Abstract: This invention comprehensively detects an operational abnormality caused by a disturbance factor such as contact of a robot arm. A robot device according to the present embodiment is equipped with an articulated arm mechanism, and includes: a plurality of links; a plurality of joints interconnecting the plurality of links; a plurality of motors that generate motive power for driving the plurality of joints; a transmission mechanism that transmits rotation of a drive shaft of a motor of at least one joint among the plurality of joints to a rotary shaft of the at least one joint; a first encoder that detects rotation of the drive shaft of the motor of the at least one joint; a second encoder that detects rotation of the rotary shaft of the at least one joint; and a determining section that determines an operational abnormality based on an encoder pulse that is output from the first encoder and an encoder pulse that is output from the second encoder.

Abstract: This invention designs durability among components in accordance with maintenance man-hours and maintenance cost. A robot arm mechanism according to the present embodiment includes an arm section capable of changing state between a rigid state and a bent state; a supporting section that supports the arm section in the rigid state; a housing section that houses the arm section in the bent state; and a conveying section that sends the arm section out forward from the supporting section, draws back the arm section rearward to the supporting section, and conveys the arm section between the supporting section and the housing section. The supporting section includes a plurality of rollers for firmly sandwiching the arm section therebetween and supporting the arm section so as to be movable forward and rearward. At least one of a surface hardness and a strength of the plurality of rollers is the same as or lower than a surface hardness and/or a strength of the arm section.

Abstract: Based on the premise that a step-out will occur in a stepping motor, this invention provides a suitable countermeasure for when a step-out occurs. A robot device includes: a robot arm mechanism having a joint; a stepping motor that generates motive power that actuates the joint; a motor driver that drives the stepping motor; a trajectory calculating section that calculates a trajectory along which an attention point of the robot arm mechanism moves from a current position to a final target position; a command value outputting section that outputs a command value in accordance with the trajectory calculated by the trajectory calculating section to the motor driver; and a step-out detecting section that detects a step-out of the stepping motor. The robot device also includes a system control section.

Abstract: A multi-joint arm mechanism includes an arm supporting member a first, second and third joints. The third joint has a linear extension and retraction axis. The third joint includes flat-shaped first structures bendably coupled to one another, second structures having a C-shaped section and bendably coupled to one another, a supporting member supporting the stiffened first and second structures, and a drive member sending and drawing the stiffened first and second structures. The first and the second structures are linearly stiffened by being in contact with each other and return to a bent state by being separated from each other. The second structures are bent toward the bottom parts and conveyed into the arm supporting member. The first structures are bent in a same direction as the second structures and conveyed into the arm supporting member. The first structures are stored in the arm supporting member along the second structures.

Abstract: An object of an embodiment is to provide a robot hand with high versatility for various kinds of workpieces. A robot hand according to the embodiment has a pair of grasping sections that are disposed to face each other to grasp a workpiece. The pair of grasping sections are equipped with a pair of workpiece contact sections. The pair of grasping sections are moved in directions to move close to and separate from each other by a moving mechanism. The workpiece contact section is a vacuum suction section including flexibility. The vacuum suction section grasps a workpiece while vacuum-sucking the workpiece.

Abstract: Rigidity of an arm is improved in a linear extension and retraction mechanism. The linear extension and retraction mechanism includes a first connection piece string consisted of a plurality of first connection pieces; a second connection piece string consisted of a plurality of second connection pieces; and an ejection section adapted to form a columnar body by joining the first connection piece string to the second connection piece string and support the columnar body, in which a foremost one of the plurality of second connection pieces is connected with a foremost one of the plurality of first connection pieces, the first and second connection piece strings are joined with each other to constrain bending, thereby a columnar body with a tubular shape being formed, and the columnar body is relaxed when the first and second connection piece strings are separated from each other.

Abstract: A linear extension and retraction mechanism includes a first connection piece string including a plurality of first connection pieces; a second connection piece string including a plurality of second connection pieces; a linear gear consisted of a plurality of teeth and provided on a back face of each of the first connection piece; an ejection section adapted to support a columnar body formed by joining together the first and second connection piece strings and; and a drive gear adapted to be meshed with the linear gears, wherein gear-end teeth located adjacent to each other across a junction between adjacent first connection piece string are provided in such a way as not to overlap each other when viewed along a center axis of the columnar body.

Abstract: A stable extension and retraction motion is realized in a robot arm mechanism including a linear extension and retraction joint. In the robot arm mechanism including the linear extension and retraction joint, the linear a extension and retraction joint includes an arm section, and an ejection section for supporting the arm section. The arm section includes a first connection piece string and a second connection piece string. The first connection piece string includes a plurality of first connection pieces. The second connection piece string includes a plurality of second connection pieces each having a substantially flat plate shape. The first connection piece string is joined to the second connection piece string to thereby constitute a columnar body. The columnar body is sent out forward from the ejection section.

Abstract: A purpose is to improve storability of a plurality of connection pieces coupled bendably. A robot arm mechanism includes a revolute joint and a linear extension and retraction joint. The linear extension and retraction joint includes a plurality of first connection pieces coupled bendably and provided with a hollow square cross section and a plurality of second connection pieces coupled bendably and each shaped like a flat plate. The second connection pieces are overlapped on the first connection pieces in upper part of the first connection pieces, thereby forming a columnar body by constraining bending. The columnar body is released when the first connection pieces and the second connection pieces are separated from each other. An ejection section forms the columnar body by joining the first connection pieces to the second connection pieces and supports the columnar body.

Abstract: A linear extension and retraction mechanism includes a plurality of first connection pieces coupled together bendably; and a plurality of second connection pieces coupled together bendably, wherein back faces of the first connection pieces and back faces of the second connection pieces are overlapped each other, thereby generally forming a columnar body by constraining bending, and the columnar body is relaxed when the first and second connection pieces are separated from each other, the linear extension and retraction mechanism further including an ejection section adapted to support the columnar body.

Abstract: A purpose is to improve movement characteristics of a linear extension and retraction mechanism. A robot arm mechanism includes a revolute joint and a linear extension and retraction joint. The linear extension and retraction joint includes a plurality of first connection pieces coupled together bendably on a bottom plate side and provided with a U-shaped cross section, and a plurality of second connection pieces coupled together bendably and each shaped like a flat plate. A foremost one of the plurality of second connection pieces is connected with a foremost one of the plurality of first connection pieces. The first and second connection pieces, when overlapped each other, form a columnar body by being constrained from bending. The columnar body is relaxed when the first and second connection pieces are separated from each other. An ejection section forms the columnar body by joining together the first and second connection pieces and supports the columnar body.

Abstract: A rigidity of a robot arm mechanism including a linear extension and retraction joint is enhanced. In a robot arm mechanism including the linear extension and retraction joint, the linear extension and retraction joint includes an arm section and an ejection section, the arm section includes a first connection piece string including a plurality of first connection pieces and a second connection piece string including a plurality of second connection pieces, and the second connection piece string is joined to the first connection piece string to thereby constitute a columnar body having a certain rigidity. The ejection section includes lower rollers and upper rollers for joining the first and second connection piece strings and supporting the columnar body. The lower rollers and the upper rollers are disposed with the columnar body sandwiched between the lower rollers and the upper rollers.

Abstract: A purpose is to prevent a first connection piece string from colliding against a second connection piece string in a robot arm mechanism including a linear extension and retraction joint.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to improve robot arm mechanism's operability regarding translational movement and posture change. A robot device includes: a robot arm mechanism capable of being provided with an end effector at a tip thereof and including a plurality of joints; an operation section for operating a movement and a posture change of the end effector; and a control section for controlling driving of the joints in accordance with an operation of the operation section. The control section associates a translational operation received from the operation section with orthogonal three axes of a robot coordinate system of the robot arm mechanism to move a hand reference point. During the movement, a posture of the end effector is maintained at a posture on the robot coordinate system at the start of the translational operation.

Abstract: A purpose is to reduce the risk of an arm section dropping off an ejection section in a robot arm mechanism having a linear motion joint. A robot arm mechanism including a linear extension and retraction joint includes a linear motion joint including an arm section and a mechanism for linearly extending and retracting the arm section; a stepping motor configured to generate power for linearly extending and retracting the arm section; a motor driver configured to drive the stepping motor; an encoder configured to output an encoder pulse every time a drive shaft of the stepping motor rotates by a predetermined angle; and a control section configured to control the driver unit to generate a static torque when a length of the arm section corresponding to a count of the encoder pulse reaches a threshold value set for preventing a drop of the arm section.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prevent unnecessary driving stop of a stepping motor. A robot arm section includes a robot arm, a stepping motor 31a, a motor driver 31b, an encoder 31c and a step-out detection section 31e. The robot arm has a joint J1. The stepping motor generates power for operating the joint. The motor driver drives the stepping motor according to a target angle. The encoder outputs an encoder pulse every time a drive shaft of the stepping motor rotates by a predetermined angle. The step-out detection section detects a step-out of the stepping motor based on the target angle and a current angle of the stepping motor that is identified based on the encoder pulse. When the stepping motor does not recover from the step-out before a predetermined grace time elapses from a time at which the step-out is detected, the motor driver stops driving the stepping motor at the time point at which the grace time elapses.

Abstract: A robot arm mechanism has a plurality of joints. Of the plural joints, a first joint is a rotational joint that rotates on a first axis, a second joint is a rotational joint that rotates on a second axis, and a third joint is a linear motion joint that moves along a third axis. The second axis is perpendicular to the first axis and is a first distance away from the first axis. The third axis is perpendicular to the second axis and is a second distance away from the second axis.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a robot arm mechanism capable of structurally eliminating or reducing a singular point posture within a movable range. The robot arm mechanism has a plurality of joints J1-J6. The first joint J1 is a rotational joint that rotates on a first axis RA1, a second joint J2 is a rotational joint that rotates on a second axis RA2, and a third joint J3 is a linear motion joint that moves along a third axis RA3. The first joint J1, the second joint J2 and the third joint J3 are arranged in order from a base. The first joint J1 is arranged so that the first axis RA1 is perpendicular to the base. The second joint J2 is offset with respect to the first joint J1 in a direction (Z axis direction) of the first axis RA1 and a direction (Y axis direction) perpendicular to the first axis RA1.

Abstract: An extendable and retractable arm mechanism includes a first structure group formed by coupling a plurality of first structures and a second structure group formed by coupling a plurality of second structures. Each of the first structures includes lock part for fixing the second structures. When the first structure group and the second structure group extend, the lock part fixes the second structures to the first structures.