A method to assist with the production of an assembly of two elements implemented by a remotely operated robot. The method includes an arm, hinged to the end of which is mounted a heat-supply member suitable for delivering heat to a heat-supply point; position sensors; guiding actuators; a video capture device; an interface; and a processing unit. The method involves the following steps: acquiring a type of assembly to be produced; calculating a reference path of the heat-supply point; defining a shell for guiding the heat-supply member; and controlling guiding actuators so as to prevent the heat-supply member from moving out of the guiding shell.

Systems and a method for determining a sequence of kinematic chains of a multiple robot along a sequence of locations. Inputs on the locations to be reached by a robot tool are received. Each chain is considered separately by setting one chain in use and determining, for each chain in use, available configurations for each location. The available configurations are represented as nodes of a graph representing available robotic paths for reaching with a tool the locations, while allowing the switching among different chains within the same robotic path. Valid connectors are determined by simulating collision free robot trajectories while taking into account working modality constraints of the locations. Weight factors are assigned to connectors to represent robot efforts in moving between subsequent configurations. The shortest robotic path among valid paths is determined by taking into account the weight factors. The sequence of chains is determined from the shortest path.

Systems and a method for determining a sequence of kinematic chains of a multiple robot along a sequence of locations. Inputs on the locations to be reached by a robot tool are received. Each chain is considered separately by setting one chain in use and determining, for each chain in use, available configurations for each location. The available configurations are represented as nodes of a graph representing available robotic paths for reaching with a tool the locations, while allowing the switching among different chains within the same robotic path. Valid connectors are determined by simulating collision free robot trajectories while taking into account working modality constraints of the locations. Weight factors are assigned to connectors to represent robot efforts in moving between subsequent configurations. The shortest robotic path among valid paths is determined by taking into account the weight factors. The sequence of chains is determined from the shortest path.

A method to assist with the production of an assembly of two elements implemented by a remotely operated robot. The method includes an arm, hinged to the end of which is mounted a heat-supply member suitable for delivering heat to a heat-supply point; position sensors; guiding actuators; a video capture device; an interface; and a processing unit. The method involves the following steps: acquiring a type of assembly to be produced; calculating a reference path of the heat-supply point; defining a shell for guiding the heat-supply member; and controlling guiding actuators so as to prevent the heat-supply member from moving out of the guiding shell.

A method for controlling at least one manipulator for carrying out a working process which is controlled by a process controller comprises the steps of: a) providing one or more working points to be approached by the manipulator, b) approaching a working point A.sub.n by the manipulator, c) checking whether a subsequent working point A.sub.n+1 is present and, if a subsequent working point A.sub.n+1 is present, d) retrieving one or more data sets for the subsequent working point A.sub.n+1 while the working process is being carried out at the working point A.sub.n.