At least one robot is disclosed for object manipulation on the basis of a probabilistic approach without object detection by visual sensors, a probability distribution is determined approximately by an iterative, recursive application of a Bayes filter algorithm, wherein state transition probabilities obtained, in a nondeterministic motion model for system simulation, are multiplicatively linked with measurement probabilities obtained at the start of the application. For this purpose, a physics simulator which completely includes the physics of the system with respect to forces and dynamics and the physical system relationships resulting therefrom, and a controller, which controls the physics simulator while at the same time the simulation system state is fed back and which influences the compliance of the robot with respect to the robot-object environment on the basis of control variables, are incorporated, and measurement results of axis-specific measurements are taken into account in the measurement model for the plausibility checks.

An apparatus and a method for detecting damage to a linear guide on which a robot is mounted, by using a simple configuration. The apparatus has: a length measuring sensor configured to measure a position of a predetermined portion of the robot at predetermined time intervals; a current detecting section configured to detect a current value of a drive motor for driving a slide; and a judging section such as a processor, configured to, when the measured distance between the predetermined portion of the robot and the length measuring sensor is out of a range defined by a predetermined first threshold, and when the current value of the drive motor is equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold, judge that the linear guide has been damaged.

An apparatus and a method for detecting damage to a linear guide on which a robot is mounted, by using a simple configuration. The apparatus has: a length measuring sensor configured to measure a position of a predetermined portion of the robot at predetermined time intervals; a current detecting section configured to detect a current value of a drive motor for driving a slide; and a judging section such as a processor, configured to, when the measured distance between the predetermined portion of the robot and the length measuring sensor is out of a range defined by a predetermined first threshold, and when the current value of the drive motor is equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold, judge that the linear guide has been damaged.

A detection device and a detection method are provided for robot-induced loads that can act upon the human body in contact with the robot during a working process. The robot-induced loads, in particular forces, are measured by the measuring device (16) of an external sensing device (2). The measuring device (16) is suitably positioned and oriented in this process in the working area of an industrial robot (3) by means of a positioning device (15).