bounded by the conditionally visible bite line.