Abstract: The present disclosure provides a general purpose operating system (GPROS) that shows particular usefulness in the robotics and automation fields. The operating system provides individual services and the combination and interconnections of such services using built-in service extensions, built-in completely configurable generic services, and ways to plug in additional service extensions to yield a comprehensive and cohesive framework for developing, configuring, assembling, constructing, deploying, and managing robotics and/or automation applications. The disclosure includes GPROS extensions and features directed to use as an autonomous vehicle operating system. The vehicle controlled by appropriate versions of the GPROS can include unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) applications such as a driverless or self-driving car. The vehicle can likewise or instead include an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) such as a helicopter or drone.

Abstract: Portable, low cost, high speed surface and subsurface vehicles for aquatic data collection, payload delivery, or water quality monitoring. The vehicles can be deployed in pods enable rapid large scale data collection across a wide area. The vehicles are capable of transiting the water surface at speeds of over ten knots, and can also be propelled under the water surface and dive vertically to the floor of the water body. A passive, non-powered internal weight transfer system enhances the vehicle's performance in each of its transit modes. The vehicles can have one or more of the following features: high speed stabilizing wings, a tool-less assembly system, sacrificial standoffs for vertical dives, sacrificial protectors for the control surfaces, and/or a universal mounting system for attaching payloads such as sensors.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for detecting motion-induced errors received from inertial-type input devices and for generating accurate vehicle control commands that account for operator movement. These methods and systems may determine, using motion data from inertial sensors, whether the hand/arm of the operator is moving in the same motion as the body of the operator, and if both are moving in the same way, these systems and methods may determine that the motion is not intended to be a motion-induced command. However, if the hand/arm of the operator is moving in a different motion from the body of the operator, these methods and systems may determine that the operator intended the motion to be a motion-induced command to a vehicle.

Abstract: Robot includes a propulsion system configured to transport the robot and a controller in communication with the propulsion system. A material handler is carried by the robot and configured for depositing articles into one or more destination containers. The material handler has a tilt tray having sections that are configured for tilting in any number of directions relative to a vertical of the robot. Each section of the tilt tray may include a respective conveyor that moves articles at variable speed.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for enabling aerial vehicle navigation in GPS-denied areas. The system may use a camera to record images of terrain as the aerial vehicle is flying to a target location. The system may then detect (e.g., using a machine learning model) objects within those images and compare those objects with objects within an electronic map that was loaded onto the aerial vehicle. When the system finds one or more objects within the electronic map that match the objects detected within the recorded images, the system may retrieve locations (e.g., GPS coordinates) of the objects within the electronic map and calculate, based on the coordinates, the location of the aerial vehicle. Once the location of the aerial vehicle is determined, the system may navigate to a target location or otherwise adjust a flight path of the aerial vehicle.

Abstract: A robot generates a cell grid (e.g., occupancy grid) representation of a geographic area. The occupancy grid may include a plurality of evenly sized cells, and each cell may be assigned an occupancy status, which can be used to indicate the location of obstacles present in the geographic area. Footprints for the robot corresponding to a plurality of robot orientations and joint states may be generated and stored in a look-up table. The robot may generate a planned path for the robot to navigate within the geographic area by generating a plurality of candidate paths, each candidate path comprising a plurality of candidate robot poses. For each candidate robot pose, the robot may query the look-up table for a corresponding robot footprint to determine if a collision will occur.

Abstract: A robot in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present technology includes a torso having a superior portion, an inferior portion, and an intermediate portion therebetween. The robot further includes two legs connected to the torso via the inferior portion of the torso, two arms connected to the torso via the superior portion of the torso, and a protrusion also connected to the torso via the inferior portion of the torso and extending anteriorly from the torso. The robot is configured to move an object toward the torso at least partially via contact between the object and at least one of the arms. The robot is further configured to support a weight of the object at least partially via the protrusion while the robot ambulates via the legs.

Abstract: An autonomous pile driving system identifies using a pile plan map a target location to install a pile. The system autonomously navigates towards the target location. The system autonomously detects using an object sensor system an orientation and location of the pile located within a threshold distance of the system. The system autonomously positions a tool of the autonomous pile driving system based on the detected orientation and location of the pile. The system autonomously picks up the pile using the positioned tool of the autonomous pile driving system. The system autonomously positions the pile based on the target location. The system autonomously drives the pile into ground at the target location.

Abstract: An electrically-propelled marine vehicle and method of making same, including providing a hull of the marine vehicle and mounting a submersible electric thruster to the hull. The thruster includes a stator assembly and a rotor assembly. The rotor assembly forms an internal cavity with a plurality of magnets arranged radially outwardly of the internal cavity. The stator assembly includes electrical windings that are disposed within the internal cavity of the rotor assembly. The thruster is configured to allow the internal cavity to be flooded with water when the thruster is submerged, and the electrical windings are covered by a protective barrier that prevents the flooded water from contacting the windings. The thruster of the marine vehicle is thus water cooled, and the electromotive forces provided by the windings generate sufficient thrust to propel the marine vehicle through the water.

Abstract: An example system includes a vehicle having a platform, a linear slide configured on the platform, a robotic retrieval system configured on the linear slide, a shelf configured adjacent to the linear slide and a control system that controls a reception of a first item and a second item by the robotic retrieval system and a placement of the first item and the second item, by the robotic retrieval system, on the shelf. A drone can be configured to retrieve the first item or the second item from the robotic retrieval system on the vehicle and deliver the first item or the second item to a destination location. The vehicle can thereby enable delivery of many items without the vehicle stopping or even driving to a specific destination location.

Abstract: Disclosed is a console for operating an actuating mechanism, relating to the technical filed of automatic control, and being for use in resolving the technical problem of shift of a controller under the influence of gravity. The console for operating an actuating mechanism includes a controller and a support base. The controller is constrained in both the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction, so that connection between the controller and the support base is tight and reliable, and no displacement would occur in any of three directions (i.e., the longitudinal direction, the horizontal direction, and the vertical direction). Thus, the phenomenon that position information given by the controller is inaccurate due to shift of the controller under the influence of the gravity after long-term usage can be avoided, thereby removing the factors affecting success of surgery, and ensuring the success rate of the surgery.

Abstract: Systems and methods for payload management systems are illustrated. One embodiment includes a delivery mechanism. A mechanical linkage in the delivery mechanism includes rocking bars mounted to: a chassis and a first cross bar The mechanical linkage includes linear actuators that include piston-type actuators configured to move at least one payload in and out of a compartment. One end of each linear actuator is mounted to an individual rocking bar. The mechanical linkage includes at least one grapple, wherein each grapple comprises a hook mounted to a claw; and is mounted to a second cross bar. The hook is configured to open and close around the at least one payload; and rotate around the claw. The delivery mechanism includes a control circuit configured to open, close, and rotate the hook using a grapple motor and/or an end-of-travel switch; and to move the linear actuators relative to the rocking bars.

Abstract: Methods and inspection robots with on body configuration are described. An example inspection robot may have a center body with a plurality of connected drive modules, each drive module having a sensing circuit to measure a drive module operating characteristic, and a visual indicator circuit to output a first visual indicator corresponding to the drive module operating characteristic. The visual indicator circuits of each of the plurality of drive modules are positioned to be simultaneously visible at a point of view.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request for generating a simulation scenario or digital media that includes one or more entities and one or more assets in an environment, the request including contextual information. The method further includes selecting three-dimensional (3D) digital twins based on the contextual information, wherein one or more of the 3D digital twins correspond to the assets, one or more of the 3D digital twins correspond to the one or more entities, and one of the 3D digital twins corresponds to the environment. The method further includes generating the simulation scenario that initializes the 3D digital twins and establishes a spatial relationship between the 3D digital twins based on the contextual information. The method further includes controlling behavior of the 3D digital twins in the simulation scenario based on the contextual information.

Abstract: Method of sorting articles to a plurality of delivery routes includes sequencing a plurality of delivery stops within each of a plurality of routes based on a predefined criterion, and, depositing articles associated with a first delivery stop of each route in a first sequence container. The method also includes transferring articles from the first sequence container to a respective route container of a plurality of route containers, each route container associated with a route, depositing articles associated with a second delivery stop of each route in a second sequence container, and, transferring articles from the second sequence container to the respective route container of the plurality of route containers. Transferring articles from the second sequence container commences after completion of transferring articles from the first sequence container.

Abstract: A method includes, by a key server: identifying a group of devices; accessing secret values pre-provisioned to devices in the group of devices; accessing prime numbers pre-provisioned to devices in the group of devices; generating a cryptographic key for communication among the group of devices; generating a message based on the secret values, the prime numbers, and the cryptographic key; and transmitting the message to a device in the group of devices. The method also includes, by a first device in the group of devices: in response to receiving the message, deriving the cryptographic key from the message based on a first secret value, pre-provisioned to the first device, and a first prime number pre-provisioned to the first device; and associating the cryptographic key with communication among the group of devices.

Abstract: Navigation of a solar vehicle is provided by obtaining a target geographic destination for the vehicle having one or more photovoltaic solar arrays; obtaining configuration data defining a target solar vector relative to a reference frame of the vehicle; identifying a current geographic positioning of the vehicle via a geo-positioning system of the vehicle, including a current geographic location and a current geographic orientation of the vehicle; identifying a current solar vector relative to the reference frame of the vehicle; and during at least a portion of a solar day, outputting a steering command for the vehicle for an indirect path from the current geographic location toward the target geographic destination that is based, at least in part, on a comparison of the current solar vector to the target solar vector. The steering command can be presented to a human operator or programmatically implemented by an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: A method for controlling a serving robot is provided. The method includes the steps of: generating at least one character on the basis of at least one property related to a voice, and determining a character to be applied to a serving robot from among the at least one generated character; and generating at least one piece of visual information corresponding to the determined character, and determining a piece of visual information to be applied to the serving robot from among the at least one generated piece of visual information.

Abstract: In variants, a system management platform can include a set of system representations and a set of platform-standard element models. Each system representation can include a set of component representations related by a set of constraint representations 140, which can represent the sensing components of a system and the relationships therebetween, respectively, and store component-specific and constraint-specific calibration parameter values, respectively. The component representations 120 can optionally reference the element models.

Abstract: Systems and methods for safety-enabled control by: establishing a wireless communication channel with a plurality of remote control units via the wireless interface device; in response to establishing the wireless communication channels, operating a system-under-control in a supervised mode based on input received from at least one of the plurality of remote control units; in response to a mode switch command received from a first remote control unit of the plurality of remote control units, providing the other remote control units with a request for a mode switch confirmation; and, in response to confirming receipt of a safety-rated input from an autonomous control system and receipt of a mode switch confirmation from each of the other remote control units, operating the system-under-control in an autonomous mode based on input received from the autonomous control system.