Abstract: The present invention discloses a Fe—Al-based metal porous membrane and a preparation method thereof, which relate to the technical field of industrial gas-solid and liquid-solid separation and purification, and mainly address problems in the prior art, such as cracking-prone and peeling of a membrane layer of an existing Fe—Al-based metal porous membrane during its preparation and use. The preparation method of the present invention comprises the steps of: adding a Fe—Al-based metal powder and a metal fiber powder into an organic-additive-added water-based solvent, and mixing them into a slurry; casting the slurry, through a casting machine, to form a membrane green body on a metal substrate layer, and letting it dry; and placing the dried membrane green body in a sintering furnace, to remove organic substances and perform high-temperature sintering and predetermined-temperature reaction synthesis.

Abstract: A method of programming an industrial robot includes: providing the robot, the robot having a robot arm with an end-effector mounted thereto which is controlled by a robot control unit to manipulate a workpiece which is arranged in a workplace of the robot; associating a target coordinate system with the workplace; taking an image of the workplace and the workpiece by an image capturing device; transmitting the image to a computing device having a human-machine-interface to generate control code for controlling the robot, which is transmitted to the robot control unit; capturing an image of the workplace and the workpiece to be manipulated by the robot; transferring the captured image to the computing device and displaying the captured image on a display associated with the computing device; and displaying the workpiece on the display; marking the workpiece with a marker-object on the display.

Abstract: A robot application development system and method includes a robot application unit that determines a robot application, which defines the industrial robot in a robot workspace. An input interface receives robot application information. An object data interface receives work piece information. A gripper finger design unit determines a gripper finger design. The robot application unit determines the robot application using the robot application information. The gripper finger design unit determines the gripper finger design using the work piece information and the robot application information.

Abstract: A system and method for programming a robot includes providing a 3D representation of workpieces to be handled by the robot, and of a working environment; synthesizing and displaying a view of the working environment comprising an image of the workpieces at respective initial positions; identifying matching features of the selected workpiece and of the working environment which are able to cooperate to hold the workpiece in a final position in the working environment, and a skill by which the matching features can be brought to cooperate; identifying an intermediate position from where applying the skill to the workpiece moves the workpiece to the final position; and adding to a motion program for the robot a routine for moving the workpiece from its initial position to the intermediate position and for applying the skill to the workpiece at the intermediate position.

Abstract: A method for estimating a wrench acting on a reference point of a robot includes the steps of: a) measuring at least one component, but not all components, of the wrench; and b) estimating non-measured components of the wrench based on a dynamical model of the robot while taking into account the measured components.

Abstract: A method for robotic assembly includes: receiving product data including product structure data and/or product geometry data of a product with a base component and at least one assembly part to be assembled; analyzing the product data to determine robot functions relating to functions of a robot for assembly of the product as determined robot functions; generating a robot program including assembly instructions dependent on the determined robot functions and the product data; and executing the generated robot program so as to identify and/or localize the at least one assembly part and assemble the product.

Abstract: A method for visually controlling a robot arm which is displaceable in a plurality of degrees of freedom, the robot arm carrying at least one displaceable reference point, includes the steps of: a) placing at least one camera so that a target point where the reference point is to be placed is contained in an image output by the at least one camera; b) displacing the robot arm so that the reference point is within the image; c) determining a vector which, in the image, connects the reference point to the target point; d) choosing one of the plurality of degrees of freedom, moving the robot arm by a predetermined standard distance in the one degree of freedom, and recording a standard displacement of the reference point within the image resulting from the movement of the robot arm; e) repeating step d) at least until the vector can be decomposed.

Abstract: A method for applying machine learning to an application includes: a) generating a set of candidate parameters by a learner; b) executing a program in at least one simulated application based on the set of candidate parameters and providing interim results of tested sets of candidate parameters based on a measured performance information of the execution of the program; c) collecting a predetermined number of interim results and providing an end result based on a combination of the candidate parameters and the measured performance information by a trainer; and d) generating a new set of candidate parameters by the learner based on the end result for execution by the unchanged program.

Abstract: A method for applying machine learning to an application includes: a) generating a candidate policy by a learner; b) executing a program in at least one simulated application based on a set of candidate parameters provided based on the candidate policy and a state of the at least one simulated application, execution of the program providing interim results of tested sets of candidate parameters based on a measured performance information of the execution of the program; c) collecting a predetermined number of interim results and providing an end result based on a combination of the candidate parameters and/or the state with the measured performances information by a trainer; and d) generating a new candidate policy by the learner based on the end result.

Abstract: A robotic system includes: at least one robot; a robot controller for controlling an operation of the at least one robot; a robot sensor system with at least one robot sensor, the robot sensor system being coupled to the robot controller to detect a presence of an object in a robot safety zone, which robot safety zone at least partially surrounds the at least one robot; and at least one automated vehicle for supplying the at least one robot. The at least one vehicle has at least one vehicle sensor for detecting a presence of an object in a vehicle safety zone, which vehicle safety zone at least partially surrounds the at least one vehicle. The robot controller determines an entry of the at least one vehicle into the robot safety zone. The robot controller adjusts at least a part of the robot safety zone.

Abstract: A method of programming an industrial robot includes: providing the robot, the robot having a robot arm with an end-effector mounted thereto which is controlled by a robot control unit to manipulate a workpiece which is arranged in a workplace of the robot; associating a target coordinate system with the workplace; taking an image of the workplace and the workpiece by an image capturing device; transmitting the image to a computing device having a human-machine-interface to generate control code for controlling the robot, which is transmitted to the robot control unit; capturing an image of the workplace and the workpiece to be manipulated by the robot; transferring the captured image to the computing device and displaying the captured image on a display associated with the computing device; and displaying the workpiece on the display; marking the workpiece with a marker-object on the display.

Abstract: A method for estimating a wrench acting on a reference point of a robot includes the steps of: a) measuring at least one component, but not all components, of the wrench; and b) estimating non-measured components of the wrench based on a dynamical model of the robot while taking into account the measured components.

Abstract: A method for visually controlling a robot arm which is displaceable in a plurality of degrees of freedom, the robot arm carrying at least one displaceable reference point, includes the steps of: a) placing at least one camera so that a target point where the reference point is to be placed is contained in an image output by the at least one camera; b) displacing the robot arm so that the reference point is within the image; c) determining a vector which, in the image, connects the reference point to the target point; d) choosing one of the plurality of degrees of freedom, moving the robot arm by a predetermined standard distance in the one degree of freedom, and recording a standard displacement of the reference point within the image resulting from the movement of the robot arm; e) repeating step d) at least until the vector can be decomposed.

Abstract: A safety control system has a control unit with safety control logic, a safety sensor arrangement, a machine arrangement operable in different operation modes, each operation mode having a different productivity, the control unit receiving and evaluating input from the safety sensor arrangement, and, in reaction to evaluation result(s), activating an operation mode determined by the safety control logic, the safety sensor arrangement having at least two functionally redundant subsystems, control unit input including information indicating availability of the functionally redundant subsystems, the control logic being configured to activate normal operation mode with normal productivity if input indicates availability of all subsystems, activate fail-stop operation mode with zero productivity if input indicates unavailability of all subsystems, activate fail-operate operation mode with productivity less than normal but above zero if input indicates at least temporary unavailability of at least one and availabil

Abstract: A method of programming an industrial robot having a robot arm with an end-effector mounted thereto, which is controlled by a robot control unit to manipulate a workpiece which is arranged in a workplace of the robot, a target coordinate system being associated with the workplace and an image of the workplace and the workpiece is taken by an image capturing device and transmitted to a computing device having a human-machine-interface to generate control code for controlling the robot which is transmitted to the robot control unit, includes the following steps: capturing an image of the workplace and the workpiece to be manipulated by the robot; transferring the captured image to the computing device; displaying the captured image on a display associated to the computing device; marking the workpiece displayed on the display with a marker-object on the display; manipulating the marker-object in a sequence.

Abstract: A system for testing a distributed control system of an industrial plant is provided. The distributed control system includes at least two industrial control devices and at least one data communication device. The system includes at least one engineering computer that includes an engineering data storage unit for storing engineering data of at least one part of the distributed control system, and at least one human machine interface for manipulating the engineering data. The system also includes at least one remote data processing server connected to the at least one engineering computer via a remote data connection and including an emulating virtual machine on which a soft emulator is installed for emulating one of the at least two industrial control devices and the at least one data communication device.

Abstract: A safety control system has a control unit with safety control logic, a safety sensor arrangement, a machine arrangement operable in different operation modes, each operation mode having a different productivity, the control unit receiving and evaluating input from the safety sensor arrangement, and, in reaction to evaluation result(s), activating an operation mode determined by the safety control logic, the safety sensor arrangement having at least two functionally redundant subsystems, control unit input including information indicating availability of the functionally redundant subsystems, the control logic being configured to activate normal operation mode with normal productivity if input indicates availability of all subsystems, activate fail-stop operation mode with zero productivity if input indicates unavailability of all subsystems, activate fail-operate operation mode with productivity less than normal but above zero if input indicates at least temporary unavailability of at least one and availabil

Abstract: A testing method and testing system for a semiconductor element are provided. The method includes following steps. A level of a testing electrostatic discharge (ESD) voltage is determined. A plurality of sample components is provided. The testing ESD voltage is imposed on the sample components for testing ESD decay rates of the sample components. ESD withstand voltages of the sample components are detected. The relation between the ESD withstand voltages and the electrostatic discharge rates are recorded to a database. The testing ESD voltage is imposed on the semiconductor element for testing an ESD decay rate of the semiconductor element. The database is looked up according to the ESD decay rate of the semiconductor element to determine an ESD withstand voltage of the semiconductor element.

Abstract: The disclosure discloses a light emitting diode testing apparatus, which includes a power supply module, a probe, a control unit and a data acquisition unit. The power supply module provides a first current or a second current to a testing item. The probe measures characteristics of the testing item. The control unit controls the power supply module to provide the first current or the second current. The data acquisition unit acquires the characteristics of the testing item from the probe. The power supply module includes a first current source, at least one second current source and at least one protector. The first current source provides the first current to the testing item. The at least one second current source provides at least one additional current. The at least one protector prevents the first current from feeding back to the at least one second current source.

Abstract: A system and method for commanding a robot by a programmable logic controller are disclosed. The system can include a programmable logic controller, at least two function blocks with at least one input for triggering an execution of a PLC function and at least one output indicating status of a function block. Each function block corresponds to a movement segment of a movement path of a robot to be commanded. A command queue can store and send orchestrated robot commands to the robot. Backwards motion of the robot can be performed by stopping execution of not yet executed robot commands for forward motion, and sequentially resending at least one executed robot command stored in the command queue in a contrawise sequence.