The invention decreases time required for a robot teaching operation, and reduces burden on an operator. A teaching operation assistance system includes teaching data including a target position/attitude of an end effector disposed at the tip of a mounting robot and robot control information corresponding to each target position/attitude; a laser tracker measuring the position/attitude of the end effector when the mounting robot has been operated in accordance with the teaching data; and a corrected teaching data creation unit for creating corrected teaching data, which is obtained by correcting the teaching data to bring the position/attitude measured by the laser tracker closer to the target position/attitude of the end effector in the teaching data. The laser tracker defines a coordinate system by detecting the positions of three coordinate system-defining reflectors disposed on a flat plate portion, and measures the position/attitude of the end effector in the coordinate system.

A system for performing interactions within a physical environment, the system including: a robot having a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment and a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon; a communications system including a fieldbus network; a tracking system including a tracking base positioned in the environment and connected to the fieldbus network, and a tracking target mounted to a component of the robot, wherein the tracking base is configured to detect the tracking target to allow a position and/or orientation of the tracking target relative to the tracking base to be determined; and a control system that communicates with the tracking system via the fieldbus network to determine the relative position and/or orientation of the tracking target and controls the robot arm in accordance with the relative position and/or orientation of the tracking target.

A system for performing interactions within a physical environment including a robot having a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment, a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon for performing said interactions, a tracking system that measures a robot position indicative of a position of at least part of the robot relative to the environment, and a control system that determines the robot position; and, controls the robot arm in accordance with the robot position. The tracking system measures the position with a frequency that is at least 10 Hz and measures the position with an accuracy that is at least better than 10 mm, whilst the control system operates with a frequency that is at least 10 Hz.

A robot includes: a robot body including a plurality of joints, and a cleaning mechanism provided to the robot body and configured to clean a predetermined cleaning target site of the robot body to which a foreign material is likely to adhere.

A system for performing interactions within a physical environment, the system including: a robot having a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment and a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon; a communications system including a fieldbus network; a tracking system including a tracking base positioned in the environment and connected to the fieldbus network, and a tracking target mounted to a component of the robot, wherein the tracking base is configured to detect the tracking target to allow a position and/or orientation of the tracking target relative to the tracking base to be determined; and a control system that communicates with the tracking system via the fieldbus network to determine the relative position and/or orientation of the tracking target and controls the robot arm in accordance with the relative position and/or orientation of the tracking target.

An inspection system makes image inspection on an inspection target. The inspection system includes: an image capture device that captures an image of the inspection target; a blower with a blow nozzle from which clean gas is blown out to the inspection target; a robot with an arm tip to which the image capture device and the blow nozzle, or the inspection target is attached; and as inspection device that makes image inspection on the inspection target based on an image captured by the image capture device. The inspection device generates an operation program for a robot based on the position of the image capture device and that of the blow nozzle relative to each other so as to move the blow nozzle ahead of the image capture device relative to the inspection target.

A robot includes: a robot body including a plurality of joints, and a cleaning mechanism provided to the robot body and configured to clean a predetermined cleaning target site of the robot body to which a foreign material is likely to adhere.

An inspection system makes image inspection on an inspection target. The inspection system includes: an image capture device that captures an image of the inspection target; a blower with a blow nozzle from which clean gas is blown out to the inspection target; a robot with an arm tip to which the image capture device and the blow nozzle, or the inspection target is attached; and as inspection device that makes image inspection on the inspection target based on an image captured by the image capture device. The inspection device generates an operation program for a robot based on the position of the image capture device and that of the blow nozzle relative to each other so as to move the blow nozzle ahead of the image capture device relative to the inspection target.

The position and orientation of a pallet in a robot coordinate system are obtained based on the result of measurement of position and orientation of the pallet by a measurement apparatus moving at a first speed and the position and orientation of a hand in a robot coordinate system acquired during the measurement. The position and orientation of work in the robot coordinate system are obtained based on the result of measurement of positions and orientations of the pallet and the work by the measurement apparatus moving at a second speed and the position and orientation of the pallet in the robot coordinate system.

To generate a correct path for a robot to perform a certain action while avoiding interference. The teaching program generation device generates a teaching program for teaching a robot a predetermined action, based on information about the robot and its surroundings. The device includes an acquisition unit that acquires, from a robot controller that controls driving of the robot, information to be used for the robot to perform the predetermined action while avoiding interference, and a teaching program generation unit that generates a movement path for the robot to perform the predetermined action while avoiding interference, based on the information.