A method for characterising the environment of a robot, the robot having a flexible arm having a plurality of joints, a datum carried by the arm, a plurality of drivers arranged to drive the joints to move and a plurality of position sensors for sensing the position of each of the joints, the method comprising: contacting the datum carried by the arm with a first datum on a second robot in the environment of the first robot, wherein the second robot has a flexible arm having a plurality of joints, and a plurality of drivers arranged to drive those joints to move; calculating in dependence on the outputs of the position sensors a distance between a reference location defined in a frame of reference local to the robot and the first datum; and controlling the drivers to reconfigure the first arm in dependence on at least the calculated distance.

There is provided for a calibration method for an operation apparatus. The operation apparatus comprises a first moving body unit capable of pivoting about a horizontally extending axis, a first driving unit configured to drive the first moving body unit, and a first detection unit configured to detect a pivot position of the first moving body unit. The method comprises aligning the first moving body unit to one reference position selected from a plurality of predetermined reference positions, determining the reference position by comparing a driving parameter value of the first driving unit at the one reference position with determination parameter values respectively preset for the plurality of reference positions, and registering, as reference position information for calculating the pivot position, position information of the one reference position determined in the determining and detection value information of the first detection unit.

A method and an associated controller for safely operating a multi-axis kinematic system by using a safety function are disclosed. The method includes calculating compensation values at the run time of a controller of the multi-axis kinematic system, wherein the calculation is performed based on predefinable error values of respective axes, geometric parameters of the multi-axis kinematic system, and current axis values of the multi-axis kinematic system. The method further includes operating the safety function based on the calculated compensation values.

There is provided for a calibration method for an operation apparatus. The operation apparatus comprises a first moving body unit capable of pivoting about a horizontally extending axis, a first driving unit configured to drive the first moving body unit, and a first detection unit configured to detect a pivot position of the first moving body unit. The method comprises aligning the first moving body unit to one reference position selected from a plurality of predetermined reference positions, determining the reference position by comparing a driving parameter value of the first driving unit at the one reference position with determination parameter values respectively preset for the plurality of reference positions, and registering, as reference position information for calculating the pivot position, position information of the one reference position determined in the determining and detection value information of the first detection unit.

A calibration system that calibrates robots installed in a process includes: a reference measuring element; a flange measuring element attached to a flange provided at an arm tip of each robot; a fixed measuring device configured to measure the flange measuring element of each robot and the reference measuring element; and a controller configured to control the robots, calculate a position and attitude relation between the flange measuring element of each robot and the reference measuring element based on a measured result measured by the fixed measuring device, and calculate an error between a design installation position and attitude of each robot and an actual installation position and attitude of the robot by using the measured position and attitude relation and position and attitude data of the flange measuring element in a robot coordinate system at the time when the robot has been measured by the fixed measuring device.

A method for characterising the environment of a robot, the robot having a flexible arm having a plurality of joints, a datum carried by the arm, a plurality of drivers arranged to drive the joints to move and a plurality of position sensors for sensing the position of each of the joints, the method comprising: contacting the datum carried by the arm with a first datum on a second robot in the environment of the first robot, wherein the second robot has a flexible arm having a plurality of joints, and a plurality of drivers arranged to drive those joints to move; calculating in dependence on the outputs of the position sensors a distance between a reference location defined in a frame of reference local to the robot and the first datum; and controlling the drivers to reconfigure the first arm in dependence on at least the calculated distance.

A method for characterising the environment of a robot, the robot having a flexible arm having a plurality of joints, a datum carried by the arm, a plurality of drivers arranged to drive the joints to move and a plurality of position sensors for sensing the position of each of the joints, the method comprising: contacting the datum carried by the arm with a first datum on a second robot in the environment of the first robot, wherein the second robot has a flexible arm having a plurality of joints, and a plurality of drivers arranged to drive those joints to move; calculating in dependence on the outputs of the position sensors a distance between a reference location defined in a frame of reference local to the robot and the first datum; and controlling the drivers to reconfigure the first arm in dependence on at least the calculated distance.

A method and an associated controller for safely operating a multi-axis kinematic system by using a safety function are disclosed. The method includes calculating compensation values at the run time of a controller of the multi-axis kinematic system, wherein the calculation is performed based on predefinable error values of respective axes, geometric parameters of the multi-axis kinematic system, and current axis values of the multi-axis kinematic system. The method further includes operating the safety function based on the calculated compensation values.

A calibration system that calibrates robots installed in a process includes: a reference measuring element; a flange measuring element attached to a flange provided at an arm tip of each robot; a fixed measuring device configured to measure the flange measuring element of each robot and the reference measuring element; and a controller configured to control the robots, calculate a position and attitude relation between the flange measuring element of each robot and the reference measuring element based on a measured result measured by the fixed measuring device, and calculate an error between a design installation position and attitude of each robot and an actual installation position and attitude of the robot by using the measured position and attitude relation and position and attitude data of the flange measuring element in a robot coordinate system at the time when the robot has been measured by the fixed measuring device.

A method for characterising the environment of a robot, the robot having a flexible arm having a plurality of joints, a datum carried by the arm, a plurality of drivers arranged to drive the joints to move and a plurality of position sensors for sensing the position of each of the joints, the method comprising: contacting the datum carried by the arm with a first datum on a second robot in the environment of the first robot, wherein the second robot has a flexible arm having a plurality of joints, and a plurality of drivers arranged to drive those joints to move; calculating in dependence on the outputs of the position sensors a distance between a reference location defined in a frame of reference local to the robot and the first datum; and controlling the drivers to reconfigure the first arm in dependence on at least the calculated distance.