Abstract: A three dimensional measurement system has a measurement unit that images the measuring object and that has a light projecting device projecting projected light onto the measuring object and a light receiving device receiving the reflected light. The system has a specular reflection member that forms a mounting surface for mounting the measuring object and reflects projected light at a specific angle. The system has a data acquisition unit that acquires imaging data and a coordinate calculation unit that calculates three dimensional coordinates for the part of the imaging data whose brightness is higher than the lower limit brightness and does not calculate three dimensional coordinates for the part whose brightness is lower than the lower limit brightness. The light receiving device is arranged at a position where the brightness of the part where the specular reflection member is imaged is lower than the lower limit brightness.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling a robot arm with an end effector for packing workpieces in a box-shaped open container with a bottom wall and at least one side wall, an inner surface of the at least one side wall being covered with a contact prevention sheet having an indefinite shape, a controller determines whether a packing position of a selected workpiece in the box-shaped open container is adjacent to the inner surface of the at least one side wall of the container. The controller instructs the robot arm to move the selected workpiece picked up by the end effector downward while preventing the picked-up workpiece from entering a predetermined safety zone in response to determination that the specified packing position in the box-shaped open container is adjacent to the inner surface of the at least one side wall of the container.

Abstract: The laser radar includes a clock generator, a projection unit configured to project pulse laser light in synchronization with a clock signal, a light reception unit configured to receive reflected light, a counter configured to count a counter value which is the number of clock signals generated from a projection timing until a light reception timing, a delay circuit in which a plurality of stages of delay units are connected and to which the clock signal is successively input, and a time calculation unit configured to calculate a round trip time of the pulse laser light on the basis of the counter value and the number of hops which is the number of stages of the delay units to which a head of the clock signal is transmitted in a period of the clock signal including the light reception timing.

Abstract: To provide a method of controlling a robot and a suction gripping device capable of preventing occurrence of wrinkling in a workpiece having a thin packaging material with a content contained therein. A method of controlling an industrial robot according to an embodiment, configured to suction and grip a workpiece having a thin packaging material with a content contained therein, includes: pressing a suction pad against the content with the packaging material interposed therebetween and, upon starting the suction, suction-gripping the workpiece by the suction pad. Starting suction may be performed in a state in which the suction pad is pressed to the content with the packing material therebetween or before the suction pad is pressed to the content.

Abstract: A passive wireless tag to identify a given command which has been received, even while responding to a wireless tag communication device. In this wireless tag, radio waves serving as a predetermined command are received from a wireless tag communication device via an antenna and an RF switch. Signal components are detected from the received radio waves by the detection circuit. The detected signal components are sampled by the sampling circuit in accordance with the timing when the RF switch is controlled to its ON state by a predetermined control signal. The time interval of the ON state is set to be sufficiently shorter than a transfer cycle of the received radio waves. The control circuit thus identifies the foregoing predetermined command according to the sampling results obtained from the sampling circuit.

Abstract: A monitoring system comprises a monitoring device, a terminal device that has an imaging function and transmits identification information, and the monitoring center. The monitoring device performs an authentication process of the terminal device based on the identification information received, and transmits first information that associates an authentication time, region information for specifying a monitoring region, and the identification information received. The terminal device transmits second information that associates an image in the monitoring region captured, a capture time of the image, and the identification information.

Abstract: In a laser radar device, a light projector projects a laser beam to both a detection area outside the device and a reference optical member located inside the device. A light receiver receives a reflected light of the laser beam, converts the reflected light to an electrical received light waveform. A detection unit detects an object in the detection area based on the received light waveform. A determination unit obtains an electrical reference received light waveform from the light receiver by making the light projector project the laser beam to the reference optical member, at a first time and a second time elapsing from the first time. The determination unit further calculates a degree of changes between the reference received light waveforms acquired at the first and second times, and determines whether there is caused a failure in circuitry, based on the degree of changes.

Abstract: A liquid heater apparatus increases the temperature of an A/F sensor up to a target temperature by a target heating time. The liquid heating apparatus such as a gas water heater uses the A/F sensor for detecting an oxygen density in a heating tube. An MPU of a controller count a time from beginning by using a timer and decides whether a moisture on the A/F sensor is evaporated by using the change of a current for a heater portion of the A/F sensor. When the MPU decides the A/F sensor is dried out, the MPU counts the time from the beginning to such time t? as a drying time and setts a heating completing time by reducing the drying time from the predetermined target time. The MPU so controls the heating portion that the temperature of the sensor portion becomes the target temperature by the heating completing time.

Abstract: In attachment system provided with an industrial robot having a hand movable at an arm tip, a base is attached to the hand. The base supports a plurality of suction pads such that angles of virtual suction surfaces including suction pad ends intersect each other in a hand operating space. Under control of a control device, the respective pads suction a sealing material at the respective suction surfaces, and the position and orientation of the base is controlled in the operating space such that partial suction surfaces face a designated attachment position on the object. Further, an attachment surface of the sealing material is partially attached to the designated attachment position on the object, in a state the sealing material to part of which the partial suction pads are suctioned is still faced to the designated attachment position. Such steps are repeated for the remaining attachment positions of the object.

Abstract: A configuration that enables easy implementation of wiping disinfection for a gripping handle for which an operating means is provided. The gripping handle, which is grasped by an operator, is formed as part of the lower case including part of the housing. The gripping handle is provided with an operating surface portion that the operator touches when initiating the reading process. There is a site on the inner side of the gripping handle, wherein the site is opposed to the operating surface portion. At this site on the inner surface side, a detector is provided to detect the state in which the operating surface portion is touched.

Abstract: In a robot system provided with an articulated arm, information showing whether or not an operator holds one or more of a plurality of arms of the articulated arm. An operator's holding state of the arms are determined based on the detected information. Based on results of the determination, the rotation of motors provided at axes (joints) is controlled for selectively controlling a constrained state which constrains the rotation of the axes and release of the constrained state.

Abstract: A robot control system displays, on the display, information relating to a robot, sets a limit parameter set for limiting a motion of the robot based on an input by a user, the limit parameter set corresponding to a scene in which the robot moves, and executes a motion program of the robot, where execution of the motion program: (a) applies the limit parameter set to the robot, and switches the limit parameter set applied to the robot, (b) controls a motion of the robot according to the limit parameter set applied to the robot, and (c) stops execution of the motion program prior to switching from a first limit parameter set, which is the limit parameter set, to a second parameter set, which is a limit parameter set that is different from the first limit parameter set, and displays the second limit parameter set on the display.

Abstract: A robot control system sets a plurality of limit parameter sets for limiting a motion of the robot based on an input by a user, in which each of the plurality of limit parameter sets corresponds to a scene in which the robot moves, and includes a main parameter set and one of a plurality of sub-parameter sets, the main parameter set including at least one limit parameter, each of the plurality of sub-parameter sets including at least one limit parameter, and the plurality of sub-parameter sets being dependent on the main parameter set, applies one of the set plurality of limit parameter sets to the robot, controls a motion of the robot according to applied one of the plurality of limit parameter sets, and switches the plurality of limit parameter sets at least by switching one of the plurality of sub-parameter sets.

Abstract: An output module includes a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal, a power supply terminal, a controller, an output device, and a first cutoff switch. The first connection terminal is connected to a high potential side terminal of an external load. The second connection terminal is connected to a low potential side terminal of the external load. The power supply terminal is provided with an external power supply from an external power source. The output device is configured to operate by receiving a power supply generated by or based on the external power supply and to output an analog voltage or an analog current of a value instructed by the controller toward the first connection terminal. The first cutoff switch is configured to be controlled by the controller to open and close a first path between the second connection terminal and a ground.

Abstract: An imaging device in which an autofocus function can be performed without using brightness information is provided. In an imaging device according to one aspect, a density of points obtained by plotting two-dimensional point data of a plurality of event data as points on a plane, the event data outputted from an imaging element in a predetermined period in a state in which a focal point of a light receiving lens is adjusted by an adjustment mechanism, is calculated as a point density. When the point density is calculated, a control unit drives and controls the adjustment mechanism based on comparison results between the point density currently calculated and the point density last calculated to thereby adjust the focal point toward the in-focus position. In another aspect, an imaging device having an autofocus function can be provided without using event data.

Abstract: An output module comprising an output circuit and a control unit and an industrial control device including the output module are provided. The output circuit includes switches connected in parallel with each other, a specific power supply provided for each switch, and a current detection unit that is provided for each switch and, in response to an application of a function diagnosis voltage from the specific power supply, outputs a current signal indicating whether an applied current has flowed through the switch, to the control unit. The control unit determines a diagnosis target switch, and based on the current signal from the current detection unit, conducts the function diagnosis including determination as to whether opening control is normally active for at least the diagnosis target switch, while leaving at least any one switch other than the diagnosis target switch in a closed state.

Abstract: A supporting apparatus for programing a robot operation has a display by which an operator sees a movement trajectory corresponding to a movement of the robot and by which the operator is supported to provide a program including moving order and non-moving order. The supporting apparatus for programing has a first operating portion describing a target position of each of the moving orders superimposed with the movement trajectory by using a first code, and a second operating portion describing a number of the non-moving orders operated at the target position by using a second code.

Abstract: A settlement system includes code display section and mobile terminal. A first information and remittance destination information are displayed as specific information code on code display section. Code display section has memory for storing second information for authenticating first information, and antenna coil for receiving radio waves, generating electromotive force, supplying electromotive force to memory, and transmitting second information recorded memory. Mobile terminal has imaging unit for imaging information code, transceiver for transmitting and receiving response to radio waves, imaging control unit for imaging information code, transmitter control unit for transmitting radio waves to transceiver, and processing control unit performs settlement processing using remittance destination information read from specific information code when authentication using first information read from specific information code and second information received by transceiver as response to radio wave is successful.

Abstract: Provided is a programmable logic controller comprising: a CPU module; and an input module that generates internal data corresponding to an input signal input from the outside, wherein the input module includes a first control unit and a second control unit, the second control unit generates the second control data by encoding second input data into data that cannot be decoded by the first control unit, the first control unit outputs the first control data including first input data and the second control data, the input module generates the internal data based on the first control data and transmit the internal data to the CPU module and the CPU module extracts the first input data and the second input data to determine whether the input data is correct.