Abstract: A joint structure includes a locking mechanism for switching a free state in which a second element is independent from a first element and capable of moving, and a locked state in which the second element is fixed to the first element. The locking mechanism includes a first member joined to the first element, a second member joined to the second element, and a flexible wire-shaped member in which one end thereof is attached to the second member and another end thereof is led out to the outside of the joint structure via a through hole provided in the first member. The joint structure enters the locked state by the wire-shaped member being pulled to bring the second member into contact with the first member, and enters the free state by the wire-shaped member being fed to separate the second member from the first member.

Abstract: This robot comprises: a finger that grips a workpiece; a motor that drives the finger; a driving current detection unit that detects a driving current of the motor; a gripper including a tactile sensor provided in the finger; a driving force calculation unit that calculates a driving force applied to the workpiece by the finger on the basis of a driving current value of the motor; a pressing force calculation unit that calculates a pressing force that the tactile sensor receives from the workpiece on the basis of a detection value of the tactile sensor; and a control unit that determines which of the driving force and the pressing force is to be used on the basis of a gripping force setting value that is a setting value of the gripping force applied to the workpiece by the finger and controls the gripping force using the value of the driving force or the pressing force which is determined to be used.

Abstract: A control apparatus of a robot that includes a flexible portion and a locking mechanism for fixing the flexible portion, the control apparatus including: a lock control unit configured to control locking and unlocking of the flexible portion; and an operation control unit configured to control operation of the robot using different types of control policies depending on whether the flexible portion is locked or unlocked. With this control apparatus, it is possible to effectively control a robot in which locking and unlocking of the flexible portion can be switched.

Abstract: A joint structure includes a locking mechanism for switching a free state in which a second element is independent from a first element and capable of moving, and a locked state in which the second element is fixed to the first element. The locking mechanism includes a first member joined to the first element, a second member joined to the second element, and a flexible wire-shaped member in which one end thereof is attached to the second member and another end thereof is led out to the outside of the joint structure via a through hole provided in the first member. The joint structure enters the locked state by the wire-shaped member being pulled to bring the second member into contact with the first member, and enters the free state by the wire-shaped member being fed to separate the second member from the first member.

Abstract: A control apparatus causes a robot device to move a suction head to a predetermined position at which a workpiece is fed and attempt to pick up the workpiece with the suction head at the predetermined position. Upon determining that the suction head has yet to pick up the workpiece, the control apparatus causes the robot device to rotationally move the suction head spirally in a horizontal direction while causing the suction head to perform a suction operation for the workpiece, and estimates a direction in which the workpiece is located with respect to the predetermined direction based on a change in compressed air pressure during the rotational movement of the suction head.

Abstract: A program generation apparatus according to one or more embodiments may extract, from a series of motions defined in a motion program, a motion to be corrected based on a difference in attribute between a first component indicated as a target of a component change and a second component to replace the first component, and generate a new motion program by correcting a command value of the extracted motion to compensate for the difference in the attribute.

Abstract: An operation information output device includes: a power data acquirer that acquires time-series data of a physical quantity consumed or generated when production equipment executes a process; a single-cycle detector that detects time-series data of predetermined duration from the time-series data acquired by the power data acquirer, and an operation information acquirer that acquires operation information of the production equipment by use of the time-series data detected by the single-cycle detector, hence it becomes possible to easily calculate and determine detailed operation information.

Abstract: A processing machine processes a work and repeats processes on the work, thereby consuming energy. Within the consumed energy, room for improvement is computed by an energy monitoring device and is referred to as an amount of energy that can be improved. An energy monitoring device includes a power data acquirer that acquires a time-series power data measured by a power meter, a cycle detector that detects a single-cycle power data from the power data acquired by the acquirer, a divider that divides the single-cycle power data detected by the detector into an added-value creating portion and an unproductive portion, and a computing unit that computes an amount of energy consumed in the unproductive portion divided by the divider and defines it as the amount of energy to be improved.

Abstract: A processing machine processes a work and repeats processes on the work, thereby consuming energy. Within the consumed energy, room for improvement is computed by an energy monitoring device and is referred to as an amount of energy that can be improved. An energy monitoring device includes a power data acquirer that acquires a time-series power data measured by a power meter, a cycle detector that detects a single-cycle power data from the power data acquired by the acquirer, a divider that divides the single-cycle power data detected by the detector into an added-value creating portion and an unproductive portion, and a computing unit that computes an amount of energy consumed in the unproductive portion divided by the divider and defines it as the amount of energy to be improved.

Abstract: An operation information output device includes: a power data acquirer that acquires time-series data of a physical quantity consumed or generated when production equipment executes a process; a single-cycle detector that detects time-series data of predetermined duration from the time-series data acquired by the power data acquirer, and an operation information acquirer that acquires operation information of the production equipment by use of the time-series data detected by the single-cycle detector, hence it becomes possible to easily calculate and determine detailed operation information.