A holding device according to the present invention is a holding device that holds a workpiece having flexibility. A controller sets the workpiece to a reference state in such a manner that with first and second holding mechanisms holding the workpiece, a moving mechanism moves at least one of the first and second holding mechanisms in a length direction based on a length, detected by a detector, of the workpiece in a held state and a length, prestored in a storage, of the workpiece in a reference state.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for automated drill pipe handling operations, such as trip in, trip out, and stand building operations. A pipe handling system of the present disclosure may include a lifting system for handling a load of a pipe stand, a pipe handling robot configured for engaging with the pipe stand and manipulating a position of the pipe stand, and a feedback device configured to provide information about a condition of the pipe stand, the lifting system, or the pipe handling robot. In some embodiments, the pipe handling robot may be a first robot configured for engaging with and manipulating a first end of the pipe stand, and the system may include a second pipe handling robot configured for engaging with and manipulating a second end of the pipe stand.

A flexible pressing system for accepting and rejecting pressed part into a part may include a pressing apparatus configured to press components into a hole of a part and a controller programmed to receive press data for a press of at least one of the components, the press data including force, distance and time of the press, and determine whether the force is indicative of an inadequate press based on the force and distance at a specific time of the press.

An integrated control system for a flexible pressing system may include a first robot including a gripper for manipulating a part, a second robot including a pressing tool, and a controller configured to instruct the first robot to move the part into a pressing position and to instruct the second robot to concurrently ready the pressing tool for pressing.

A robot system control method includes a first step through a fifth step. Particularly in the second step, a second transformation matrix that represents the positional relation between a first slave robot and a second slave robot is generated and stored in a master robot. In the fourth step, based on a second command obtained using a first transformation matrix and the second transformation matrix, the master robot instructs the second slave robot to operate. In the fifth step, the first slave robot and the second slave robot perform a cooperative operation with the master robot. Thus, in the state where a working robot that can perform TCP matching with only part of the other robots is set to a master robot, all of the robots can perform a cooperative operation.

An example robotic device includes a mobile base and a base linkage. The base linkage has a first end and a second end where the first end is connected to the mobile base. The robotic device also includes a first end effector connected to the second end of the base linkage. The first end effector includes a shovel tool. The robotic device additionally includes an actuated control arm having a first end and a second end. The first end of the actuated control arm is connected to the second end of the base linkage. The robotic device further includes a second end effector connected to the second end of the actuated control arm. The second end effector includes a sweeping tool. The actuated control arm is configured to move the sweeping tool to engage with the shovel tool to sweep one or more objects onto the shovel tool.

A robot system including a plurality of robots, controllers that respectively control the robots, hands attached to wrist ends of the robots and configured to hold and release a workpiece, and a sensor configured to detect that the workpiece is being held by the hands of the robots. The controllers are interconnected and configured to exchange signals so that the robots operate in coordination in response to an operation command that includes a coordination command, and prohibit operation of each of the robots based on an operation command that lacks a coordination command in a state in which the sensor detects the workpiece being held.

The disclosure concerns a coating method and a corresponding coating device for coating components with a nozzle applicator with several nozzles, in particular for painting motor vehicle body components. The disclosure provides that the nozzle applicator is flexibly controlled during the coating method.

A robotic mount is configured to move an entertainment element such as a video display, a video projector, a video projector screen or a camera. The robotic mount is moveable in multiple degrees of freedom, whereby the associated entertainment element is moveable in three-dimensional space. In one embodiment, a system of entertainment elements are made to move and operate in synchronicity with each other, such as to move a single camera via multiple robotic mounts to one or more positions or along one or more paths.

A control method of a robot includes: causing a first robot arm provided in the robot and a second robot arm provided in the robot to move a first end effector of the first robot arm and a second end effector of the second robot arm such that the first end effector and the second end effector are arranged on both sides of a placed plate-shaped object; causing the first robot arm to move the first end effector toward a first end portion of the plate-shaped object, and causing the first end effector to grip the first end portion; and causing the first robot arm to move the first end effector toward a destination position, and causing the first end effector to place the plate-shaped object at the destination position.