A master-slave manipulator according to the present invention includes a remote operation device, serving as a master, that provides operation information corresponding to multiple degrees of freedom, a slave manipulator having a plurality of joints corresponding to multiple degrees of freedom and including a redundant joints among the joints, and a controller that controls the operation of the joints in accordance with the operation information, in which, when it is determined that a distal end of the slave manipulator operates, the controller determines, among the redundant joints, drive ratios α of a joint disposed on a base end side and a joint disposed on a distal end side within a range of 0<α<1, respectively, and drives the joints.

A master-slave manipulator according to the present invention includes a remote operation device, serving as a master, that provides operation information corresponding to multiple degrees of freedom, a slave manipulator having a plurality of joints corresponding to multiple degrees of freedom and including a redundant joints among the joints, and a controller that controls the operation of the joints in accordance with the operation information, in which, when it is determined that a distal end of the slave manipulator operates, the controller determines, among the redundant joints, drive ratios of a joint disposed on a base end side and a joint disposed on a distal end side within a range of 0<<1, respectively, and drives the joints.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a group of robots, comprising a leading robot (10) and at least one following robot (20, 30), which cooperates with the leading robot and moves in accordance with the leading robot, wherein the absolute velocity (v.sub.10) of the leading robot and/or the absolute velocity (v.sub.20abs) of the following robot is reduced on the basis of a specified limit (v.sub.max) such that a mutual relative velocity (V.sub.20rel) is not exceeded and therefore a safety function is not triggered.

There is provided a machining system including: a machine tool that moves a table on which a plurality of works are fixed, in a two-dimensional manner, to machine the one work by driving a blade shaft in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the table; a robot that is disposed at a position accessible to the table of the machine tool to apply processing to the other one work fixed to the table; and a robot control unit that controls the robot so as to follow movement of the table on the basis of position information on the table.