METHOD FOR CALIBRATING FORCE SENSOR MOUNTED ON ROBOT, AND ROBOT

A method for executing calibration without having to dismount a force sensor from a robot, and an apparatus for executing this method are provided. When a robot mounted with a calibrated force sensor begins to be operated, any tool whose position of the center of gravity and weight are immune from change is fitted, and a command for acquiring reference data is given to execute operational programs. Reference data V0 of matrices consisting of differences between strain gage outputs (S1, S2) of the force sensor in any predetermined posture and strain gage outputs in other predetermined postures differing both from that posture and from one another are calculated and stored (S3-1 to S7). When the measuring accuracy of the force sensor drops, the tool used when the reference data were acquired is mounted on the robot, and the same procedures S1 to S6 are executed, and the data V0 corresponding to the reference data are calculated. From the data V′0 and the reference data V0 is calculated a parameter M for updating the calibration matrices.