Abstract: A system for controlling an industrial robot, which is simplified in operation and capable of direct-teaching safely all the time. The system is provided with means (131 and 132) for monitoring a magnitude of an external force applied to the forward end of a hand during direct teaching, so that the motion of the robot can be forcibly restricted when the external force reaches a predetermined value of thereabove. Furthermore, when the system is operated to be set in a direct teach mode, a process (136) of correcting the offset of a force sensor is performed automatically.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the tracking path of a working element so that the working element moves along a path having a predetermined positional relationship with a working object by adjusting the relative positional relationship between the working element and the working object through the movement of individually movable at least one moving element.

Abstract: After work is performed according to certain working parameters by an automatic work processing apparatus, the just finished work undergoes an imaging operation by use of an imaging apparatus. Outputs from the imaging apparatus are converted into binary values to obtain a line image, which is then analyzed to evaluate the finished work by comparing the binary values to reference values. If the finished work is not satisfactory, then a deviation between the binary and reference values occurs. A control system receives the deviation data and automatically changes some of the working parameters thereby attaining a satisfactory quality of the work.

Abstract: An automatic welding method and an automatic welder in which welding conditions are automatically set in compliance with the position or posture of a welding torch relative to a work piece and the welding path. The direction of gravity is added as one of parameters necessary for automatic setting of the welding conditions and the welding condtions are controlled to comply with changes in the welding torch position relative to the gravitational direction and the welding path, thereby ensuring that the automatic welder can be realized which can be installed to face to any directions and that work pieces having various profiled and welding paths can be welded automatically with high quality.

Abstract: A relative weaving motion of a welding torch relative to a weld line is given to a welding torch, by way of composing a weld main path vector for a relative movement of the weld torch along the weld line and a swing vector for a relative movement of the weld torch. And by detecting the amount of an electrical parameter of an arc of the weld torch, the amount of correction is calculated based upon the deviation between the detected amount and a predetermined reference amount. The direction of the amount of correction is determined based upon the swing vector. The relative movement of the weld torch relative to the weld line is performed by a vector composed of the weld main path vector, the swing vector, and the correction vector. In other words, the present invention features the direction of the amount of correction being definitely determined based upon the basis of the swing vector.

Abstract: A system and method for weld line profile control wherein an electrical quantity corresponding to the arc of a welding torch is detected and the deviation between the electrical quantity and a reference quantity is monitored so that correction movements of the welding torch relative to the weld line can be limited if the deviation exceeds a predetermined value. In more detail, an electrical quantity corresponding to the arc of one side waveform of a welding torch operating under the influence of a wave signal is detected and a reference quantity corresponding to the arc of the other side waveform of the welding torch is detected, and the deviation between the electrical quantity and the reference quantity is monitored to provide a signal limiting the correction movements of the welding torch relative to the weld line when the deviation exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: In welding effected by weaving an electrode, welding current or voltage is applied to a frequency analyzer, for deriving a frequency component having the same period as a weaving period and a doubled frequency component having a period which is half the weaving frequency. The center of weaving motion is corrected in relation to the two frequency components to thereby effect tracer control for the electrode.