Abstract: A robotic system includes a robot having a picking arm to grasp an inventory item and a shuttle. The shuttle includes a platform adapted to receive the inventory item from the picking arm of the robot. The platform is moveable between a pick-up location located substantially adjacent to the robot and an end location spaced a distance apart from the pick-up location. The system improves efficiency as transportation of the item from the pick-up location to the end location is divided between the robot and the shuttle.

Abstract: A system for controlling a fleet of unmanned vehicles includes a plurality of unmanned vehicles connected to a computing device. The computing device stores a dynamic attribute and a static attribute respective to each of the plurality of unmanned vehicles. The computing device is configured to: receive a task request including (i) an item identifier of an item, (ii) an action type defining an action to be performed respective to the item, and (iii) a location identifier of a location at which to perform the action; responsive to receiving the request, retrieve the stored dynamic attributes and static attributes; based on a comparison of the task request with the dynamic attributes and the static attributes, select one of the plurality of unmanned vehicles; and transmit, via the network, a command to the selected unmanned vehicle to perform the action respective to the item at the location.

Abstract: A mobile robot is configured for operation in a commercial or industrial setting, such as an office building or retail store. The robot can patrol one or more routes within a building, and can detect violations of security policies by objects, building infrastructure and security systems, or individuals. In response to the detected violations, the robot can perform one or more security operations. The robot can include a removable fabric panel, enabling sensors within the robot body to capture signals that propagate through the fabric. In addition, the robot can scan RFID tags of objects within an area, for instance coupled to store inventory. Likewise, the robot can generate or update one or more semantic maps for use by the robot in navigating an area and for measuring compliance with security policies.

Abstract: Equipment and methods that combine the use of wave powered vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones). A UAV can be launched from a wave-powered vehicle, observe another vessel, and report the results of its observation to the wave-powered vehicle, and the wave-powered vehicle can report the results of the observation to a remote location. The UAV can land on water and can then be recovered by the wave-powered vehicle.

Abstract: A tray assembly is provided. The tray assembly includes a first tray configured to be mounted to a robot; and a second tray provided above the first tray and configured to be rotatably coupled to the first tray. The second tray includes at least one first rolling member provided on a lower surface of the second tray, which faces the first tray, and an elastic member having at least one end which is fixedly connected to the lower surface. When the second tray is rotated relative to the first tray, the second tray is configured to be returned to its original position by virtue of a restoring force of the elastic member of the second tray.

Abstract: A virtualization system implemented within a cloud server enables the simulation of robot structure and behavior in a virtual environment. The simulated robots are controlled by clients remote from the cloud server, enabling human operators or autonomous robot control programs running on the clients to control the movement and behavior of the simulated robots within the virtual environment. Data describing interactions between robots, the virtual environment, and objects can be recorded for use in future robot design. The virtualization system can include robot templates, enabling users to quickly select and customize a robot to be simulated, and further enabling users to update and re-customize the robot in real-time during the simulation. The virtualization system can re-simulate a portion of the robot simulation when an intervention by a human operator is detected, positioning robots, people, and objects within the virtual environment based on the detected intervention.

Abstract: A mobile robot is configured for operation in a commercial or industrial setting, such as an office building or retail store. The robot can patrol one or more routes within a building, and can detect violations of security policies by objects, building infrastructure and security systems, or individuals. In response to the detected violations, the robot can perform one or more security operations. The robot can include a removable fabric panel, enabling sensors within the robot body to capture signals that propagate through the fabric. In addition, the robot can scan RFID tags of objects within an area, for instance coupled to store inventory. Likewise, the robot can generate or update one or more semantic maps for use by the robot in navigating an area and for measuring compliance with security policies.

Abstract: This description provides an autonomous or semi-autonomous excavation vehicle that is capable of navigating through a dig site and carrying out an excavation routine using a system of sensors physically mounted to the excavation vehicle. The sensors collects any one or more of spatial, imaging, measurement, and location data representing the status of the excavation vehicle and its surrounding environment. Based on the collected data, the excavation vehicle executes instructions to carry out an excavation routine. The excavation vehicle is also able to carry out numerous other tasks, such as checking the volume of excavated earth in an excavation tool, and helping prepare a digital terrain model of the site as part of a process for creating the excavation routine.

Abstract: An electrically-powered unmanned marine vehicle and method of making same, including providing a hull of the marine vehicle and mounting a submersible electric thruster to the hull via a mounting interface of the thruster. 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 encapsulated with 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 order fulfillment system controller receives orders for different objects, generates a number of batched tasks that is less than the number of received orders, and determines a set of the orders with a total distance between them that is greater than a total distance between other sets of the orders. The controller allocates a different order from the set of order to a different batched task, and allocates each unallocated order to a selected batched task based on the distance between objects of the unallocated order and objects previously allocated to the selected batched task being less than the distance between objects of the unallocated order and objects previously allocated to other batched tasks. The controller controls different agents according to the allocation of different subsets of orders to different batched tasks.

Abstract: A mobile robot is configured for operation in a commercial or industrial setting, such as an office building or retail store. The robot can patrol one or more routes within a building, and can detect violations of security policies by objects, building infrastructure and security systems, or individuals. In response to the detected violations, the robot can perform one or more security operations. The robot can include a removable fabric panel, enabling sensors within the robot body to capture signals that propagate through the fabric. In addition, the robot can scan RFID tags of objects within an area, for instance coupled to store inventory. Likewise, the robot can generate or update one or more semantic maps for use by the robot in navigating an area and for measuring compliance with security policies.

Abstract: A system includes an inspection robot for performing an inspection on an inspection surface with an inspection robot, the apparatus comprising a position definition circuit structured to determine an inspection robot position on the inspection surface; a data positioning circuit structured to interpret inspection data, and to correlate the inspection data to the inspection robot position on the inspection surface; and wherein the data positioning circuit is further structured to determine position informed inspection data in response to the correlating of the inspection data with the inspection robot position, wherein the position informed inspection data comprises absolute position data.

Abstract: A cart-based workflow system includes: a robot operating in a facility; a server, the server operably connected to the robot, the server configured to do one or more of send the robot a cart transfer location usable for transferring the cart and instruct the robot to specify the cart transfer location; a graphic user interface (GUI) comprising a map of the facility, the GUI operably connected to the server, the GUI configured to do one or more of receive input from a human user and provide output to the human user, the GUI further configured to be usable by the user to coordinate movement of one or more of robots and carts.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining, by the treatment system configured to implement a machine learning (ML) algorithm, one or more images of a region of an agricultural environment near the treatment system, wherein the one or more images are captured from the region of a real-world where agricultural target objects are expected to be present, determining one or more parameters for use with the ML algorithm, wherein at least one of the one or more parameters is based on one or more ML models related to identification of an agricultural object, determining a real-world target in the one or more images using the ML algorithm, wherein the ML algorithm is at least partly implemented using the one or more processors of the treatment system, and applying a treatment to the target by selectively activating the treatment mechanism based on a result of the determining the target.

Abstract: A method includes arranging, on a robot, a set of suctions cups on an actuator of the robot to allow for removable engagement of the set of suction cups to a container surface. The method further includes initiating movement of the actuator to cause the robot to (1) engage the set of suction cups to the container surface, generating a pressure within at least a subset of the set of suction cups; (2) detect the pressure within the subset of the set of suction cups; (3) connect the subset of the set of suction cups to a set of vacuum pumps to generate a vacuum, resulting in a grip on the container; and (4) move the container on to a platform of the robot to prepare the container for delivery.

Abstract: A virtualization system implemented within a cloud server enables the simulation of robot structure and behavior in a virtual environment. The simulated robots are controlled by clients remote from the cloud server, enabling human operators or autonomous robot control programs running on the clients to control the movement and behavior of the simulated robots within the virtual environment. Data describing interactions between robots, the virtual environment, and objects can be recorded for use in future robot design. The virtualization system can include robot templates, enabling users to quickly select and customize a robot to be simulated, and further enabling users to update and re-customize the robot in real-time during the simulation. The virtualization system can re-simulate a portion of the robot simulation when an intervention by a human operator is detected, positioning robots, people, and objects within the virtual environment based on the detected intervention.

Abstract: A tray includes a first tray configured to be fixedly mounted to a robot; a second tray provided above the first tray and configured to be rotatably coupled to the first tray; and at least one pad assembly positioned between the first tray and the second tray. Each of the at least one pad assembly includes at least one rolling member provided in a direction toward the first tray and an elastic member having at least one end fixedly connected to an interior of the at least one pad assembly. The at least one pad assembly is coupled to the second tray and is mounted to be rotatable relative to the first tray. When the second tray is rotated relative to the first tray, the second tray is configured to be returned to its original position by virtue of a restoring force of an elastic member of the pad assembly.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a mission for a self-driving material-transport vehicle are presented. The system comprises at least one self-driving material-transport vehicle, at least one programmable logic controller, at least one field instrument, and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium in communication with at least one processor. An application signal is received from the programmable logic controller based on an activation signal from the field instrument. A mission is generated by the application signal and a mission template, and the mission is transmitted to the self-driving material-transport vehicle. In some cases, the application signal may be based on OPC-UA, and the mission and/or mission template may be based on a REST protocol.

Abstract: A camera mounted on a seafaring vessel obtains an image showing an object. The distance to the object is computed using, in part, a normal vector of the plane containing the camera and the horizon.