Abstract: A visual navigation inspection and obstacle avoidance method for a line inspection robot is provided. The line inspection robot is provided with a motion control system, a visual navigation system and an inspection visual system; and the method comprises the following steps: (1) according to an inspection image, the inspection visual system determining and identifying the type of a tower for inspection; (2) the visual navigation system shooting a visual navigation image in real time to obtain the type of a target object; (3) coarse positioning; (4) accurate positioning; and (5) according to the type of the tower and the type of the target object, the visual navigation system sending a corresponding obstacle crossing strategy to the motion control system, such that the inspection robot completes obstacle crossing. The inspection and obstacle avoidance method is real-time and efficient.

Abstract: A profile is automatically generated for an occupant of a vehicle. In one approach, data is collected from an interior of a vehicle to determine whether an occupant is present. If an occupant is present, a local profile is automatically generated. The local profile is sent to a remote computing device. The remote computing device links the local profile to a remote profile stored by the remote computing device. Configuration data is generated by the remote computing device based on linking the local and remote profiles. The configuration data is sent to the vehicle and used by the vehicle to control the operation of one or more components of the vehicle.

Abstract: A robot control device that controls operation of a robot including a robot arm, a driving section configured to drive the robot arm, and a driving control section configured to receive electric power supplied to the driving section and output power to the driving section based on an input control signal, the robot control device including a logical operation circuit configured to perform a logical operation about a stop signal and output an operation result and a power interruption circuit configured to interrupt, based on the operation result, the electric power supplied to the driving control section or the control signal input to the driving control section to thereby interrupt the power of the driving section.

Abstract: A method for determining a standard depth value of a marker includes obtaining a maximum depth value of the marker. A reference depth value of the marker is obtained based on a depth image of the marker, and a Z-axis coordinate value of the marker is obtained based on a color image of the marker. When the reference depth value and the Z-axis coordinate value are both less than the maximum depth value, and a difference between the reference depth value and the Z-axis coordinate value is not greater than 0, the depth reference value is set as the standard depth value of the marker; and when the difference is greater than 0, the Z-axis coordinate value is set as the standard depth value of the marker.

Abstract: A legged robot having a frame with a plurality of links in mechanical communication with plurality of brackets, the frame forming a front, back, top, bottom, and sides, legs in mechanical communication with one or more of the plurality of brackets, each leg having a knee motor, an abduction motor, and a hip motor, a computer module in mechanical communication with one or more of the plurality of brackets and in electrical communication with the legs, and a power module in mechanical communication with one or more of the plurality of brackets and in electrical communication with the legs and the computer module.

Abstract: A robotic arm system includes first robotic arm, second robotic arm and main controller. The first robotic arm and the second robotic arm are configured to grab object. The main controller is configured to: determine whether first force vector of first force applied by the first robotic arm to the object is equal to second force vector of second force applied by the second robotic arm to the object; when the first force vector and the second force vector are not equal, obtain a first difference between the first force vector and the second force vector; and according to the first difference, change at least one of the first force applied by the first robotic arm to the object and the second force applied by the second robotic arm to the object so that the first force vector and the second force vector are equal.

Abstract: A calibration apparatus includes a processor, an alignment device, and an arm. The alignment device captures images in a three-dimensional space, and a tool is arranged on a flange of the arm. The processor records a first matrix of transformation between an end-effector coordinate-system and a robot coordinate-system, and performs a tool calibration procedure according to the images captured by the alignment device for obtaining a second matrix of transformation between a tool coordinate-system and the end-effector coordinate-system. The processor calculates relative position of a tool center point of the tool in the robot coordinate-system based on the first and second matrixes, and controls the TCP to move in the three-dimensional space for performing a positioning procedure so as to regard points in an alignment device coordinate-system as points of the TCP, and calculates the relative positions of points in the alignment device coordinate-system and in the robot coordinate-system.

Abstract: A distributed control system for an autonomous modular robot (AMR) vehicle includes a top module processor disposed in communication with a lower module processor, and memory for storing executable instructions of the top module processor and the lower module processor. The instructions are executable to cause the top module processor and the lower module processor to navigate a bottom module, via the bottom module processor, the AMR vehicle to a target destination. The instructions are further executable to determine, via the bottom module processor, that the AMR vehicle is localized at a target destination, transmit a request for a cargo unloading instruction set, and receive, via a top module processor, a response to a cargo unloading instruction set sent from the bottom module processor. The instructions further cause the top module processor to unload the cargo to a target destination surface via an unloading mechanism associated with the top module.

Abstract: A control method for a robot includes a first working step of executing first work on a first working object by operating a robot arm by force control based on a predetermined position command value, a first memory step of storing first position information of a trajectory in which a control point set for the robot arm passes at the first working step, and a second working step of updating a position command value for the robot arm based on the first position information stored at the first memory step, and executing second work on a second working object by operating the robot arm by the force control based on an updated value as the updated position command value.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to a system that includes a memory storing a queue for arranging tasks, a plurality of self-driving systems for controlling an autonomous vehicle, and one or more processors. The one or more processors may receive a non-passenger task request with a priority level of the non-passenger task request. When the non-passenger task request is accepted, the one or more processors may insert the task in the queue based on the priority level of the task request. Then, the one or more processors may provide instructions to one or more self-driving systems according to the non-passenger task request. Having received updates of the status of the autonomous vehicle, the one or more processors may determine that the task is completed based on the updates. After determining that the task is completed, the one or more processors may remove the task from the queue.

Abstract: A robot control method for a robot performing an insertion operation of inserting a second target object with force control into a first target object conveyed by a conveyor device is provided. The robot control method includes: a follow step of causing the second target object to follow the first target object from an operation start location, based on a conveyance speed of the first target object; a contact step of bringing the second target object into contact with the first target object, the second target object being in a tilted attitude in relation to the first target object, with the force control; an attitude change step of changing the attitude of the second target object in such a way that the tilt in relation to the first target object is eliminated, while pressing the second target object against the first target object, with the force control; and an insertion step of inserting the second target object into the first target object.

Abstract: Active utilization of a robotic simulator in control of one or more real world robots. A simulated environment of the robotic simulator can be configured to reflect a real world environment in which a real robot is currently disposed, or will be disposed. The robotic simulator can then be used to determine a sequence of robotic actions for use by the real world robot(s) in performing at least part of a robotic task. The sequence of robotic actions can be applied, to a simulated robot of the robotic simulator, to generate a sequence of anticipated simulated state data instances. The real robot can be controlled to implement the sequence of robotic actions. The implementation of one or more of the robotic actions can be contingent on a real state data instance having at least a threshold degree of similarity to a corresponding one of the anticipated simulated state data instances.

Abstract: Disclosed is a robot. The robot comprises: a driving unit including a motor, and a processor configured to: determine a driving level of the robot based on surrounding environment information of the robot based on receiving a command for performing a task of the robot, determine, based on information about a maximum allowable torque and information about a maximum allowable speed which are preset for each driving level, a maximum allowable torque and a maximum allowable speed corresponding to the driving level of the robot, calculate the maximum allowable acceleration of the robot based on the maximum allowable torque, control the driving unit to control the robot to control the moving speed of the robot to reach the maximum allowable speed based on the maximum allowable acceleration, and control the robot to perform tasks while the robot is moving at the maximum allowable speed.

Abstract: A failure prediction method of predicting a failure of a component of a robot including a robot arm having the component and a detection section that detects information on vibration characteristics when the robot arm moves, includes generating a failure prediction model for prediction of the failure of the component by machine learning based on the information on vibration characteristics, and predicting the failure of the component based on an estimated value of failure prediction output by the generated failure prediction model when the information on vibration characteristics is input to the generated failure prediction model.

Abstract: It is possible to effectively prevent lowering of work efficiency while stabilizing an operation of a robot or the like. A torque estimation system estimates friction torque of a rotation mechanism. The torque estimation system inclues angular velocity detecting means for detecting an angular velocity of the rotation mechanism, and limit value setting means for setting an upper limit value and a lower limit value according to the angular velocity of the rotation mechanism detected by the angular velocity detection means, the upper limit value and the lower limit value limiting an upper limit and a lower limit, respectively, of the friction torque of the estimated friction torque.

Abstract: Provided are a vehicle inspection system and a vehicle inspection method that can align a vehicle with a constant location of a bench testing machine. The present invention comprises: a bench testing machine that rotatably supports wheels of a vehicle, using rollers that are provided for each of the wheels; and a monitor device that is positioned in a fixed location with regard to the bench testing machine and displays, toward a camera, an image resembling an exterior environment, wherein the bench testing machine has a location adjustment device (turning mechanism, test bench control device) that adjusts the location of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction such that the relative location of the camera in the vehicle width direction with regard to the monitor device is constant.

Abstract: A touch sensing method and a serial manipulator using the same are disclosed. A serial manipulator using the method may detect and localize external torques by obtaining a torque value of each joint of a serial manipulator through a torque sensor at the joint; obtaining a preset joint angle of each joint from the serial manipulator; calculating a Jacobian matrices of the serial manipulator based on the joint angle of the joints; estimating joint torques of the serial manipulator based on the torque value of each joint and the Jacobian matrices; calculating an error between the torque value of each joint and the estimated joint torque corresponding to the joint; and determining a link of the serial manipulator that is connected to the joint with the minimum calculated error as having been touched.

Abstract: A determination value calculated based on a distance from a work point of a tip of robot arm (10) to virtual straight line (30) passing through an axis of second joint (J2) and an axis of third joint (J3) is compared with a predetermined threshold. A method of calculating deflection compensation amounts for second joint (J2) and third joint (J3) is changed depending on whether the determination value is larger or smaller than the threshold. Second joint (J2) and third joint (J3) are caused to pivot based on the calculated deflection compensation amounts.

Abstract: A system includes a vehicle and a vehicle control system configured to autonomously control one or more operations of the vehicle. The system also includes a navigation receiver configured to identify a location of the vehicle and to provide the identified location to the vehicle control system. To identify the location of the vehicle, the navigation receiver is configured to identify whether navigation signals received by the navigation receiver are spoofed based on angles of arrival for the navigation signals and to suppress any of the navigation signals determined to be spoofed. The navigation receiver may be configured to suppress any of the navigation signals determined to be spoofed in order to prevent an illicit actor from misdirecting the vehicle to an undesired location and/or to prevent an illicit actor from causing the vehicle to make course corrections based on an incorrect current location of the vehicle.

Abstract: A sampling method includes: obtaining topographical information about a predetermined wide area by using a first sensor on a work machine; selecting a candidate area within the wide area, the candidate area is less than an area of the wide area, and setting a movement route based on the information about the wide area, the movement route allows a distal end portion of an arm provided on the work machine to reach a preparation position without coming into contact with an obstacle, the preparation position being located above the candidate area; moving the distal end portion of the arm along the movement route to the preparation position, and obtaining topographical information about the candidate area by using a second sensor on the distal end portion of the arm; and specifying a sampling point based on the information about the candidate area and performing sampling at the specified sampling point.