A failure prediction device is provided with a machine learning device configured to learn the state of a brake of a motor with respect to data on the brake. The machine learning device observes brake operating state data indicative of an operating state of the brake when the brake is in a normal state, as state variables representative of a current environmental state, and uses the observed state variables to learn a distribution of the state variables with the brake in the normal state.

The brake driving control circuit, which controls an electromagnetic brake that releases the brake by applying a current, is provided with: a first rectifying element provided between a first power supply of a first circuit voltage and one terminal of the electromagnetic brake; a cut-off switch inserted into a line through which the first power supply supplies power; a first switching element provided between the other terminal of the electromagnetic brake and a ground point; and a second switching element and a second rectifying element provided in series between a second power supply of a second circuit voltage, which is different from the first circuit voltage, and the one terminal of the electromagnetic brake.

A method, a robot, and a robot controller for automatically scheduling the timing of a plurality of brake tests, that succeed one another at time intervals, at a plurality of brakes of a robot arm equipped with a plurality of joints and a plurality of links connecting the joints to one another and is connected to a robot controller which is designed and configured to control the joints and the brakes, in order to move the robot arm. At least one individual parameter is configured for each of the brakes. A brake test method associated with the robot arm is automatically initialized, and the initialized brake test method is automatically carried out in accordance with the configured parameters.

A method, a robot, and a computer program product for detecting and evaluating a friction status in at least one joint of a robotic arm, wherein, within the scope of a brake test program, at least one motor of a plurality of electric motors is driven automatically in a first rotational direction, wherein a detection of a first motor torque in the driven motor takes place during its rotation in the first rotational direction. The at least one motor is then driven in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction, wherein a detection of a second motor torque in the driven motor takes place during its rotation in the second rotational direction. An automatic evaluation of the first motor torque and the second motor torque takes place in order to obtain the friction torque of the joint associated with the driven motor.

A method for determining a dynamic friction torque of a frictional brake device of a joint of an industrial robot, the method including performing a disengaged brake movement of an electric motor of the joint while the brake device is disengaged; determining a disengaged brake torque value based on a torque reference of a control loop of the electric motor during the disengaged brake movement; performing an engaged brake movement of the electric motor while the brake device is engaged; determining an engaged brake torque value based on a torque reference of the control loop during the engaged brake movement; and determining the dynamic friction torque of the brake device based on a difference between the engaged brake torque value and the disengaged brake torque value. A control system and an industrial robot are also provided.

A robot system includes one or more combinations of a driving section configured to receive supply of electric power and generate a rotation output of an output shaft and receive supply of a rotating force to the output shaft and generate electric power, a movable section moved by the rotation output, a detecting section configured to detect an angular position of the output shaft, resistor equipment coupled to the driving section, and a switch that can turn on and off coupling of the resistor equipment and the driving section and a control section configured to control the robot system. The control section can execute first braking control targeting the driving section to which the electric power is not supplied, the first braking control calculating speed of the rotation output of the driving section based on an output of the detecting section and causing the switch to turn on and off the coupling of the resistor equipment and the driving section at timing determined in a time-series manner according to target deceleration of the driving section and the speed of the rotation output.

A brake piloting system including a robotic device having at least one movable element, at least one brake which, when activated from an open configuration to an activated configuration, enables a deceleration or immobilization of the at least one movable element, at least one position sensor aimed at measuring a real time position of the at least one movable element and at least one the microcontroller being configured to activate in real time the at least one brake into a determined configuration.

A control apparatus includes driving means for rotationally driving a predetermined mechanism, braking means for braking the driving means by pressing a pressing unit against a rotation unit of the driving means, and control means for, in order to change rotation position of the predetermined mechanism, controlling the driving means in a braking release period in which the pressing unit is returned to a predetermined position to temporarily maintain the rotation position of the predetermined mechanism, and then driving the predetermined mechanism to thereby change the rotation position. The control apparatus performs at least one of notification to the user, braking of the predetermined mechanism, and stopping of the driving means when a command time for the driving means at the time of temporarily maintaining the rotation position of the predetermined mechanism is longer than or equal to a predetermined time.

A method for decelerating a robot axis arrangement having at least one output link includes steps of applying a braking force on the output link with a brake and, in so doing, controlling a driving force of a drive that acts on the output link, and/or controlling the braking force on the basis of a dynamic variable of the output link, wherein the dynamic variable is a function of the braking force.

The brake driving control circuit, which controls an electromagnetic brake that releases the brake by applying a current, is provided with: a first rectifying element provided between a first power supply of a first circuit voltage and one terminal of the electromagnetic brake; a cut-off switch inserted into a line through which the first power supply supplies power; a first switching element provided between the other terminal of the electromagnetic brake and a ground point; and a second switching element and a second rectifying element provided in series between a second power supply of a second circuit voltage, which is different from the first circuit voltage, and the one terminal of the electromagnetic brake.