Implementations are directed to, for each of one or more joints of a robot, generating dynamic joint torque saturation limits for the joint, such as an upper joint torque saturation value and a lower joint torque saturation value. Implementations are additionally or alternatively directed to utilizing the dynamic torque saturation limits for the joint in generating driving torques and/or to driving a motor (or other actuator) of the joint based on the driving torques. Various implementations can enable regulation of contact forces for a robot in situations where the robot lacks joint torque sensor(s) and/or force torque sensor(s) and/or in situations where such sensor(s) are present, but have failed or are malfunctioning.

A monitoring device of a robot system includes: an external force detecting portion configured to detect external force acting on a robot; an area determining portion configured to determine whether or not a predetermined portion of the robot is located within a predetermined area; a force monitoring portion configured to detect collision of the robot based on a first monitoring criterion including at least monitoring of the external force acting on the robot, and when the area determining portion determines that the predetermined portion of the robot is not located within the predetermined area, detect the collision based on a second monitoring criterion not including the monitoring of the external force; and a stop signal generating portion configured to, when the force monitoring portion detects the collision, generate a stop signal of the robot 2 and supply the stop signal to the control device.

A monitoring device of a robot system includes: an external force detecting portion configured to detect external force acting on a robot; an area determining portion configured to determine whether or not a predetermined portion of the robot is located within a predetermined area; a force monitoring portion configured to detect collision of the robot based on a first monitoring criterion including at least monitoring of the external force acting on the robot, and when the area determining portion determines that the predetermined portion of the robot is not located within the predetermined area, detect the collision based on a second monitoring criterion not including the monitoring of the external force; and a stop signal generating portion configured to, when the force monitoring portion detects the collision, generate a stop signal of the robot 2 and supply the stop signal to the control device.

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).

A method is provided for starting up a function implemented in distributed manner on a number of computation devices in a control system having at least two computation devices coupled via a data communication connection. Output parameters are provided for a number of output variables of the respective computation device, wherein the output variables form function variables for the function. For each input variable of one of the computation devices that has an associated output variable from one of the further computation devices, the output parameters of the output variables are checked for correspondence with prescribed input parameters of the respective input variables. The function is started-up if the output parameters of the output variables correspond to the prescribed input parameters of the respective input variables.