Teaching including adjustment of an inclination of a suction tool with respect to an object is performed in teaching of a suction position of the suction tool. A sticker affixing system includes an articulated robot, a controller, a suction tool attached to a distal end of the articulated robot, a force sensor, and a storage. The controller causes the articulated robot to execute an operation of bringing the suction tool close to a sticker on a release paper in a teaching mode, an operation of adjusting a suction position of the suction tool and an inclination in a traveling direction (roll axis X) of the suction tool in peeling off the sticker based on a signal from the force sensor, and an operation of storing the teaching data including information about the adjusted suction position and the inclination of the suction tool in the storage.

Generation of a wrinkle is prevented when a sticker is affixed to an object. A sticker affixing system includes an articulated robot, a controller configured to control the articulated robot, a suction tool attached to a distal end of the articulated robot, and a force sensor configured to detect force applied to the suction tool. The controller causes the articulated robot to execute: an operation of moving the suction tool holding a sticker along a surface of an object to which the sticker is affixed; and an operation of adjusting an inclination of the suction tool with respect to a traveling direction (roll axis) of the suction tool and the traveling direction of the suction tool based on a signal from the force sensor.

A system and method for identifying an object to be picked up by a robot. The method includes obtaining a 2D red-green-blue (RGB) color image and a 2D depth map image of the objects using a 3D camera, where pixels in the depth map image are assigned a value identifying the distance from the camera to the objects. The method generates a segmentation image of the objects using a deep learning convolutional neural network that performs an image segmentation process that extracts features from the RGB image, assigns a label to the pixels so that objects in the segmentation image have the same label and rotates the object using the orientation of the object in the segmented image. The method then identifies a location for picking up the object using the segmentation image and the depth map image and rotates the object when it is picked up.

A robot includes a robot body, a hand, an arm, and a controller. The hand includes a fixed frame that is fixed to the arm, a first camera that is attached to the fixed frame, a movable frame that is rotatable with respect to the fixed frame, gripping portions that are attached to the movable frame to grip an article having a front surface facing the robot and a back surface opposite to the front surface, and a driver that rotates the movable frame. The gripping portions grip the article in a state where the back surface is opened, and shift from a first state where the article is gripped to a second state where the back surface of the article is able to be captured by the first camera by the rotation of the movable frame.

A deterioration determination apparatus according to one or more embodiments may include: an information obtainment unit configured to obtain information on deformation of one or more regions of a suction portion configured to hold an object by suction with negative pressure; and a deterioration determination unit configured to determine whether or not the suction portion has deteriorated, depending on the deformation of the one or more regions of the suction portion in a state in which the suction portion does not hold an object by suction.

A deterioration determination apparatus according to one or more embodiments may include: an information obtainment unit configured to obtain information on deformation of a suction portion that is configured to hold an object by suction with negative pressure and elastically deforms by the negative pressure; and a deterioration determination unit configured to determine whether or not the suction portion has deteriorated, depending on the deformation of the suction portion occurring when the suction portion holds the object by suction.

A manipulator including a shaft driven by a first motor, a rotatable unit, a linear slider, and a gripper is provided. The rotatable unit is coupled to the shaft, wherein the rotatable unit rotates with rotation of the shaft. The linear slider disposed on a first surface of the rotatable unit configured to slide from an initial position proximate to an outer edge of the rotatable unit to intermediate positions and to a final position proximate to a center of the rotatable unit. The gripper coupled to the linear slider to facilitate movement of the gripper along a first plane defined by the first surface of the rotatable unit.

A suction pad suctions an object under a negative pressure, and includes a stationary section fixable on a support, and a deformable section deformable under the negative pressure. The deformable section includes a plurality of marks at a plurality of positions spaced from one another and displaceable with respect to the stationary section in response to deformation of the deformable section. The plurality of marks are optically identifiable. The plurality of marks are continuous across the plurality of positions or are separate at the plurality of positions.

An automated grasping apparatus for precise and clean assembly of a large-aperture optical element includes a reconfigurable end effector, a manipulating robot arm, a computer control unit, a task management software and process database system, a code scanning recognizer, and an electrical auxiliary support system. During an assembling operation, a code of the optical element is scanned by the code scanning recognizer, wherein a suitable process for the optical element is retrieved automatically. The configuration of the end effector is adjusted according to an instruction flow that precision grasping and stable suction of the optical element are achieved by manipulating the end effector. The robot arm is moved to place the optical element at a designated station, and the robot arm carries the end effector to return to an original position after the assembly operation is completed.

An automated grasping apparatus for precise and clean assembly of a large-aperture optical element includes a reconfigurable end effector, a manipulating robot arm, a computer control unit, a task management software and process database system, a code scanning recognizer, and an electrical auxiliary support system. During an assembling operation, a code of the optical element is scanned by the code scanning recognizer, wherein a suitable process for the optical element is retrieved automatically. The configuration of the end effector is adjusted according to an instruction flow that precision grasping and stable suction of the optical element are achieved by manipulating the end effector. The robot arm is moved to place the optical element at a designated station, and the robot arm carries the end effector to return to an original position after the assembly operation is completed.