A control system may include: a motor configured to power a driven object; and circuitry configured to: generate a first driving force command to drive the motor during a first control; estimate a first force acting on the motor during the first control based, at least in part, on the first driving force command; generate a second driving force command to drive the motor during a second control after the first control; estimate a second force acting on the motor during the second control based, at least in part, on the second driving force command; and estimate an external force acting on the driven object during the second control based, at least in part, on a comparison between the first force and the second force.

A tool management system of a machine tool includes: a detection unit to detect at least one of vibration, acoustic waves produced during operation of the machine tool, and current value of a server motor of a driving machine tool; a tool replacement determination unit that determines the necessity to replace the tool on the basis of information related to a detection value of at least one of the vibration, the acoustic waves, and the current value detected during operation of the machine tool; and a detection start/end command setting unit that adds commands for a detection start point and a detection end point of at least one of the vibration, the acoustic waves, and the current value of the servo motor to a machining program.

This application relates to a method of mitigating a collision of a slave robot for surgery. In one aspect, the method includes obtaining an external torque generated when the slave robot collides with another object or a person and obtaining a joint angle of the slave robot. The method may also include calculating a target joint angle for changing a position of the slave robot based on the obtained external torque and the obtained joint angle, such that the external torque is attenuated. The method may further include controlling the slave robot to change the position thereof from the obtained joint angle to the calculated target joint angle.

A control system may include: a motor configured to power a driven object; and circuitry configured to: generate a first driving force command to drive the motor during a first control; estimate a first force acting on the motor during the first control based, at least in part, on the first driving force command; generate a second driving force command to drive the motor during a second control after the first control; estimate a second force acting on the motor during the second control based, at least in part, on the second driving force command; and estimate an external force acting on the driven object during the second control based, at least in part, on a comparison between the first force and the second force.

An actuator (1) comprises an electric motor (11) for moving an actuated part (2) to an actuated position. The actuator (1) further comprises a controller (10) connected to the electric motor (11) and configured to determine a motor current of the electric motor (11) and to detect motor rotations. The controller (10) is further configured to determine the actuated position by counting the motor rotations detected while the motor current is at or above a current threshold indicative of a load torque, and by not counting motor rotations detected while the motor current is below said current threshold.

Conveyor system may comprise conveyor mechanism(s) provided with transport path(s) along which conveyed object(s) are conveyed to transport destination(s); electric current detector(s) and/or abnormality detector(s) that detect triggering event(s) which may be event(s) occurring at conveyor mechanism(s) due to conveyed object(s) during transport of conveyed object(s); and removal processor(s) that, when triggering event(s) detected by electric current detector(s) and/or abnormality detector(s) satisfy triggering condition(s), cause conveyed object(s) to be transported by conveyor mechanism(s) to removal area(s) which are not transport destination(s).

A method of determining a joint torque in a joint of an articulated industrial robot, the robot having a first arm and a second arm which are coupled to each other by the joint and which are movable relative to each other by an electric drive unit coupled to the first and second arm, includes: controlling the electric drive unit by an electronic control device; assigning a measuring device to the electric drive unit, the measuring device measuring an electric current supplied to the drive unit; determining an actual value of the torque which is applied to the second arm from the measured electric current; and comparing, using the electronic control device, the determined actual torque value with a predetermined desired torque value for the joint.

An actuator (1) comprises an electric motor (11) for moving an actuated part (2) to an actuated position. The actuator (1) further comprises a controller (10) connected to the electric motor (11) and configured to determine a motor current of the electric motor (11) and to detect motor rotations. The controller (10) is further configured to determine the actuated position by counting the motor rotations detected while the motor current is at or above a current threshold indicative of a load torque, and by not counting motor rotations detected while the motor current is below said current threshold.

A tool management system of a machine tool capable of determining an appropriate time to replace a tool used by a machine tool is provided. The tool management system includes: at least one detection unit among: a vibration detection unit attached to a spindle that supports a tool of a machine tool to detect vibration; a sound detection unit provided in the vicinity of the spindle to detect acoustic waves produced during operation of the machine tool; and a servo motor current value detection unit that detects a current value of a servo motor of a driving device of the machine tool; a tool replacement determination unit that determines the necessity to replace the tool on the basis of information related to a detection value of at least one of the vibration, the acoustic waves, and the current value detected during operation of the machine tool; and a detection start/end command setting unit that adds commands for a detection start point and a detection end point of at least one of the vibration, the acoustic waves, and the current value of the servo motor to a machining program.

There are provided a load state diagnosis device and a load state diagnosis method for a servomotor. A PLC diagnoses the load state of the servomotor which rotationally drives a rotary tool in a predetermined rotational drive direction at a constant speed. The PLC includes a detection part that detects the rotational direction of a torque acting on the servomotor, a determination part that determines whether the rotational direction of the torque detected by the detection part is consistent with the predetermined rotational drive direction, and a load index output part that outputs a load index indicating the load state of the servomotor based on a determination result of the determination part.