Patent ID: 8612052

Claim:
A robot device including a basic unit and a plurality of moving units connected to the basic unit, the device comprising: controlled-object points provided on the basic unit and at least one of the moving units, respectively; a plurality of acceleration sensors disposed at the controlled-object points, respectively; a plurality of pressure sensors and reaction force sensors disposed at contact parts of the robot device for measuring a reaction force between the robot device and an external object; a plurality of accelerometers each associated with each of the plurality of pressure sensors disposed at the contact parts of the robot device, each of the plurality of accelerometers in proximity to a respective one of the plurality of pressure sensors, wherein each of the plurality of accelerometers provides a local coordinate for use in relation to the measured reaction force such that the local coordinate and the measured reaction force facilitate posture control for the robot device that is independent of both movement of the external object and friction coefficient of the external object: a means for controlling the moving units; and a means for calculating an unknown moment and unknown external force applied to the robot device with the use of a predetermined equation introduced based on acceleration information from each of the acceleration sensors, the controlling means controlling the moving units on the basis of the calculated unknown moment and unknown external force from the calculating means.