A robot includes a body on which is mounted a functional head also including a capacitive detector, including: at least one electrical insulator in order to electrically insulate the functional head; at least one apparatus for electrically polarizing the functional head at a first alternating electrical potential (V.sub.g), different from a ground potential; at least one guard polarized at an alternating guard potential (V.sub.G) identical to the first alternating electrical potential; and at least one electronics, called detection electronics, for measuring a signal relating to a coupling capacitance, called electrode-object capacitance, between the sensitive part and a surrounding object.

The disclosure relates to a machine tool having a driveable tool and having a detection system for detecting contact between the tool and a user. The detection system has an excitation device for applying an excitation voltage signal to the tool, a current sensor for generating a current sensor signal that represents an electric current consumed by the tool, and a processing device for processing the current sensor signal in order to detect contact between the tool and the user. The processing device has an analog-to-digital converter and further devices arranged downstream of the analog-to-digital converter, comprising an IQ demodulator, a filter device and an evaluation device. The current sensor signal is able to be digitized using the analog-to-digital converter and processed in digital form using the further devices. The disclosure furthermore relates to a detection system for a machine tool.

A robot includes a body on which is mounted a functional head also including a capacitive detector, including: at least one electrical insulator in order to electrically insulate the functional head; at least one apparatus for electrically polarizing the functional head at a first alternating electrical potential (V.sub.g), different from a ground potential; at least one guard polarized at an alternating guard potential (V.sub.G) identical to the first alternating electrical potential; and at least one electronics, called detection electronics, for measuring a signal relating to a coupling capacitance, called electrode-object capacitance, between the sensitive part and a surrounding object.