Abstract: A method for automatically calibrating an external force measuring device of an industrial robot. The industrial robot has a multi-axis robot arm, the robot arm has, for each joint axis, an electric actuator (M1, . . . M6) and a position sensor (C1, . . . C6) able to measure the joint position of the corresponding joint. The robot has a force measuring device. The force measuring device has at least one measuring sensor capable of measuring the forces applied to the robot arm. The method updates an applied force correction coefficient by incrementing it with a value proportional to the average force of the external forces exerted if certain conditions are met.

Abstract: The present process of controlling an industrial robot includes steps consisting of calculating, in the modules implemented by the central unit, a time-dependent composite setpoint defining articular forces and velocities, according to a target trajectory and to an operating mode; calculating, in modules implemented by the central unit, a behavior matrix which describes a desired behavior of the robot arm, defining directions along which the calculated composite setpoint is to be applied; calculating, in a module implemented by the in auxiliary unit, an articular force setpoint for controlling the axis controller module; and calculating, in the axis controller module implemented by the auxiliary unit, the control setpoints for the power units according to the articular force setpoint.

Abstract: A process of controlling an industrial robot includes the steps of calculating, in a calculation module, a control articular force setpoint of the axis controller module; calculating, in an articular converter, the articular conversion matrix from articular positions; providing the axis controller module with the multi-dimensional external forces exerted on the effector; calculating, in the axis controller module, the vector of the articular forces; calculating, in the axis controller module, the current loop control setpoints, taking into account the articular force vector and the articular force setpoint; and calculating, in the axis controller module, the control setpoints for the power units according to the control setpoints for the current loops.

Abstract: The present process of controlling an industrial robot includes steps consisting of calculating a time-dependent composite setpoint defining articular forces and/or velocities, according to a target trajectory and to an operating mode; calculating (S106) a behavior matrix which describes a desired behavior of the robot arm, defining directions along which the calculated composite setpoint is to be applied; calculating (S108) an articular force setpoint for controlling the axis controller module and calculating the time derivative of a homogeneous internal state at an articular position. The articular force setpoint for controlling the axis controller module is calculated from a control function which adjusts the difference between the articular position and the internal state determined by integrating said time derivative of the internal state.

Abstract: This method of controlling an automated work cell provided with a robot arm comprises the steps of: a) calculating Cartesian instructions corresponding to the nominal articular instructions; b) calculating actual articular instructions from the Cartesian instructions, taking into account actual geometrical parameters of the robot arm; c) calculating for each nominal articular instruction and from the actual articular instruction, an articular instruction correction value; d) calculating, for each nominal articular instruction and from the calculated articular correction instruction, an effective articular instruction; e) calculating control instructions for each motor controller from the calculated effective articular instructions; f) transmitting the motor control instructions to each motor controller.

Abstract: This method of controlling an automated work cell provided with a robot arm comprises the steps of: a) calculating Cartesian instructions corresponding to the nominal articular instructions; b) calculating actual articular instructions from the Cartesian instructions, taking into account actual geometrical parameters of the robot arm; c) calculating for each nominal articular instruction and from the actual articular instruction, an articular instruction correction value; d) calculating, for each nominal articular instruction and from the calculated articular correction instruction, an effective articular instruction; e) calculating control instructions for each motor controller from the calculated effective articular instructions; f) transmitting the motor control instructions to each motor controller.

Abstract: A method for controlling an automated work cell which includes at least one robot arm having at least three degrees of freedom controlled according to a plurality of control axes; a control center; a device for controlling the robot arm which includes a plurality of motor controllers each controlling operation of one motor and suitable for operating at least one portion of the robot arm; and a communication bus between the control center and the device for controlling the robot arm; wherein the method includes steps of: a) sending instructions emitted by the control center to control the control axes to a single arithmetic unit belonging to the device for controlling the robot; b) determining, within the arithmetic unit and according to instructions received from the orders for each of the motors controlled by a motor controller; and c) sending each motor controller an order, determined in step b), for the motor controlled by each motor controller.

Abstract: The invention relates to a control method applied to an automated work cell which includes at least one robot arm (4) having at least three degrees of freedom controlled according to a plurality of control axes (A1-A6; X, Y, Z, Rx, Ry, Rz); a control centre (8); a device (6) for controlling the robot arm (4), which includes a plurality of motor controllers (61-66) each controlling the operation of one motor (M1-M6), suitable for operating at least one portion of the robot arm (4); and a communication bus (14) between the control centre (8) and the device (6) for controlling the robot arm (4).

Abstract: A method of adjusting operating parameters of a robot to move an effector tool along a given path in an optimum cycle time including a step of modifying operating parameter values to cause the cycle time to approach a optimal value wherein the parameters are modified so as to approach an extremum of a compromise function including at least first and second terms, the first term being a function of a cycle time and the second term being a function of at least one of temperature and degree of wear of an actuator.

Abstract: The inventive method consists in supplying motion instructions (300) at least including information about the path geometry (320) and load instructions (310) to a path generator (400), calculating an allied load signal (800), transmitting said applied load signal (800) to the path generator (400), calculating motion instructions (500) along the path in such a way that the deviation between the projection of the applied load on a tangent to said path and the projection of the instruction on said tangent is minimized and in transmitting said motion instructions (500) to means for actuating a robot (600). A device comprising means (200, 400, 700) for carrying out said control is also disclosed.

Abstract: The inventive method consists in supplying motion instructions (300) at least including information about the path geometry (320) and load instructions (310) to a path generator (400), calculating an allied load signal (800), transmitting said applied load signal (800) to the path generator (400), calculating motion instructions (500) along the path in such a way that the deviation between the projection of the applied load on a tangent to said path and the projection of the instruction on said tangent is minimized and in transmitting said motion instructions (500) to means for actuating a robot (600). A device comprising means (200, 400, 700) for carrying out said control is also disclosed.

Abstract: This method of adjusting the operating parameters of a robot to move an effector tool along a given path in an optimum cycle time comprises a step (140) of modifying the operating parameter values to cause the cycle time to approach its optimum value. During this step, the values of the operating parameters are modified so as to approach an extremum of a compromise function, the compromise function comprising at least first and second terms, the first term being a function of the cycle time and the second term being a function of the temperature and/or the degree of wear.

Abstract: A device for measuring the velocity of flow of a fluid comprises a length of pipeline through which the fluid flows. A first resistance is mounted to extend across the pipeline at a first point and is supplied with periodic input pulses by a pulse generator such that the temperature of the first resistance is caused to rise periodically. A second resistance is mounted to extend across the pipeline at a second point which is spaced downstream of the first point. The second resistance has a value which varies with temperature and produces an output signal when it detects fluid heated by the first resistance. A circuit measures the time between an input pulse and the corresponding output signal such that the velocity of the flow of the fluid can be determined.