Abstract: Systems and techniques for target object retrieval may include or utilize an image capture device, and a task planner. The image capture device may receive an image of an environment including identified objects. The task planner may determine potential actions, calculate a probability of success of achieving a desired goal for each of the potential actions based on an action prediction model, the corresponding potential action, a current state of the environment, any previously taken action, and the desired goal, select a potential action associated with the highest calculated probability of success, and simulate a subsequent state based on the selected potential action and a dynamic prediction model. The potential actions may be associated with an identified object of the identified objects and an operation to be performed on the identified object.

Abstract: An automatic teaching system for a substrate processing apparatus, the automatic teaching system comprising a frame having a workpiece load station with a predetermined load station reference location, a robot transport mounted to the frame and having a movable transport arm with an end effector having a predetermined end effector reference location, and a drive section driving the movable transport arm in at least one degree of freedom motion relative to the frame, a machine vision system including both at least one fixed imaging sensor and at least one movable imaging sensor removably connected to the frame and configured to image at least one target of the machine vision system, a load jig disposed for removable engagement with the workpiece load station, with both the at least one fixed imaging sensor and the at least one movable imaging sensor mounted to the load jig, the fixed imaging sensor.

Abstract: Obstruction detection and management systems and methods include, in an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system including one or more servers communicatively coupled to a plurality of passenger drones via one or more wireless networks, receiving passenger drone data from a plurality of passenger drones, wherein the passenger drone data comprises operational data for the plurality of passenger drones and obstruction data from one or more passenger drones; updating an obstruction database based on the obstruction data, wherein the obstruction database comprises entries of obstructions with their height, size, location, and a permanency flag comprising either a temporary obstruction or a permanent obstruction; monitoring a flight plan for the plurality of passenger drones based on the operational data; and transmitting obstruction instructions to the plurality of passenger drones based on analyzing the obstruction database with their flight plan.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product are provided for correction of automated insertion of a wire contact into a target hole of a connector. Methods include controlling a robot having an end-effector to: align the wire contact with the target hole of the connector; advance the wire contact toward and into the target hole of the connector; cease insertion in response to a force between the wire contact and the connector exceeding a predefined value; determining a depth of insertion; in response to the depth of insertion being above a predefined depth, perform a pull test on the inserted wire contact; in response to the depth of insertion being below a predetermined depth, identify an error condition using visual feedback; determine a number of corrective operations performed and perform error correction if the number is below a predefined number, while withdrawing the wire contact otherwise.

Abstract: Static obstruction detection and management systems and methods include, in an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system for any flying vehicles including any of passenger drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), receiving monitored data from a plurality flying vehicles related to static obstructions; receiving external data from one or more external sources related to the static obstructions; analyzing the monitored data and the external data to populate and manage an obstruction database of the static obstructions; and transmitting obstruction instructions to the plurality of flying vehicles based on analyzing the obstruction database with their flight plan.

Abstract: A picking apparatus in an embodiment includes: a gripper, an arm, a detector, and a control unit. The gripper picks and grips an object to be conveyed. The arm moves the gripper and causes the gripper to convey the object to be conveyed. The detector is attached to the arm and senses a force applied to the gripper. The control unit controls an operation of the gripper and the arm. The control unit includes a calculator and a subtractor. The calculator calculates a gravitational force and an inertial force applied to the gripper when the gripper grips and moves the object to be conveyed using an arithmetic expression including a coefficient determined in accordance with a mass of the object to be conveyed. The subtractor subtracts the gravitational force and the inertial force calculated by the calculator from a force applied to the gripper sensed by the detector.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for performing automated safety procedures for a robot. One of the methods includes receiving, by a robotic control system for a robot, a request to execute an automated safety procedure by a safety control subsystem for the robot. Each step of the automated safety procedure is iterated until an end of the automated safety procedure is reached, including if a step requires a new safety configuration, a respective safety configuration for the step is obtained and activated before performing one or more automatic actions for the step.

Abstract: A method for controlling a robot includes applying a setpoint force to a contact point; measuring a contact stiffness at the contact point; and slowing down the moving robot using its drives and/or braking the robot to apply the setpoint force to the contact point by the slowing down and/or slowed down robot depending on the measured contact stiffness, wherein the robot is slowed down before the setpoint force is reached.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for controlling end-portions of a robot. The method includes obtaining joint information of a robot by at least one sensor and determining a first posture of an end-portion of the robot in accordance with the joint information, obtaining end-portion information of the robot by the sensor and obtaining the second posture of the end-portion of the robot including the interference information in accordance with the end-portion information of the robot and the first posture of the end-portion of the robot, and conducting a closed-loop control on the robot in accordance with an error between the second posture of the end-portion of the robot and a predetermined expected posture of the end-portion of the robot.

Abstract: A control method is provided to manage a surgical robot having an arm configured to hold a medical tool. The method includes receiving a set of sensor signals from sensors on the arm, generating a profile based on the set of sensor signals, comparing the profile to at least one signature, determining a state of the arm based on results of the comparison, and changing operation of the arm based on the state of the arm. The state of the arm is indicative of a predetermined condition that has occurred or will likely occur eminently. Changing operation of the arm prevents the condition from occurring or continuing. The robot arm may hold a medical tool for using during surgery or another medical procedure.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method. The method includes moving a payload through a motion path proximate at least one sensor. Detecting edges of the payload such that at least three points on at least two edges are detected. Capturing a position when the at least one sensor detects at least one edge of the payload.

Abstract: A control device for a robot includes a comparing unit and a controller. When the robot equipped with a force sensor capable of detecting force components of a same type in a plurality of directions operates, the comparing unit compares a magnitude of each of the force components detected by the force sensor with a predetermined threshold value for each of the directions. If the comparing unit determines that a magnitude of a force component in any of the directions exceeds the threshold value, the controller controls the robot to avoid an increase in the magnitude of the force component in the direction.

Abstract: A robot controller includes a contact detection unit that detects contact of a welding wire protruding from a welding torch with a welding target, an override-value adjustment unit that sets and changes an override value for increasing or decreasing an operating speed of the robot from a predetermined speed, and a control unit which receives an operation signal from a teaching operation device and that controls the robot according to the operation signal at the operating speed based on the override value which is set by the override-value adjustment unit. When the contact of the welding wire with the welding target is detected by the contact detection unit, the control unit temporarily stops the robot, and the override-value adjustment unit decreases the override value.

Abstract: A force applying auxiliary device and a control method thereof are provided. The force applying auxiliary device includes a sensor group, a processor, and a force applying driver. The sensor group includes a first sensor disposed on a first side and a second sensor disposed on a second side. The processor collects motion posture data of a user according to the first sensor and the second sensor, and determines whether a motion of the user is abnormal. When determining that the motion of the user is abnormal, the processor selects at least one preset abnormal pattern as a specific abnormal pattern according to the motion posture data, and controls the force applying driver to provide a force by using the specific abnormal pattern. A force difference between first and second forces applied to first and second side feet is adjusted based on a difference in sampling values between the sensors.

Abstract: A position estimating apparatus including: a position estimating unit that compares a target in first coordinate system data indicating a position of the target by coordinates in a first coordinate system and a target in second coordinate system data indicating a position of the target present around a position estimation object by coordinates in a second coordinate system set based on a position and an attitude of the position estimation object at a predetermined starting timing, and estimates a position of the position estimation object in the first coordinate system based on a comparison result; and a comparison range adjusting unit that shrinks a coordinate range used for the comparison by the position estimating unit in the second coordinate system data when the position estimation object is turning.

Abstract: A vehicle control device recognizing a runway area in which a vehicle is to travel, generating a target trajectory such that the target trajectory follows a center of the recognized runway area in a lateral direction, causing the vehicle to travel along the target trajectory, and changing a drive mode of the vehicle from a second drive mode to a first drive mode in a case in which a distance between the center and a reference point of the vehicle is equal to or longer than a reference distance.

Abstract: A robot controller that moves a first workpiece mounted on a robot with respect to a second workpiece, the robot having a sensor for detecting one of magnitude of force acting on the first workpiece and magnitude of torque acting on the robot, the robot controller including a calculation unit configured to calculate a force between the first workpiece and the second workpiece and a moment on the first workpiece, based on the magnitude of the force or the torque, a controller carrying out force control so that the calculated force and the moment correspond to a predetermined force and moment, and a display displaying at least one of a velocity of the first workpiece and an angular velocity, the velocity and the angular velocity occurring as a result of control by the controller, the velocity and the angular velocity being overlapped on an image of the robot.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the autonomous application of crop protection products by means of a drone. The present invention relates to a process and to an unmanned aerial vehicle for applying crop protection product taking into consideration drift phenomena. The present invention furthermore relates to a computer program product which can be employed for controlling the process according to the invention.

Abstract: Various embodiments for enforcing safe operation of machinery performing an activity in a three-dimensional (3D) workspace includes computationally generating a 3D spatial representation of the workspace; computationally mapping 3D regions of the workspace corresponding to space occupied by the machinery and a human; and based thereon, restricting operation of the machinery in accordance with a safety protocol during physical performance of the activity. Limited-access zones are defined within which the presence of a human will not affect operation of the machinery.

Abstract: A robot control method includes: obtaining force information associated with feet of the robot; calculating a zero moment point of a COM of a body of the robot based on the force information; updating a position trajectory of the robot according to the zero moment point of the COM of the body to obtain an updated position of the COM of the body; obtaining posture information of the robot; updating a posture trajectory of the robot according to the posture information to obtain an updated pose angle; performing inverse kinematics analysis on the updated position of the COM of the body and the updated pose angle to obtain joint angles of legs of the robot; and controlling the robot to move according to the joint angles.