A control device connected to a robot arm with a plurality of joints acquires system information indicating at least a posture state of the robot arm or a drive state of the robot arm. Also, the control device acquires control target information indicating a control target of the robot arm. The control device is configured to calculate, on the basis of the system information, contribution information that is an indicator indicating contribution of the joints to drive of the robot arm on the basis of the control target information. Moreover, the control device is configured to calculate control command information to be used to control driving of each of the joints on the basis of the contribution information.

A controller includes a storage unit that stores a configuration file in which a tool coordinate system including a coordinate axis extending in the restriction direction of a movement of a hand is set. The controller includes a determination unit that determines whether or not the origin of the tool coordinate system moves in the direction of the coordinate axis extending in the restriction direction. The controller includes a speed limiting unit that limits the motion speed of the robot. The speed limiting unit performs a speed reduction control for reducing the movement speed of the hand or a stop control for stopping the robot if the origin of the tool coordinate system moves in the direction of the coordinate axis extending in the restriction direction.

The invention relates to a mobile robot having running gear and at least one robot arm mounted on the running gear, a sensor system for sensing obstacles in the surroundings of the robot and a navigation unit for laying down a route along which the running gear can be moved while avoiding the obstacles, and a control unit for the robot arm which is adapted to lay down a permissible position for the robot arm by reference to the obstacles sensed and the route.

A communication device includes a structure, a controller, and sensors that detect the relative position of an object around the structure. The structure has a face unit that is one of the units of the structure. The controller controls the movement of each unit of the structure, thereby causing the structure to perform a gesture expressing a communication behavior. The controller controls the movement of the units so that the structure performs different gestures depending on the angle between the direction of the face unit and the direction of the user's face as viewed from the face unit.

A controller includes a storage unit that stores a configuration file in which a tool coordinate system including a coordinate axis extending in the restriction direction of a movement of a hand is set. The controller includes a determination unit that determines whether or not the origin of the tool coordinate system moves in the direction of the coordinate axis extending in the restriction direction. The controller includes a speed limiting unit that limits the motion speed of the robot. The speed limiting unit performs a speed reduction control for reducing the movement speed of the hand or a stop control for stopping the robot if the origin of the tool coordinate system moves in the direction of the coordinate axis extending in the restriction direction.

A robot system includes: a robot; a sensor that detects entry of a person into a peripheral region of the robot; and a control device that controls the robot and the sensor. The control device is provided with: a robot control unit that controls the robot; an operating-region prediction unit that sequentially predicts an operating region of the robot up to a predetermined time later; and a detection-region control unit that sets to enabled a detection result of the sensor in a region, of the peripheral region, that includes the operating region, which is predicted by the operating-region prediction unit, and sets to disabled the detection result of the sensor in the other region of the peripheral region. The robot control unit limits the operation of the robot when entry of a person is detected in the region where the detection result of the sensor has been set to enabled.

A communication device includes a structure, a controller, and sensors that detect the relative position of an object around the structure. The structure has a face unit that is one of the units of the structure. The controller controls the movement of each unit of the structure, thereby causing the structure to perform a gesture expressing a communication behavior. The controller controls the movement of the units so that the structure performs different gestures depending on the angle between the direction of the face unit and the direction of the user's face as viewed from the face unit.

The invention relates to a mobile robot having running gear and at least one robot arm mounted on the running gear, a sensor system for sensing obstacles in the surroundings of the robot and a navigation unit for laying down a route along which the running gear can be moved while avoiding the obstacles, and a control unit for the robot arm which is adapted to lay down a permissible position for the robot arm by reference to the obstacles sensed and the route.

A method for controlling a robotic manipulator includes manually controlling the robotic manipulator with an operating device connected to a control device of the manipulator and having a first safety level, and monitoring an admissible state of operation with a protective device connected to the control device and having a second, higher safety level, The manipulator performs an operation commanded by the operating device only if the protective device is communicating an admissible state to the control device.

A method for identifying hazards in a robot application comprises a) providing a model of an application environment of a robot, the application environment extending beyond the limits of a movement range of the robot, the movement range comprising all points that the robot can occupy in any pose it is capable of assuming; b) identifying at least one point in the environment suitable for supporting a person; c) for each point identified in step b), defining a safety space above the point, the safety space comprising a volume expected to be occupied by a person supported by the point and a safety range around the volume; d) identifying one of the at least one point identified in step b) as hazardous when the safety space associated to said point overlaps with the movement range of the robot.