Abstract: This disclosure provides systems and methods for controlling a vehicle by teleoperation based on a speed limiter. The method may include: receiving, at the autonomous vehicle, a teleoperation input from a teleoperation system, wherein the teleoperation input comprises a throttle control input for remotely controlling a speed of the autonomous vehicle; determining the speed of the autonomous vehicle; determining if the speed of the autonomous vehicle has reached a threshold speed below a speed limit; and upon determining that the speed of the autonomous vehicle has reached the threshold speed, reducing effect of the throttle control input from the teleoperation system such that an acceleration rate of the speed of the autonomous vehicle is reduced.

Abstract: One variation of a method for deploying a mobile robotic system to scan inventory structures within a store includes: dispatching the mobile robotic system to navigate along inventory structures within the store during a setup cycle; at the mobile robotic system, while navigating along the inventory structures during the setup cycle, capturing a set of wireless connectivity metrics representing connectivity to a first wireless network; assembling the set of wireless connectivity metrics into a wireless connectivity map of the store; estimating a processing duration from start of the scan cycle to transformation of images of the inventory structures, captured by the mobile robotic system, into a stock condition of the store; and dispatching the mobile robotic system to autonomously capture images of the inventory structures within the store during a scan cycle preceding a scheduled restocking period in the store based on the processing duration.

Abstract: Systems and methods for updating an electronic map of a facility are disclosed. The electronic map includes a set of map nodes. Each map node has a stored image data associated with a position within the facility. The method includes collecting image data at a current position of a self-driving material-transport vehicle; searching the electronic map for at least one of a map node associated with the current position and one or more neighboring map nodes within a neighbor threshold to the current position; comparing the collected image data with the stored image data of the at least one of the map node and the one or more neighboring map nodes to determine a dissimilarity level. The electronic map may be updated based at least on the collected image data and the dissimilarity level. The image data represents one or more features observable from the current position.

Abstract: One variation of a method for autonomously scanning and processing a part includes: accessing a part model representing a part positioned in a work zone adjacent a robotic system; retrieving a sanding head translation speed; retrieving a toolpath for execution on the part defining positions, orientations, and target forces applied by the sanding head to the part. The method includes traversing the sanding head along the toolpath, at the sanding head translation speed; reading a sequence of applied forces from a force sensor coupled to the sanding head at positions along the toolpath; and deviating from the toolpath to maintain the set of applied forces within a threshold difference of a sequence of target forces along the toolpath. In one variation of the method, the robotic system executes a toolpath at a duration less than target duration by selectively varying target force and sanding head translation speed across the part.

Abstract: A system includes an article supply location, wherein the article supply location includes a plurality of articles to be sorted, first and second transport vehicles, each having a first position in which an article is stowed about the vehicle and a second position in which the article is deposited into a proximal container. And a control system. The control system is configured to receive an order for a plurality of disparate articles, determine one destination container of a plurality of destination containers to direct the transport vehicle to deposit a selected article, direct the first transport vehicle to transport a selected article to the destination container and deposit the article by manipulation of the first transport vehicle from the first position to the second position for deposit of the selected article in the destination container.

Abstract: A transmission includes a housing having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a carrier mounted to the housing, an input shaft, an output shaft, a passage that extends from the housings first end to the housings second end to allow a via through the housing, an input sensor, and an output sensor. The carrier has a first side that faces in a first direction, and a second side that faces in a direction other than the first direction. The input sensor is mounted to the carrier and disposed on the first side of the carrier. The output sensor is mounted to the same carrier and disposed on the carrier's second side. The input and output shafts rotate about the same axis.

Abstract: An example inspection robot may include a drive module structured to engage a top tube of a vertically arranged layer of tubes, at least one telescoping pole, and a lowering mechanism operationally coupled to the at least one telescoping pole and structured to selectively extend or retract the at least one telescoping pole, thereby providing a selected vertical position of a sensor carriage assembly. The sensor carriage assembly may be coupled to the at least one telescoping pole, and structured to accept at least one of a plurality of sensors.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems and methods for controlling a vehicle by teleoperations based on map creation. The method may include: receiving, at the autonomous vehicle, a teleoperation input from a teleoperation system through a communication link, wherein the teleoperation input comprises a modification to at least a portion of an existing trajectory of the autonomous vehicle; generating an updated map data based on the received teleoperation input from the teleoperation system, wherein the updated map data comprises the modification to the least the portion of the existing trajectory; determining a modified trajectory or a new trajectory for the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the updated map data; and controlling the autonomous vehicle according to the modified trajectory or the new trajectory.

Abstract: In various examples, a computer-implemented method of generating instructions for a welding robot. The computer-implemented method comprises identifying an expected position of a candidate seam on a part to be welded based on a Computer Aided Design (CAD) model of the part, scanning a workspace containing the part to produce a representation of the part, identifying the candidate seam on the part based on the representation of the part and the expected position of the candidate seam, determining an actual position of the candidate seam, and generating welding instructions for the welding robot based at least in part on the actual position of the candidate seam.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems and methods for controlling a vehicle by teleoperations based on map creation.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems and methods for controlling a vehicle by teleoperations based on map creation. The method may include: receiving sensor data from one or more sensors on the autonomous vehicle through a communication link, wherein the sensor data comprises environmental data associated with a physical environment of the autonomous vehicle and operation data comprising an existing trajectory of the autonomous vehicle; transforming the sensor data into visualization data configured to represent the physical environment of the autonomous vehicle on a visualization interface; generating updated map data comprising a modification to the least the portion of the existing trajectory; and transmitting to the autonomous vehicle a teleoperation input comprising the updated map data.

Abstract: A method includes, during a processing cycle: navigating the sanding head across a region of a workpiece according to a toolpath; and, based on a sequence of force values output by a force sensor coupled to the sanding head, deviating the sanding head from the toolpath to maintain forces of the sanding head on the workpiece region proximal a target force. The method also includes: detecting a sequence of positions of the sanding head traversing the workpiece region; interpreting a surface contour in the workpiece region based on the sequence of positions; detecting a difference between the surface contour and a corresponding target surface defined in a target model of the workpiece; generating a second toolpath for the workpiece region based on the difference; and, during a second processing cycle, navigating the sanding head across the workpiece region according to the second toolpath to reduce the difference.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a sensing system that employs beams to scan paths across an object such that sensors may the beams reflected by the scanned object. Events may be provided based on the detected signals and the paths such that each event may be associated with a sensor and event metrics. Crossing points for each sensor may be determined based on where the paths intersect the scanned object such that events associated with each sensor are associated with the crossing points for each sensor. Each crossing point of each sensor may be compared to each correspondent crossing point of each other sensor. actual crossing points may be determined based on the comparison and the crossing points for each sensor. Position information for each sensor may be determined based on the actual crossing points.

Abstract: Systems and methods of manipulating/controlling robots. In many scenarios, data collected by a sensor (connected to a robot) may not have very high precision (e.g., a regular commercial/inexpensive sensor) or may be subjected to dynamic environmental changes. Thus, the data collected by the sensor may not indicate the parameter captured by the sensor with high accuracy. The present robotic control system is directed at such scenarios. In some embodiments, the disclosed embodiments can be used for computing a sliding velocity limit boundary for a spatial controller. In some embodiments, the disclosed embodiments can be used for teleoperation of a vehicle located in the field of view of a camera.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for generating a map for a robot, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring a raw map associated with a task of the robot; identifying pixels estimated to be a moving obstacle in the raw map, on the basis of at least one of colors of pixels specified in the raw map and sizes of areas associated with the pixels; and performing dilation and erosion operations on the pixels estimated to be the moving obstacle, and determining a polygon-based contour of the moving obstacle.

Abstract: Systems and methods for real time feedback and for updating welding instructions for a welding robot in real time is described herein. The data of a workspace that includes a part to be welded can be received via at least one sensor. This data can be transformed into a point cloud data representing a three-dimensional surface of the part. A desired state indicative of a desired position of at least a portion of the welding robot with respect to the part can be identified. An estimated state indicative of an estimated position of at least the portion of the welding robot with respect to the part can be compared to the desired state. The welding instructions can be updated based on the comparison.

Abstract: A robotic system including a storage structure provided with vertical members supporting a grid collectively defining grid spaces and a plurality of storage containers arranged in vertical stacks for storing inventory items, each one of the vertical stacks configured to be arranged within a respective one of the grid spaces. One or more load handling robots are installed upon the grid and include a lifting device extendable in a vertical direction to extract one or more storage containers from the vertical stacks and transport the extracted storage container to a station. The robotic system further includes one or more manipulator robots installed at the station and within a single grid space. The one or more manipulator robots include a picking arm provided with a pneumatic gripping tool arranged to pick an inventory item from the transported storage container and place the picked item into an order container.

Abstract: An information processing device includes a controller. The controller reads information from a captured image including a prescribed mark on an object. The information includes object information pertaining to the object and connection information of a server device. Connection with the server device is made on the basis of the connection information. When a user inputs inquiry information regarding the object, the object information and the inquiry information regarding the object are sent to the server device. Response information generated by the server device on the basis of the inquiry information and the object information are received from the server device. The response information is output as a response from the object.

Abstract: An inspection robot may include an inspection chassis and a drive module with magnetic wheels coupled to the inspection chassis. The drive module may further include a motor and a gear box located between the motor and a magnetic wheels. The gear box may include a flex spline cup which interacts with the ring gear. The inspection robot may further include a magnetic shielding assembly to shield the motor and an associated electromagnetic sensor from electromagnetic interference generated by the magnetic wheels.

Abstract: A robotic system configured to, in response to a state transition intention input, change the robotic system from operating in a first mode with sensitivity to detecting state transitions at a first sensitivity level to operating temporarily in a second mode with sensitivity to detecting state transitions at a second sensitivity level that is more sensitive than the first sensitivity level. The state transition intention input indicates an intention to make a state transition from a first state to a second state, with the second state being possible from a plurality of possible different states.