Abstract: A communication device for an electrical switching unit that includes an actuator driven by a control circuit. The communication device includes: a connector that can be connected to the control circuit, to receive a state signal sent by the control circuit and to receive an electrical power supply voltage supplied by the switching unit; a capacitor configured to be recharged from the power supply voltage received from the input connector when the state signal takes a predefined value; a bistable relay comprising a normally-open electrical contact connected to output terminals to form a dry electrical contact; and a pulse generator supplied by the capacitor and being configured to excite the bistable relay when the capacitor reaches a predefined level of charge.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a motor controller providing a dual-channel func-tional-safety (FS) safe-torque-off (STO) function when controlling a motor. The motor controller includes an inverter with low-side switches and high-side switches, a low-side gate drive connected to the low-side switches, a high-side gate drive connected to the high-side switches, a first functional-safety safe-torque-off circuit connected to the high-side gate drive and a second functional-safety safe-torque-off circuit connected to the low-side gate drive, and a non-reinforced high-voltage isolation barrier.

Abstract: A spindle assembly includes a power source interface configured to be operably coupled to a power bus and power the spindle assembly via the power bus, a spindle controller comprising processing circuitry, a diagnostic switch assembly operably coupled to the spindle controller and operably coupled to a logic supply bus, and a working apparatus comprising a motor and a spindle operably coupled to the spindle controller. The working apparatus may be controllable by the spindle controller to act upon a work piece to perform a work task. The processing circuitry of the spindle controller may be configured to receive a fault localization instruction from a bus control device operably coupled to the logic supply bus, and control the diagnostic switch assembly to determine a presence and a location of a fault on the logic supply bus.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an autonomous apparatus, moving and performing preset work in a defined working area, the autonomous apparatus including an energy module supplying energy to the autonomous apparatus, a motor, a sensor circuit, and a control circuit, the motor obtaining the energy from the energy module, to drive the autonomous apparatus to move and/or work in the working area, the sensor circuit detecting working parameters and environmental parameters of the autonomous apparatus, and transmitting detection results to the control circuit, the control circuit controlling the operation of the motor according to a signal transmitted by the sensor circuit, where the motor is a sensorless brushless motor, and before the motor rotates, the control circuit measures a resistance value of the motor, and estimates, one the basis of the resistance value of the motor, a rotor position of the motor, so as to control the operation of the motor.

Abstract: The relay safety system provided by the present invention includes a relay, an emergency stop device, a trigger detection circuit, a sticking detection circuit, and a power-off circuit. The emergency stop device is used to generate an emergency stop signal. The trigger detection circuit connects the relay and the emergency stop device, and is used to convert the emergency stop signal into a trigger signal. The sticking detection circuit is connected to the trigger detection circuit and the relay, and is used to detect the sticking signal generated by the relay, and generate a power-off signal according to the trigger signal and the sticking signal. The power-off circuit is connected to the emergency stop device, the relay and the sticking detection circuit, and receives the power-off signal, and disconnects the power of the relay according to the power-off signal.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for performing automated safety procedures for a robot. One of the methods includes receiving, by a robotic control system for a robot, a request to execute an automated safety procedure by a safety control subsystem for the robot. Each step of the automated safety procedure is iterated until an end of the automated safety procedure is reached, including if a step requires a new safety configuration, a respective safety configuration for the step is obtained and activated before performing one or more automatic actions for the step.

Abstract: Secured automated or semi-automated systems are provided herein. In one embodiment, a sensor system includes a sensor, a legacy computing environment that is configured to communicate with the sensor and process sensor raw data output, and transmit the processed sensor output to a first network node over the network, and a trusted computing environment configured to receive raw sensor output directly from the sensor and transmit the raw sensor output to an additional network node or the first network node over the network.

Abstract: A multi-phase interleaved PFC converter includes at least six switches coupled in a multi-phase interleaved circuit arrangement, and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to turn on and turn off a first one of the switches according to a PWM signal to operate the first switch as an active switch having an off-time as a function of a duty cycle of the PWM signal, while turning on and turning off a second one of the switches as a synchronous switch. The control circuit is also configured to receive signal(s) indicative of currents in each phase of the interleaved circuit arrangement, set an on-time of the second switch equal to the off-time of the first switch when the signal(s) indicate continuous mode operation, and set the on-time of the second switch to a duration less than the off-time of the first switch when the signal(s) indicate discontinuous mode operation.

Abstract: A medical imaging system comprises a teleoperational assembly configured to control the movement of a medical instrument including an instrument tip and a processing unit including one or more processors. The processing unit is configured to determine an instrument tip position and determine a position error associated with the instrument tip position. The processing unit is also configured to determine at least one instrument tip bounding volume based upon the position error and determine if the instrument tip is within a field of view of an imaging instrument.

Abstract: A tilt adjusting mechanism provided in a processing apparatus including a chuck table having a holding surface for holding a workpiece thereon and a processing unit having a processing surface for processing the workpiece held on the chuck table, for adjusting parallelism between the holding surface and the processing surface. The tilt adjusting mechanism includes at least three support posts supporting the chuck table, the support posts including at least one expansible and contractible support post that is provided with a piezoelectric actuator including layered piezoelectric elements, a direct current power supply electrically connected to the piezoelectric actuator, and a voltage controller for controlling a direct current voltage value of direct current electric power supplied to the piezoelectric actuator.

Abstract: An electric-brake controller controls an electric brake operable by an electric motor. The electric-brake controller includes: a rotation-angle obtainer including (i) a relative-rotation-angle obtaining unit that obtains a relative rotation angle of the electric motor for a set time, based on values output and received from a rotation-angle sensor at intervals of the set time, and (ii) an absolute-rotation-angle obtaining unit that calculates the obtained relative rotation angle with consideration of an orientation of the relative rotation angle to obtain an absolute rotation angle that is a rotation angle of the electric motor from a start of its operation; a recognition-error detector that detects a recognition error in the rotation-angle obtainer based on the obtained absolute rotation angle or a changing state of the absolute rotation angle; and a motor controller that controls the electric motor based on a result of detection performed by the recognition-error detector.

Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system is disclosed. The UAV system includes a chassis, a plurality of propeller assemblies configured to provide vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) for the chassis with propulsion in 6 degrees of freedom including along a cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, Z) and provide yaw, pitch, and roll, the plurality of propeller assemblies are selected from the group consisting of (i) two fixed propeller assemblies and a tiltable propeller assembly, and (ii) four fixed propeller assemblies, a boom having a boom propeller assembly, configured to selectively provide positive and negative rectilinear thrust vectors, and an end-effector coupled to a distal end of the boom, the end-effector having a force sensor configured to provide contact force between the end-effector and an object.

Abstract: Determining whether a compression garment is worn by a wearer of the garment by analyzing a pressure signal waveform indicative of a fluid pressure in an inflatable and deflatable bladder of the compression garment. Variance detected in the pressure signal waveform during the analysis is indicative of a change in condition of the compression garment. In one aspect the change in condition is verified using confirmatory analysis. In another aspect, the variance is one of a pressure rise and a pressure impulse. In yet another aspect, the variance is an oscillating amplitude as a function of time representative of a pulse of the wearer.

Abstract: A method for error-protected acquisition of a measured value in a control unit, wherein the measured value is firstly acquired with a first acquisition device and secondly with a second acquisition device and thereby a first measured value and a second measured value are made available, where in a comparison step in a safety program executing in the control unit, the first and the second measured value are compared with one another for a deviation from one another and upon reaching or exceeding a pre-determined maximum deviation, an error is identified.

Abstract: A failure diagnosis device applicable to a mechanical device provided with motors independent of One another as sources to drive motion axes, respectively, and configured to acquire a moving position of each motion axis and a disturbance torque value applied to the motion axis every predetermined period, and to diagnose a failure of the mechanical device, includes a failure diagnosis unit configured to diagnose the motion axis as a failure when the disturbance torque value is larger than a predetermined failure determination threshold, and a re-determination unit configured to conduct re-determination of the failure on the motion axis, which is diagnosed as the failure by the failure diagnosis unit, based on a previous maintenance record and a previous inspection result.

Abstract: A device configured to predict an execution time of an auxiliary function for tool change extracts an auxiliary function command for tool change from a machining program, calculates the storage position of a before-exchange tool and the storage position of an after-exchange tool, based on the auxiliary function command, and calculates a distance between tools, based on the results of the calculation. Also, the prediction device predicts the execution time of the auxiliary function command for tool change with reference to a database in which the distance between tools is associated with an actual value of the auxiliary function execution time for tool change.

Abstract: A numerical control device that controls a machine tool that machines work by moving a tool relatively to the work on the basis of a machining program includes a analyzing unit that analyzes the machining program and generates movement command data, a detecting unit that detects abnormality during the machining, a retract control unit that supplies, when abnormality is detected, an operation command for a retract operation for retracting the tool from the work, and an integrating unit that integrates a movement amount of the tool based on the supplied operation command. The analyzing unit executes a tool retraction program for moving the tool or the work to a predetermined position after adding the movement amount of the tool integrated by the integrating unit to a coordinate value of the tool on the machining program to update the coordinate value at a point in time when the retract operation ends.

Abstract: A numerical controller performs control for changing a tool mounted on a spindle to another tool stored in a tool magazine based on a machining program. The numerical controller analyzes a command by a block of the machining program, predicts a time required for machining by the analyzed command, and selects a tool changeable before a tool change command, during tool selection, based on the predicted time.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a robot servo jitter suppression method and device. The method includes: counting an amount of reciprocating jitter of an angular position of an output shaft of a robot servo in a predetermined period, after the robot servo enters a lock position state for a first predetermined period; determining whether the robot servo is in a jitter state according to the amount of the reciprocating jitter of the angular position of the output shaft of the robot servo and a predetermined fluctuation value; and suppressing the jitter of the robot servo by adjusting control parameter(s) of the robot servo, in response to the robot servo being in the jitter state. The robot servo jitter suppression method and device solve the problem of the jitter of the robot servo appears when the virtual positions of the robot servo and the robot joint structure are not properly controlled.

Abstract: Analyte sensor faults are detected. Datasets of glucose values sensor electronics are coupled to a glucose sensor in fluid contact with interstitial fluid under a skin surface. Baseline median glucose value and glucose variability values are computed, based on the first dataset. A baseline data point is stored. Evaluation median glucose value and variability are computed, based on the second dataset of glucose values. An evaluation data point is stored. A magnitude of a vector that extends between the baseline data point and the evaluation data point is computed. A component of the magnitude of the vector that is parallel to a hypoglycemia risk contour line is computed and compared to a predefined threshold value. An indication that a sensor fault has been detected if the component is greater than a threshold is displayed.

Abstract: A controller includes a control unit which stops a transfer mechanism in a case where the value of a deterioration indication parameter has exceeded a preset threshold, and determines whether or not an event in which the value of the deterioration indication parameter has exceeded the preset threshold is attributed to deterioration of the transfer mechanism which has progressed over time based on a change pattern of time series data of the value of the deterioration indication parameter, and causes the transfer mechanism to operate at a reduced operation speed, in a case where the control unit determines that the event in which the value of the deterioration indication parameter has exceeded the preset threshold is attributed to the deterioration of the transfer mechanism which has progressed over time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a motor driving apparatus and a home appliance comprising the same. The motor driving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: an inverter which converts a direct current power source of a DC stage capacitor to an alternating current power source and outputs the converted alternating power source to a motor by a switching operation; a DC stage resistance device arranged between the DC stage capacitor and the inverter; and a control unit which controls the inverter on the basis of phase current sampled by means of the DC stage resistance device, wherein the control unit controls the frequency of voltage applied to the motor or the rotation frequency of the motor to be synchronized with the sampling frequency of the phase current sampled via the DC stage resistance device. Accordingly, it is possible to accurately calculate the phase current flowing through the motor by means of the DC stage resistance device.

Abstract: To correct a frequency deviation generated in an input signal to an analog filter according to the rotation of a rotor in a resolver, a resolver correction device includes a phase shifter which shifts the phase of a first phase signal of the resolver, with respect to the signals at least having two phases and more, detected by the resolver. The phase-shifted first phase signal and a second phase signal are added, as a phase modulation signal with the excitation signal modulated by a rotation angle of the rotor in the resolver. A phase difference correction signal is generated based on a phase difference between the phase modulation signal of the resolver and the excitation signal. The adjusting amount of the phase shifter is calculated based on the phase difference correction signal, in which the phase shifter adjusts a phase shift amount according to the adjusting amount.

Abstract: A steering assist control system causes multiple actuator units to control an assist torque that provides assistance in steering in accordance with a turning operation on a steering wheel in a vehicle having an information presentation apparatus. The steering assist control system includes: a monitoring part that monitors the actuator units; a torque control part that reduces, in a case of a one-unit anomaly, the assist torque that results from combining output torques from all the actuator units, when the turning operation is performed on the steering wheel; and a warning control part controls the information presentation apparatus. In the case of the one-unit anomaly, the torque control part reduces the assist torque so that the assist torque is smaller than an assist torque output before the occurrence of the one-unit anomaly, every time the turning operation proceeds by a set angle.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and processes control an electric motor to drive a hoop onto a wooden barrel, among other purposes. A controller may be connected to the electric motor and configured to receive user input data and generate one or more control signals for the electric motor that correspond to a torque generation of the electric motor and/or a rotation speed of the electric motor. A barrel hoop driver may comprise the controller and electric motor, where the electric motor drives a press member for driving hoops onto wooden barrels.

Abstract: A PWM modulation circuit controls low-side transistors of three phases to all be in an ON state when a brake current flows; controls, in a period in which a brake current flows in a first direction in one phase, a transistor for sensing in that one phase to be in an ON state; and controls, in a period in which a brake current flows in the first direction in two phases, transistors for three phases to be in an OFF state. When the brake current is to flow, sense-phase control circuits for the three phases control a transistor for sensing, in a phase in which the brake current flows in a sink direction, to be into an ON state, and controls the transistor for sensing in a phase in which the brake current flows in an opposite direction, to be into an OFF state.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for regulating a condenser in a thermal cycle apparatus, in particular in an ORC apparatus, wherein the thermal cycle apparatus comprises a feed pump for conveying liquid working medium with an increase in pressure to an evaporator, the evaporator for evaporating and optionally additionally superheating the working medium with a supply of heat, an expansion machine for generating mechanical energy by expansion of the evaporated working medium, a generator for at least partially converting the mechanical energy into electrical energy, and the condenser for condensing the expanded working medium, and wherein the method comprises the following steps: determining a rotational speed of the generator or of the expansion machine; determining, without the use of a temperature sensor, a temperature of cooling air supplied from the condenser; determining from the determined generator or expansion machine rotational speed and the determined cooling air temperature, a condensation setpoi

Abstract: Executable format data resulting from decoding of a positioning block (retraction block) prior to start of cutting and an end point coordinate position P1 for command for the retraction block are stored. When machining is interrupted and a request for retraction of a tool is input, a retracting operation 1 is performed to retract the tool from a machining interruption position P2 to the stored end point coordinate position P1 of the retraction block. Subsequently, the stored executable format data of the retraction block is executed, with a moving direction for the executable format data being reversed to move the tool. The tool performs a retracting operation 2 of moving in the opposite direction along a moving path for in the retraction block. The retracting operations 1, 2 allow the tool to be retracted while avoiding interfering with other members.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring the safety of a joint (12) of a serial kinematic structure (30), which carries out tasks within a work region (100) under the control of a control unit (20), wherein a current state variable of the joint (12), such as the absolute position (AP) or the time derivatives thereof, is determined cyclically during operation from the current axis position (P) of the joint (12) and compared to a configurable limit value (SA, TA, SL), wherein a function module (3, 4, 5) is used to monitor the state variable. A function module (3, 4, 5) is assigned to each state variable to be monitored. These function modules (3, 4, 5) are designed independently of the control unit (20) of the serial kinematic structure (30), whereby the safety monitoring system (10) can be operated concurrently with and independently of the control unit (20) of the serial kinematic structure (30).

Abstract: A motor drive includes a condition detection circuit for monitoring the condition of the drive, an determination circuit for determining whether detected data indicates an abnormality, a memory unit for storing a detection value including at least one of a peak voltage applied to the drive, a peak current flowing through the drive, the cumulative number of occurrences of abnormalities, and variations in the peak voltage or current with time, when the abnormality occurs, and a setting unit for setting in advance set values including an allowable peak voltage and current and the allowable number of occurrences of abnormalities, and allowable variations in the peak voltage and current with time allowable by the drive. Whenever the motor drive is powered on, it is determined whether the detection value reaches the set value. When the detection value reaches the set value, the power-on of the motor drive is prohibited.

Abstract: A robot, such an industrial robot, has an arm. The arm has a plurality of rotation members, a plurality of joints each rotatably and mutually connecting adjacent two rotation members, and a plurality of electric servo motors respectively driving the joints. In this robot, every operation cycle, an angular speed is calculated at which to drive each servo motor, and a speed of a monitoring portion set in each rotation member is calculated. It is then determined whether or not the speed at the monitoring portion is equal to or lower than a reference speed. When it is determined that the speed at the monitoring portion is over the reference speed, the angular speed of each servo motor is instructed to reduce such that the speed at each monitoring portion becomes the reference speed or lower. The servo motors are driven at the angular speed that has been reduced.

Abstract: To safely operate a wind turbine, a control system may determine a current state of the wind turbine and identify whether the state is within an operational envelope. Based on measured sensor data, the control system may calculate the current state of the turbine in a multi-dimensional space where each axis of the multi-dimensional space correlates to one of the measured parameters. The boundary of the operational envelope may define a region of the multi-dimensional space where the wind turbine is behaving in a safe manner. A safety system may determine if the state determined by the control system is accurate. If so, the safety system determines whether the current state is within the operational envelope. If the state is outside the envelope, the wind turbine may switch to a safe state during which the turbine may be decoupled from the utility grid or the rotor is stopped.

Abstract: A numerical controller determines a consumption factor representing the degree to which a tool included in a machine tool consumes the life in association with machining conditions, and calculates a tool life (accumulated consumption life) consumed before each block based on the determined consumption factor and a tool usage for each block. If a command of a block read from a machining program is a tool change command, a tool having a tool life not ending before the next tool change command is selected among tools based on the accumulated consumption life.

Abstract: A motor control device for a machine tool having a plurality of axes includes a plurality of motor control units that control motors; an abnormality detection unit provided for at least one of the motor control units and configured to output an abnormality detection signal upon detecting an abnormality with respect to the axis driven by the motor controlled by the motor control unit provided with the abnormality detection unit; a safety operation control unit provided for a motor control unit that is not the motor control unit provided with the abnormality detection unit, the safety operation control unit configured to control the motor upon receiving the abnormality detection signal in such a way that the tool comes out of contact with the workpiece; and a communication unit that transmits the abnormality detection signal outputted by the abnormality detection unit to the safety operation control unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a robot, a robot control device, and a method for operating a robot. The robot includes an arm having a plurality of members following one after the other, an attaching device for attaching an end effector and drives for moving the members, and a control device connected to the drives. In another aspect, a computer program running on the control device issues a command for the robot arm to carry out an application step. At least one abort condition of the command from a plurality of abort conditions is detected, the execution of the application step is aborted on the basis of the detected abort condition, and simultaneously with the detection of the abort condition information is passed to the computer program about the abort condition on the basis of which the execution of the application step was aborted.

Abstract: Analyte sensor faults are detected. Datasets of glucose values sensor electronics are coupled to a glucose sensor in fluid contact with interstitial fluid under a skin surface. Baseline median glucose value and glucose variability values are computed, based on the first dataset. A baseline data point is stored. Evaluation median glucose value and variability are computed, based on the second dataset of glucose values. An evaluation data point is stored. A magnitude of a vector that extends between the baseline data point and the evaluation data point is computed. A component of the magnitude of the vector that is parallel to a hypoglycemia risk contour line is computed and compared to a predefined threshold value. An indication that a sensor fault has been detected if the component is greater than a threshold is displayed.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus includes a memory and memory protection circuitry for providing an operational path to the memory during operational use of the memory. A memory built-in self-test controller 34 performs built-in self-test operations upon the memory using either an indirect test access path to the memory via the memory protection circuitry or a direct test access path to the memory which bypasses the memory protection circuitry. Thus, the correct operation of the memory protection circuitry itself can be tested in addition to the correct operation of the memory.

Abstract: A robot system includes a robot, a control apparatus that controls the robot, a teaching apparatus having a first operation part that makes an emergency stop of a motion of the robot and teaching the motion of the robot, and an emergency stop processing apparatus having a second operation part that continues the motion of the robot after the first operation part is operated, wherein the second operation part is separately provided from the control apparatus.

Abstract: An electric motor drive control device includes: an inverter circuit that converts DC power inputted via a DC bus to multiphase AC power and outputs the multiphase AC power to an electric motor; a current detector that detects a DC current flowing in the DC bus; a PWM generator that generates PWM signals and outputs the PWM signals to the inverter circuit; a current calculator that calculates a current value for each of phases to be flowed to the electric motor based upon a value of the DC current and the PWM signals; and a current controller that generates a command signal based upon the current value, and outputs the command signal to the PWM generator, wherein: if one of the phases of the AC power has become missing, the current calculator determines which phase is one that has become missing and calculates current values for other phases.

Abstract: An example method includes determining one or more first movements that begin with a robot at a first position, determining one or more second movements that begin with the robot at the first position and end with the robot standing at a second position, making a first prediction of whether one or more motors of the robot executing the one or more first movements would cause a future temperature of any of the one or more motors to exceed a threshold temperature, making a second prediction of whether the one or more motors executing the one or more second movements would cause a future temperature of any of the one or more motors to exceed the threshold temperature, and causing the one or more motors to execute either (i) the one or more first movements or (ii) the one or more second movements.

Abstract: This method relates to the disconnection of a manual control unit of a multi-axis robot, including a connecting cord for connecting the unit to a controller. The cord includes an input power line and output power line for each of the two cabling circuits of an emergency stop button, and an input power line and output power line for each of the two cabling circuits of a dead man contactor. The method comprises successive steps, in which: a) an operator makes a request to disconnect the unit, b) during a predetermined length of time, the safety controller does not trigger an emergency stop based on the control of the electrical cabling circuits, c) at the end of the predetermined length of time, the safety controller does not trigger an emergency stop if and only if, on the one hand, only one of the two cabling circuits of the emergency stop button is open and, on the other hand, only one of the two cabling circuits of the dead man contactor is open.

Abstract: A motor drive circuit comprises a motor having a plurality of phases, a switching circuit comprising a plurality of electrical switches, a motor current controller that generates voltage demand signals to be passed to a drive circuit for the switches that in turn generate pulse width modulated switching signals for the switching circuit that cause the switches to selectively connect the phases to a power supply so as to cause current to flow through the phases of the motor, and a motor torque controller that produces a demand signal that is fed to an input of the current controller, the motor current controller responding to an error signal that is at least partially dependent on the value of the demand signal. The torque controller in use updates the demand signal at a first sample rate.

Abstract: A robot control device includes a contact judging part which judges if the robot has contacted an object based on external force which is detected by the sensor, a stop command part which makes the robot stop when it is judged that the robot has contacted the object, a continuous contact judging part which judges if the robot continues to contact the object after making the robot stop, and a retraction command part which makes the robot retract in a direction away from the object when it is judged that the robot continues to contact the object.

Abstract: A welding power supply including power conversion circuitry adapted to receive a primary source of power, to utilize one or more power semiconductor switches to chop the primary source of power, and to convert the chopped power to a welding output is provided. The provided welding power supply includes a pulse width modulated (PWM) digital controller including gate drive circuitry that generates a PWM output signal that controls the switching of the one or more power semiconductor switches. The PWM output signal includes a duty cycle term corrected for one or more sources of error in the welding system.

Abstract: The interlock detector includes a first input, wherein a first output signal from an interlock generator is applied to the first input. The interlock detector further includes a second output which is configured to provide a microprocessor with a second output signal. The interlock detector further includes a differential amplifier that includes a second input, a third input, and a third output, wherein the second input and the third input are connected to the first input. The interlock detector further includes a comparator circuit that includes a fourth input and a fourth output, wherein the fourth input is connected to the third output, the fourth output is connected to the second output, and the fourth input is positioned between the comparator circuit and the differential amplifier.

Abstract: A system includes a moveable member configured to permit a user to manually move at least a portion of the moveable member to permit an object coupled to the moveable member to be manipulated in space and thereby facilitate the performance of a task using the coupled object. The moveable member is configured to couple to at least a first object and a second object that is interchangeable with the first object and has a substantially different weight than the first object. A brake is configured to limit manual movement of at least the portion of the moveable member to inhibit manipulation in space of the coupled object, both when the moveable member is coupled to the first object and when the moveable member is coupled to the second object.

Abstract: In sensor-less collision detection of a robot, a conventional method for displaying abnormality of the robot makes an abnormality display of “collision detected” when a collision is erroneously detected, and does not clarify the situations under which the collision has been erroneously detected. In a method for displaying abnormality of a robot, when a collision of the robot is detected and the collision detection is displayed, at least one abnormality display is selected from a plurality of abnormality detection items different from collision detection. This can offer information useful for the user to understand the situations at occurrence of the erroneous collision detection.

Abstract: After a Z-axis on which a chamfering tool is mounted is located in a machining position for chamfering, two orthogonal axes (X- and Y-axes) perpendicular to the Z-axis are positioned to be ready for the chamfering. The Z-axis is compensated simultaneously with the X- and Y-axes in accordance with a machining path in a machining program, based on tool data, whereby the entire cutting edge of the chamfering tool can be used for each chamfering cycle. Specifically, the radius of the tool is made variable so that a chamfering area can cover the entire cutting edge of the tool.

Abstract: A measuring system and a method for operating it to detect wire breakage based on the measured current or voltage in which the impedance of at least a first sensor is measured and the result transmitted to a connected system. The invention is capable of detecting wire breakage and sensor failure in temperature sensor systems simultaneous with the temperature measurement by the measuring system comprising an AC current source which generates an AC current that is transmitted through the wires, and through at least the first sensor, measuring system analyzing changes in the phase angle between the current and voltage of the AC signal. If the difference in the frequency of the signal affecting the impedance or voltage of the sensor, and the frequency of the injected wire testing signal is sufficiently high, it is possible to distinguish between the first measuring signals and the second wire testing signal.

Abstract: Described is a control system for stabilizing complex systems through self-adjustment. The complex system consists of agents or machines interacting with an environment and controlled by a controller. The control system includes a sensor configured to measure a state of the complex system and output the measured state of the complex system. A filter receives the measured state of the complex system, computes a variance in the measured state of the complex system over time, and outputs the computed variance. A regulator, which is connected with at least one controller, adjusts a control parameter in response to the computed variance received from the filter. The regulator is configured to regulate each controller's action on each agent or machine based on the control parameter in order to maintain stability of the complex system. In a desired aspect, the at least one control parameter comprises a set of additional input delays.