Abstract: A force and moment which a manipulator receives from an external environment is detected, and this detected value is multiplied by a gain inversely proportional to a virtual spring constant set by a tool coordinate system, and the product is further converted to a value in each joint coordinate system of the manipulator so as to determine a detection torque. A command value of force and moment is converted to a value in each joint coordinate value of the manipulator in the same way as described above, so as to determine a command torque. A difference between a position command value and a position detection value is multiplied by a virtual spring constant in each joint coordinate system of the manipulator obtained by converting the virtual spring constant, and a differential torque is obtained by converting the aforementioned difference to a force and moment corresponding to the difference.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting the collision of objects including a moving object includes a face information memory for storing face information describing the surfaces of each object; hierarchical sphere model generator for modeling the surfaces of each object by hierarchically covering the surfaces with spheres having various radii on the basis of the face information; sphere model memory for storing the positions of the modeled spheres generated; sphere position updater for updating the position of each modeled sphere having various radii with respect to the moving object and outputting the updated position; and sphere collision computer for executing procedures in which mutually colliding spheres are detected on the basis of the positions of the modeled spheres concerning two of the objects generated at an arbitrary time and stored in the sphere model memory and colliding spheres among spheres belonging to the mutually colliding spheres and having a smaller radius are further detected with respect to only th

Abstract: This invention is a real-time tracking controller for a standard-path robot that detects a target point in advance, permitting higher-speed work. The robot uses both sensed data and previously taught data to accurately execute its task. Accurate control is obtained using target points corresponding to time intervals. Thus, even if the speed or path is changed during operation, accurate tracing is continuously executed.

Abstract: A tracking control robot controls its arm end, which holds a tool, to track a taught path so that a reaction force between a workpiece and the tool remains constant. An ideal state for the arm end is determined from the present state of the arm end and the difference between the actual reaction force and a predetermined target force. Then, this ideal state is compared with a reference state of the arm end on the taught path to obtain a target position and a target attitude of the arm end. Since a target position is always determined independently of the last target position, no position error due to time delay affects a new target position even when the next target position is generated before the tool reaches the last target position. Thus, the robot is quick, responsive, and accurate when tracking at a constant operation speed.

Abstract: A control system for an industrial robot having a hand which traces a pre-stored standard course defining its position and posture and which has a foresight function. The hand is provided with a tool and a work shape sensor, where the tool and the work shape sensor have a known spatial relationship. The foresight function is realized by a control system comprising temporary storing means for temporarily storing a future position and/or posture data of the tool calculated from a sensed position and/or posture data of the present sensor position. The stored data is output after a delayed time interval when it is compared with a pre-stored standard data. When the difference is small, the data is used to control the future position and/or posture of the hand. When the difference is great, an abnormality process is started.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for measuring a driving amount of a motor, relative driving amounts and absolute driving amounts are sampled in each predetermined driving amount pulse train on the basis of an origin of a motor, the relative driving amounts, coefficient and constant of at least one linear approximate equation representing the relation between the relative driving amount and the absolute driving amount are obtained from the relative driving amounts and the absolute driving amounts sampled, and the coefficient and constant obtained are preliminarily stored in a non-volatile memory.Accordingly, the contents in the non-volatile memory are utilized at a starting time of a motor whereby the present position indication of the motor can be conducted without effecting an origin indication of the motor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mechanism wherein a relative rotary angle of a driving motor is detected by use of an encoder, and, if an error occurs in a servo control action when the driving motor is servo-controlled in accordance with a deviation value of the relative rotary angle from a desired rotary angle of the driving motor, then the servo control action is brought to an emergency stop. A potentiometer for detecting an absolute rotary angle of the driving motor is connected to a rotary shaft of the driving motor and said emergency stop is effected when a difference between said absolute rotary angle and said relative rotary angle exceeds a preset tolerance value, so that an error in the servo control action can be reliably prevented.

Abstract: The invention relates to a control circuit of a pulse width modulation inverter, wherein a current control circuit to output a current control signal corresponding to a current command signal is provided, main transistors of a main circuit of the pulse width modulation inverter are switchingly controlled in response to a current control signal, whereby a driving current supplied to a motor from the pulse width modulation inverter is controlled to a value corresponding to the current command signal.The current control circuit is of such an arrangement that the current control circuit corrects the current command signal in response to the speed detection signal to compensate an error in current control due to a counter electromotive force of a DC motor, while exercising a proportional control over the driving current in accordance with a current command deviation value of a driving current detection signal from the current command signal, so that the motor can be controlled at high speed and with high accuracy.

Abstract: The position of the moving section in a robot is accurately and easily adjusted to a position of the origin by: setting a moving section being rotatably secured to a reference section through a rotary shaft in a manner that the axis of the rotary shaft is disposed horizontally; mounting an angular sensor for detecting an inclination angle of the moving section with respect to the origin, such as a level, on the moving section at a predetermined position thereof with respect to the axis of the rotary shaft; and rotating the moving section about the rotary shaft in response to a detected inclination angle. The apparatus therefor includes the angular sensor, such as a level, disposed on a mounting member and held in a position by a positioning member, and a rotating member for rotating the moving section about the rotary shaft in response to a detected inclination angle.