Abstract: A robot system includes: a robot that is movable according to an external force applied thereto by a worker; a force detecting unit that is provided in the robot and that detects the magnitude of an external force acting on the robot; a warning part that vibrates the robot when an external force having a magnitude equal to or greater than a first predetermined threshold is detected by the force detecting unit; and a stop part that stops the robot when an external force having a magnitude equal to or greater than a second predetermined threshold that is greater than the first predetermined threshold is detected by the force detecting unit.

Abstract: A robot system includes: a robot that is movable according to an external force applied thereto by a worker; a force detecting unit that is provided in the robot and that detects the magnitude of an external force acting on the robot; a warning part that vibrates the robot when an external force having a magnitude equal to or greater than a first predetermined threshold is detected by the force detecting unit; and a stop part that stops the robot when an external force having a magnitude equal to or greater than a second predetermined threshold that is greater than the first predetermined threshold is detected by the force detecting unit.

Abstract: A robot system comprises an intrusion detector which detects that a person has entered into a monitoring area established around a robot, an installation table which supports the robot, a light emitting device which brightens a surface of the installation table, and a control device which receives a signal outputted by the intrusion detector and controls the light emitting device. The control device causes the light emitting device to emit light when it is detected that the person has entered into the monitoring area.

Abstract: A robot system comprises an intrusion detector which detects that a person has entered into a monitoring area established around a robot, an installation table which supports the robot, a light emitting device which brightens a surface of the installation table, and a control device which receives a signal outputted by the intrusion detector and controls the light emitting device. The control device causes the light emitting device to emit light when it is detected that the person has entered into the monitoring area.

Abstract: A robot system comprises an intrusion detector which detects that a person has entered into a monitoring area established around a robot, an installation table which supports the robot, a light emitting device which brightens a surface of the installation table, and a control device which receives a signal outputted by the intrusion detector and controls the light emitting device. The control device causes the light emitting device to emit light when it is detected that the person has entered into the monitoring area.

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 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 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: 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 method of and device for automatically setting and updating a reference position of a welding tip of a servo spot welding gun to automatically compensate displacement of a distal end of a welding tip by abrasion thereof. A movable welding tip is moved towards a stationary welding tip to press the stationary welding tip until an estimated disturbance load reaches a fist threshold, and then moved in reverse direction away from the stationary welding tip until the disturbance load is reduced to a second threshold. The position of the movable welding tip when the disturbance load is reduced to the second threshold is set and updated as the reference position of an axis of the movable welding tip. The first threshold is set to be greater than a frictional force exerted on the axis of the movable welding tip in the motion towards the stationary welding tip, and the second threshold is set to be equivalent to the frictional force.

Abstract: A method of and device for automatically setting and updating a reference position of a welding tip of a servo spot welding gun to automatically compensate displacement of a distal end of a welding tip by abrasion thereof. A movable welding tip is moved towards a stationary welding tip to press the stationary welding tip until an estimated disturbance load reaches a fist threshold, and then moved in reverse direction away from the stationary welding tip until the disturbance load is reduced to a second threshold. The position of the movable welding tip when the disturbance load is reduced to the second threshold is set and updated as the reference position of an axis of the movable welding tip. The first threshold is set to be greater than a frictional force exerted on the axis of the movable welding tip in the motion towards the stationary welding tip, and the second threshold is set to be equivalent to the frictional force.

Abstract: A robot control apparatus having an expanded and improved backward operation function. During forward operation according to an operation program, command types, line numbers, robot positions, I/O signal states before execution of related commands, and values before execution of computation commands are stored in a history table. In the backward operation, the data written in the history table is read backward, command type discrimination is made, and backward operation processing is executed in accordance with the result of discrimination. For backward operation dedicated commands, a separately taught backward operation dedicated command is read and executed. If, however, the read command is a command to output a signal to a cooperative device, the signal output command is executed after completion of the robot motion to the stored position. For I/O commands, I/O signals are automatically inverted or are individually set after the motion to the stored position is completed.

Abstract: Axes used for posture alignment are selected from the axes of a work coordinate system W and a tool coordinate system T, and an angle of intersection between those selected axes are set. A robot is then driven so that the selected axes intersect with each other by the set angle of intersection in response to a posture alignment instruction, causing the tool to assume a target posture with respect to a workpiece. Further, angles for rotating the work coordinate system about each axis thereof are set, then the robot is automatically moved so that a coordinate system produced by rotating the work coordinate system by the set angle in response to a posture alignment instruction. Further, the tool coordinate system set at a movable part of a tool is automatically reset according to an amount of movement every time the movable part of the tool move, and the robot is manually fed based on the tool coordinate system thus reset.

Abstract: The robot control system of the present invention stores the robot's initial state data memory prior to engaging in an operation. During a manual movement operation, the robot is started at a predetermined low speed so that the operator may easily observe its movement and take corrective action thereby improving safety. While the robot is operating at this low speed a recovery command may then be issued by the operator from a recovery command unit when it is observed that the robot is moving inappropriately. Upon detection of the recovery command, a recovery control unit then operates causing the robot to recover its attitude and position as defined by the initial state data stored in memory. However, if a predetermined period of time elapses without a recovery command being issued, then speed of the robot is gradually increased from the predetermined low speed until reaching a predetermined target speed. Thereafter, the robot is manually controlled to operate at a constant speed.