Abstract: A method for the direct teaching of automatic machinery systems, comprising a plurality of arms and of corresponding actuators for equilibrating the arms against payloads and displacing them to operative positions, when desired, which comprises the steps of: (a) placing the system in a reference configuration, equilibrating its arms, and memorizing for each arm the reference torque to be produced by the corresponding motor to maintain the arm in its reference position; (b) when it is wished to carry out the teaching, placing the system in the Teach mode; (c) applying an external force to an arm of the system in the direction desired for the purpose of the teaching; (d) for each arm, determining the actual torque required to maintain the arm in its reference position in spite of the application of said operator force; (e) calculating a displacement torque as the difference between said reference and said actual torque; (f) causing the motor to displace the arm in the direction of said displacement torque and b