Abstract: A robot controller making a robot execute tasks including several work units in a parallel manner for several workpieces, in accordance with several operation programs for individually commanding the work units. The robot controller includes an information collecting section collecting state information showing, in real time, a state of an environment of the robot; a program selecting section selecting a first executable program satisfying a task starting condition, from operation programs ready to be executed for workpieces, based on the state information; a processing section processing, for execution, the first executable program; and a program-completion judging section judging whether the processing section has completed a processing of the first executable program.

Abstract: A taught point correcting device for correcting a taught point in an operation program of a robot. The device includes a judging section judging whether position data of any of a plurality of different taught points, previously taught and included in an operation program, has been corrected or not; and a data correcting section correcting, when the judging section judges that position data of a first taught point among the different taught points has been corrected, position data of a correlative taught point having a relative positional relationship with the first taught point, in accordance with a taught-point rule previously prescribing the relative positional relationship between the different taught points. The device may also include a storing section storing the taught-point rule. The taught-point rule may include a rule prescribing a distance between any two taught points among the different taught points.

Abstract: A robot system including a robot arm driven by a servo motor; and a robot controller controlling an operation of the robot arm. The robot system further comprises a first detection section detecting a rotation amount of the servo motor; a second detection section attached to a tip portion of the robot arm, and detecting a velocity or acceleration of the tip portion of the robot arm; a computation section computing the velocity or acceleration of the tip portion of the robot arm based on values detected by the first detection section, and computing a deviation between this computed velocity or acceleration and the velocity or acceleration detected by the second detection section; and an emergency stop section for bringing the servo motor to an emergency stop when a magnitude of the deviation computed by the computation section is greater than a reference value.

Abstract: A production system in which a human and a robot may simultaneously perform a cooperative task in the same area while ensuring human's safety. A robot is positioned at one side of a working table, and an operator is positioned at the other side of the working table. The reachable area of the operator is limited by the working table. An area of the working table is divided into an area where only the operator may perform a task, an area where only the robot may perform a task, and an area where both the operator and the robot may enter. In a cooperation mode, the maximum movement speed of a component of the robot is limited lower than when the component of the robot is outside the cooperative task area, and, the motion of the robot is limited so that the robot does not enter a robot entry-prohibited area.

Abstract: A robot includes a base member, which is installed at a position offset from the front of a door of a machine tool to the side, as viewed in a direction vertical to the surface where the door is provided and is fixed to a surface of a base slanted so as to face the door side. A rotary member is coupled to the base member so as to be rotatable about a first axis extending vertical to the slanted surface. A first arm member is coupled to the rotary member so as to be able to swivel about a second axis vertical to the first axis, and a second arm member is coupled to the first arm member so as to be able to swivel about a third axis parallel to the second axis.

Abstract: A robot includes a traveling rail supported by struts, and a robot body attached to a slider that slides on the traveling rail. A robot controller includes a speed calculation device for calculating moving speeds of the robot hand portion on the coordinate axes of a rectangular coordinate system set for the robot controller; a comparator device for comparing the moving speeds on the coordinate axes calculated by the speed calculation device with threshold values on the coordinate axes of the rectangular coordinate system, respectively; and a halting device for halting the robot in case at least any one of the moving speeds is higher than the corresponding threshold value.

Abstract: A robot control unit (30) comprises: a setting means (40) for setting operating ranges of each shaft and a working tool of the robot (20); a storage means (33) for storing an inertial running distance of the robot decided by at least one of the operating speed of the robot and the weight of the working tool; and an arriving range calculation means (36) for calculating an arriving range to which the robot arrives according to the operating range, which has been set by the setting means, and the inertial running distance stored by the storage means. Due to the foregoing, while consideration is being given to the inertial running distance of a robot, the arriving range of the robot is made. Further, a display means (41) for displaying the arriving range may be provided. In the case where each shaft of the robot and the working tool deviate from the operating range, a stopping means (34) for stopping the robot may be provided.

Abstract: A robot system including a robot arm driven by a servo motor; and a robot controller controlling an operation of the robot arm. The robot system further comprises a first detection section detecting a rotation amount of the servo motor; a second detection section attached to a tip portion of the robot arm, and detecting a velocity or acceleration of the tip portion of the robot arm; a computation section computing the velocity or acceleration of the tip portion of the robot arm based on values detected by the first detection section, and computing a deviation between this computed velocity or acceleration and the velocity or acceleration detected by the second detection section; and an emergency stop section for bringing the servo motor to an emergency stop when a magnitude of the deviation computed by the computation section is greater than a reference value.

Abstract: A taught point correcting device for correcting a taught point in an operation program of a robot. The device includes a judging section judging whether position data of any of a plurality of different taught points, previously taught and included in an operation program, has been corrected or not; and a data correcting section correcting, when the judging section judges that position data of a first taught point among the different taught points has been corrected, position data of a correlative taught point having a relative positional relationship with the first taught point, in accordance with a taught-point rule previously prescribing the relative positional relationship between the different taught points. The device may also include a storing section storing the taught-point rule. The taught-point rule may include a rule prescribing a distance between any two taught points among the different taught points.

Abstract: A taught point correcting device for correcting a taught point in an operation program of a robot. The device includes a judging section judging whether position data of any of a plurality of different taught points, previously taught and included in an operation program, has been corrected or not; and a data correcting section correcting, when the judging section judges that position data of a first taught point among the different taught points has been corrected, position data of a correlative taught point having a relative positional relationship with the first taught point, in accordance with a taught-point rule previously prescribing the relative positional relationship between the different taught points. The device may also include a storing section storing the taught-point rule. The taught-point rule may include a rule prescribing a distance between any two taught points among the different taught points.

Abstract: A production system in which a human and a robot may simultaneously perform a cooperative task in the same area while ensuring human's safety. A robot is positioned at one side of a working table, and an operator is positioned at the other side of the working table. The reachable area of the operator is limited by the working table. An area of the working table is divided into an area where only the operator may perform a task, an area where only the robot may perform a task, and an area where both the operator and the robot may enter. In a cooperation mode, the maximum movement speed of a component of the robot is limited lower than when the component of the robot is outside the cooperative task area, and, the motion of the robot is limited so that the robot does not enter a robot entry-prohibited area.

Abstract: An industrial robot, having an end-effector supporting mechanism for holding an end-effector and accommodating an imaging device of a visual sensor, which is free from the interference with the periphery and capable of taking an image of the working position. A container-shaped adaptor of the end-effector supporting mechanism is attached to a distal end of a wrist flange provided in a robot wrist supported by a robot arm. The adaptor has a first attachment section provided with a first attachment surface to be attached to the wrist flange, and a second attachment section provided with a second attachment surface disposed generally parallel to a wrist flange surface at a position apart from the first attachment section by a predetermined distance along a rotary center axis of the wrist flange. On the second attachment surface, a tool holding member of the end-effector supporting mechanism for holding the working tool is attached.

Abstract: A cable laying structure for a robot, which does not interfere with external devices in a periphery of a forearm. Camera and hand control cables and motor control cables are drawn into a robot mechanism through a connection panel of a base of a robot main body. While allowing the motor control cables to sequentially diverge, the control cables are arranged in a robot arm along an upper arm portion and guided to the forearm. The control cables are introduced into the forearm with a shield and a sheath removed. After reaching an end effector-mounting face, the control cables are connected to a camera and a hand. The forearm is formed of conductive material and grounded on the base of the robot main body to have the same electric potential as the base by using an earth cable, and therefore the forearm is utilized in replacement of the shield.

Abstract: A robot includes a base member, which is installed at a position offset from the front of a door of a machine tool to the side, as viewed in a direction vertical to the surface where the door is provided and is fixed to a surface of a base slanted so as to face the door side. A rotary member is coupled to the base member so as to be rotatable about a first axis extending vertical to the slanted surface. A first arm member is coupled to the rotary member so as to be able to swivel about a second axis vertical to the first axis, and a second arm member is coupled to the first arm member so as to be able to swivel about a third axis parallel to the second axis.

Abstract: A robot control unit (30) comprises: a setting means (40) for setting operating ranges of each shaft and a working tool of the robot (20); a storage means (33) for storing an inertial running distance of the robot decided by at least one of the operating speed of the robot and the weight of the working tool; and an arriving range calculation means (36) for calculating an arriving range to which the robot arrives according to the operating range, which has been set by the setting means, and the inertial running distance stored by the storage means. Due to the foregoing, while consideration is being given to the inertial running distance of a robot, the arriving range of the robot is made. Further, a display means (41) for displaying the arriving range may be provided. In the case where each shaft of the robot and the working tool deviate from the operating range, a stopping means (34) for stopping the robot may be provided.

Abstract: A robot includes a traveling rail supported by struts, and a robot body attached to a slider that slides on the traveling rail. A robot controller comprises speed calculation means for calculating moving speeds of the robot hand portion on the coordinate axes of a rectangular coordinate system set for the robot controller; comparator means for comparing the moving speeds on the coordinate axes calculated by the speed calculation means with threshold values on the coordinate axes of the rectangular coordinate system, respectively; and halting means for halting the robot in case at least any one of the moving speeds is higher than the corresponding threshold value. The strength required for the struts can be lowered without limiting the dynamic capability of the robot.

Abstract: An industrial robot capable of being decomposed into multiple units at the time of conveyance of the robot and being conveyed individually in units: wherein each of the units has a holding bracket for conveyance means to hold the unit in order to convey the unit.

Abstract: A robot controller having a stoppage monitoring function, by which safety of an operator is ensured without using hardware or the like for allowing/stopping the power transmission to each of a robot and a cooperating device. A CPU of the robot controller periodically monitors the position of the robot or the cooperating device based on positional information from each servomotor and the state of entering information regarding the robot or the cooperating device. Then, when entering information is initially input, the position of the servomotor of the robot or the cooperating device, to which the entering information is applied, is stored in RAM. After that, while the entering information is being input, the distance between the position stored in RAM and the current position of the servomotor is calculated.

Abstract: A flexible workpiece assembling method for assembling a flexible workpiece (W) with an object by using a first robot comprising a first hand and a second robot comprising a second hand includes the steps of: gripping a first portion of the flexible workpiece by the first hand and gripping a second portion of the flexible workpiece different from the first portion by the second hand; moving the flexible workpiece to the object through a cooperating operation of the first and second robots; deforming the flexible workpiece into a shape corresponding to the nonflexible object by the first and second robots; and assembling the flexible workpiece onto the nonflexible object by the first and second robots. As a result, the flexible workpiece can be accurately assembled onto the nonflexible object without breaking or tearing. The first and second robots may comprise a pushing means for pushing the flexible workpiece into the object.

Abstract: A control apparatus (10) for a machining robot (1) adapted to machine a workpiece (20) by coming into contact with an effector (19) of a tool (18) attached to the machining robot with the workpiece comprises: detecting means (15) for detecting a force or moment acting between the effector of the tool and the workpiece; converting means (22) for converting the force or moment detected by the detecting means into a force or moment acting on the joint axis of the machining robot; deflection calculating means (25) for calculating a deflection occurring at the joint axis of the machining robot on the basis of the force or moment acting on the joint axis of the machining robot and obtained from the converting means; and correcting means (28) for correcting at least one of a position command or a speed command for the joint axis of the machining robot in such a manner as to compensate for the deflection calculated by the deflection calculating means.