Robot control apparatus

A robot control apparatus having position and velocity control loops for each robot control axis, comprising:

• means for inputting the information on the direction in which the forward end of the robot arm is to follow an external force;
• means for setting the position control gain and the velocity control gain of a specified control axis at a lower level than the position control gain and the velocity control gain, respectively, of the other control axes;
• means for determining the orientation of the forward end of the robot arm to be assumed during the follow-up of the external force and the orientation of the forward end of the robot arm immediately before starting the follow-up of the external force;
• means for determining the position command or the velocity command for the control axes other than the specified control axis based on the present position of the specified control axis moved by the external force applied to the forward end of the robot arm, the direction to follow the external force and the orientation of the forward end of the robot arm immediately before starting the follow-up;
• and
• means for applying a position command or a velocity command for the control axes other than the specified control axis to the control loop of each control axis.