Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling a path of a bale wrapping machine are disclosed. The systems and methods encompass automatically controlling a path traveled by a bale wrapping machine along a selected route as wrapped bales are deposited on the ground. The bale wrapping machine may use geospatial positioning information to control a steering system of the bale wrapping machine in order to track the selected route.

Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus including: an assessment unit configured to assess whether a relevant element is represented by environment information acquired from a sensor or not; and an environment information setting unit configured to, in a case where the assessment unit has assessed that the relevant element is represented by the environment information, switch the environment information to acquired-in-advance environment information in which the relevant element is not included.

Abstract: A display method according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a display method for displaying, on a display section, a simulation of a robot that executes work on an object with an end effector provided in an arm. The display method includes receiving information concerning a type of the robot, receiving information concerning the end effector, receiving information concerning a position or a posture of a control point for controlling arms, calculating rigidity at a working point of the end effector based on the received information concerning the type of the robot, the received information concerning the end effector, and the received information concerning the position or the posture of the control point, and displaying a result of the calculation of the rigidity on the display section as a figure.

Abstract: Systems and methods for remotely controlling a system using video are provided. A method in accordance the present disclosure includes detecting a video signal of an auxiliary system at a video input, wherein the video signal including images encoded with control information. The method also includes determining that the images included in the video signal include the control information. The method further includes extracting the control information from the images. Additionally, the method includes modifying operations of the system based on the control information.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for training and operating (semi-)autonomous robots to complete multiple different work objectives are described. A robot control system stores a library of reusable work primitives each corresponding to a respective basic sub-task or sub-action that the robot is operative to autonomously perform. A work objective is analyzed to determine a sequence (i.e., a combination and/or permutation) of reusable work primitives that, when executed by the robot, will complete the work objective. The robot executes the sequence of reusable work primitives to complete the work objective. The reusable work primitives may include one or more reusable grasp primitives that enable(s) a robot's end effector to grasp objects. Simulated instances of real physical robots may be trained in simulated environments to develop control instructions that, once uploaded to the real physical robots, enable such real physical robots to autonomously perform reusable work primitives.

Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to detect a vehicle condition associated with a warning light. The processor is also configured to obtain explanatory information explaining the cause of the warning light. The processor is further configured to present the explanatory information via a vehicle display. Also, the processor is configured to present a plurality of options for further action with the explanatory information and, upon selection of one of the options, take further steps in accordance with the selection option.

Abstract: Implementations described herein relate to training and refining robotic control policies using imitation learning techniques. A robotic control policy can be initially trained based on human demonstrations of various robotic tasks. Further, the robotic control policy can be refined based on human interventions while a robot is performing a robotic task. In some implementations, the robotic control policy may determine whether the robot will fail in performance of the robotic task, and prompt a human to intervene in performance of the robotic task. In additional or alternative implementations, a representation of the sequence of actions can be visually rendered for presentation to the human can proactively intervene in performance of the robotic task.

Abstract: A method for controlling cleaning of a robot, a chip and a robot cleaner. In the method for controlling cleaning of a robot, when the robot is located at a position of a charging base, the robot is controlled to clean a preset region around the charging base first, and then a cleaning restricted zone is formed, such that the robot will not enter the restricted zone in the subsequent cleaning process.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides an intersection point pattern recognition system using sensor data of a mobile robot, comprising: a mobile robot that autonomously drives by using sensor data received from a sensor unit and an intersection point pattern recognition model provided by a management server; and the management server that receives usage environment information of the mobile robot and generates the intersection point pattern recognition model of the mobile robot to provide the intersection pattern recognition model to the mobile robot, wherein the management server comprises: a map generation unit for receiving the usage environment information of the mobile robot and generating a route map of the mobile robot on the basis of the usage environment information; a normalization unit for generating a virtual map by normalizing the route map according to a preset rule; and a learning unit for generating the intersection point pattern recognition model by using the virtual map and the se

Abstract: Indoors positioning and navigation systems and methods are described herein. In one embodiment, a system for inspecting or maintaining a storage tank includes a vehicle having: at least one sensor for determining properties of a storage tank and a navigation system. The navigation system includes an acoustic transmitter carried by the vehicle and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor configured to at least partially determine a location of the vehicle with respect to the storage tank. The vehicle also includes a propulsion unit configured to move the vehicle within the storage tank, and an acoustic receiver fixed with respect to the storage tank. The vehicle moves inside the storage tank in concentric arcs with respect to the acoustic receiver.

Abstract: A robot collision avoidance motion optimization technique using a distance field constraint function. CAD or sensor data depicting obstacles in a robot workspace are converted to voxels, and a three-dimensional binary matrix of voxel occupancy is created. A corresponding distance map matrix is then computed, where each cell in the distance map matrix contains a distance to a nearest occupied cell. The distance map matrix is used as a constraint function in a motion planning optimization problem, where the optimization problem is convexified and then iteratively solved to yield a robot motion profile which avoids the obstacles and minimizes an objective function such as distance traveled. The distance field optimization technique is quickly computed and has a computation time which is independent of the number of obstacles. The disclosed optimization technique is easy to set up, as it requires no creation of geometry primitives to approximate robot and obstacle shapes.

Abstract: An agricultural machine includes a swath information acquiring module, a first determining module to determine a traveling path of an automatic operation based on a position of a swath, a setting module to set a work continuation width based on the traveling path, a second determining module to determine, when there is a manual operation by a worker during the automatic operation, whether the agricultural machine during the manual operation is within the work continuation width, and an executing module to execute the automatic operation. The executing module restores the agricultural machine to the traveling path after a termination of the manual operation and continues the automatic operation when the agricultural machine is within the work continuation width, and cancels the automatic operation when the agricultural machine is determined to be not within the work continuation width.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for training and operating (semi-)autonomous robots to complete multiple different work objectives are described. A robot control system stores a library of reusable work primitives each corresponding to a respective basic sub-task or sub-action that the robot is operative to autonomously perform. A work objective is analyzed to determine a sequence (i.e., a combination and/or permutation) of reusable work primitives that, when executed by the robot, will complete the work objective. The robot executes the sequence of reusable work primitives to complete the work objective. The reusable work primitives may include one or more reusable grasp primitives that enable(s) a robot's end effector to grasp objects. Simulated instances of real physical robots may be trained in simulated environments to develop control instructions that, once uploaded to the real physical robots, enable such real physical robots to autonomously perform reusable work primitives.

Abstract: A method of operating a robot including a vacuum port for engaging an item, e.g. a wafer, is disclosed. The method includes operating, by a computer system, the robot in a first state, detecting using a vacuum sensor, a transition of a vacuum parameter from a first vacuum parameter zone to a second parameter zone in a plurality of vacuum parameter zones. Based on detecting the transition of the vacuum parameter from the first vacuum parameter zone to the second vacuum parameter zone, the operating state of the robot is altered from the first state to a second state. Also disclosed is an item transfer robot as part of an item transfer system.

Abstract: The invention provides a robot system that enables easy, efficient, and precise checking through simulation. The invention includes a virtual model display unit configured to place virtual models in a virtual space on a screen and display the virtual models simultaneously with real equipment; a robot program teaching unit configured to perform teaching of a robot program in the virtual space; a real space virtual model display unit configured to display the virtual models and teaching points of the robot program in a real space, based on a positional relationship in the virtual space; and a virtual model placement position correcting unit configured to correct placement positions of the virtual models to match the real equipment in the real space.

Abstract: A mapping method of a lawn mower robot may include a first image mapping operation of generating a first travel image of a three-dimensional region based on an aerial image of a work target region, a first map displaying operation of dividing the first travel image into a mowing region and an obstacle region, converting the first travel image into a first travel map, and displaying the first travel map. The mapping method may include a first anchor displaying operation of recommending the number and installation locations of anchors on the first travel map, an anchor location determination operation of determining whether the anchors are installed at the installation locations, and a path generation operation of generating a travel path of the lawn mower robot on the first travel map. The mapping method may improve work efficiency of the lawn mower robot.

Abstract: An example implementation for determining mechanically-timed footsteps may involve a robot having a first foot in contact with a ground surface and a second foot not in contact with the ground surface. The robot may determine a position of its center of mass and center of mass velocity, and based on these, determine a capture point for the robot. The robot may also determine a threshold position for the capture point, where the threshold position is based on a target trajectory for the capture point after the second foot contacts the ground surface. The robot may determine that the capture point has reached this threshold position and based on this determination, and cause the second foot to contact the ground surface.

Abstract: A robot cleaner is provided. The robot cleaner includes a three-dimensional image sensor, an optical sensor, a gyro sensor, and at least one processor configured to control a driving state of the robot cleaner based on image data acquired by the three-dimensional image sensor, optical data acquired by the optical sensor, and angular velocity data acquired by the gyro sensor, wherein the three-dimensional image sensor and the optical sensor are respectively arranged to be tilted by a predetermined tilting angle, and a tilting angle of the three-dimensional image sensor is smaller than a tilting angle of the optical sensor.

Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for controlling a mobile cleaning robot to escape from a stuck state using a learned robot escape behavior model. The model is trained using reinforcement learning at a cloud-computing device or networked devices. A mobile cleaning robot comprises a drive system, a sensor circuit to collect sensor data associated with a detected stuck state, and a controller circuit that can receive the trained robot escape behavior model, and apply the sensor data associated with the detected stuck state to the trained robot escape behavior model to determine an escape policy. The drive system or one or more actuators of the mobile robot can remove the mobile robot from the stuck state according to the determined escape policy.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for making autonomous vehicle handover decisions are described. A handover decision involves deciding if an autonomous vehicle should be handed off from one worker to another worker. The methods allow for decisions to be made in real or near real time shortly before an autonomous vehicle changes location. Worker time, if a handover is not implemented, is considered including the amount of worker time involved with the worker moving with the autonomous vehicle to the new location as compared to a new worker meeting the autonomous vehicle at the new location or on the way to the new location. Handover decisions can consider worker distribution and/or order priority. Such factors can be used to weight one or more time based cost values with a cost value representation of the cost if a handover is not implemented vs implementing a handover being compared to make the handover decision.