Abstract: A method for generating intermediate waypoints for a navigation system of a robot includes receiving a navigation route. The navigation route includes a series of high-level waypoints that begin at a starting location and end at a destination location and is based on high-level navigation data. The high-level navigation data is representative of locations of static obstacles in an area the robot is to navigate. The method also includes receiving image data of an environment about the robot from an image sensor and generating at least one intermediate waypoint based on the image data. The method also includes adding the at least one intermediate waypoint to the series of high-level waypoints of the navigation route and navigating the robot from the starting location along the series of high-level waypoints and the at least one intermediate waypoint toward the destination location.

Abstract: An example method may include i) determining a first distance between a pair of feet of a robot at a first time, where the pair of feet is in contact with a ground surface; ii) determining a second distance between the pair of feet of the robot at a second time, where the pair of feet remains in contact with the ground surface from the first time to the second time; iii) comparing a difference between the determined first and second distances to a threshold difference; iv) determining that the difference between determined first and second distances exceeds the threshold difference; and v) based on the determination that the difference between the determined first and second distances exceeds the threshold difference, causing the robot to react.

Abstract: An extreme acceleration of the process of aging spirits to obtain aged liquors includes circulating the spirits through a cavitation zone within a controlled cavitation reactor and exposing the spirits therein to high energy cavitation induced shockwaves. Sources of flavor and color such as charred wood chips may be added to the spirits to provide the color and flavor of liquors aged for years in traditional charred oak barrels. The method and apparatus of the present invention obtains the same conversion of undesirable alcohols, flavor extraction, and color as years of aging in an oak barrel but does so in a matter of minutes or hours. The apparatus and method also can be used in conjunction with traditional aging techniques and methods and the total aging time is still reduced dramatically.

Abstract: The disclosure provides systems and methods for mitigating slip of a robot appendage. In one aspect, a method for mitigating slip of a robot appendage includes (i) receiving an input from one or more sensors, (ii) determining, based on the received input, an appendage position of the robot appendage, (iii) determining a filter position for the robot appendage, (iv) determining a distance between the appendage position and the filter position, (v) determining, based on the distance, a force to apply to the robot appendage, (vi) causing one or more actuators to apply the force to the robot appendage, (vii) determining whether the distance is greater than a threshold distance, and (viii) responsive to determining that the distance is greater than the threshold distance, the control system adjusting the filter position to a position, which is the threshold distance from the appendage position, for use in a next iteration.

Abstract: A suspended aerial vehicle system includes an aerial vehicle with a thruster assembly and a supporting line attached to the aerial vehicle that is capable of supporting at least some of the weight of the aerial vehicle. The supporting line may have an adjustable length which when varied, and in coordination with variations in a thrust characteristic of the aerial vehicle, may change the position of the aerial vehicle. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A legged robot may seek to operate according to a target gait. The legged robot may include leg members and leg joints. Possibly based on the target gait and state of the legged robot, an ordered list of gait controllers may be obtained. The gait controllers in the ordered list may define respective gaits of the legged robot, and may include respective validity checks and output parameters for the respective gaits. The ordered list may begin with a target gait controller that defines the target gait. The ordered list may be traversed in order from the target gait controller until a validity check associated with a particular gait controller passes. The legged robot may be instructed to actuate the leg members and/or leg joints according to output parameters of the particular gait controller.

Abstract: The present invention provides delivery systems for positioning a gastrointestinal implant in a patient, for example, for treatment of a metabolic disease. Also provided are methods for assembling the delivery systems, methods of positioning a gastrointestinal implant, and methods of treatment of metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), obesity, and related comorbidities thereof.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to create water vapor supersaturation and particulate counts from an air sample. The method and apparatus include introducing an air sample into a chamber connected to an optical detector and an outlet by pumping at the outlet. The method further includes passing air through the chamber and optical detector in a steady flow, and subsequently closing the inlet while continuing the pumping to expand the air sample and exhaust a portion of the air sample through the optical detector. The walls of the particle chamber are wetted with a fluid such as water, and one portion of the wall is warmer than the other portions such that there is some condensational growth prior to the expansion, and yet more condensational growth during the expansion. The cycles are repeated by continuously repeating the introducing, passing and closing.

Abstract: A system includes a first and second condensation particle counter, each counter having an inlet port, a growth column, and an optical element for counting particles detected at the respective inlet ports. The counters are configured to include a wick in which the wick is wetted by water. A differential pressure sensor is coupled to the first inlet port and coupled to the second inlet port. The sensor is configured to provide a pressure signal. A processor is coupled to memory and configured to receive the first signal, the second signal, and the pressure signal and generate an output corresponding to a ratio of the first signal and the second signal and correlate the ratio with the pressure signal. A housing is configured to receive the first counter, the second counter, the differential pressure sensor, the processor, and the memory.

Abstract: A controller for a vehicle is configured to execute a process that detects an anomaly of a steering device and a process that performs an automatic turning control that causes the vehicle to turn automatically along a traveling route. The controller is configured to perform the automatic turning control by controlling the steering device when an anomaly of the steering device is not detected. The controller is configured to, when an anomaly of the steering device is detected, calculate, as a predicted value, a load on the substitute device on an assumption that the automatic turning control is performed by activating the substitute device, and perform the automatic turning control by controlling the substitute device when an allowable range that is a set of values of a load allowable to the substitute device includes the predicted value.

Abstract: A robotic system includes a body including at least one attachment mechanism configured to removably couple a modular component to the body. The modular component includes at least one movable part operable to move relative to the body when the modular component is attached to the body. The system includes a communication interface coupled to the body and configured to be communicatively coupled to the modular component to receive information relating to the modular component and operation of the at least one movable part. The system includes a control system coupled to the body and the communication interface. The control system is configured to: in response to the modular component being attached to the body, receive the information from the modular component by way of the communication interface, and operate the at least one movable part of the modular component according to the information.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and techniques for generating a new anatomy use a processor to obtain a skin mesh of the new anatomy that is in correspondence with a skin mesh of a template anatomy; after obtaining the skin mesh, transfer a fascia mesh of the template anatomy to the new anatomy; and after the fascia mesh is transferred, generate a fat displacement field defining fat of the new anatomy. The displacement field includes multi-dimensional displacement vectors, and each of the displacement vectors relates a vertex of the skin mesh of the new anatomy to a corresponding vertex of the fascia mesh of the new anatomy. A new anatomy may also be generated by interpolating from anatomies in a database.

Abstract: A method for estimating a ground plane includes receiving a pose of a robotic device with respect to a gravity aligned reference frame, receiving one or more locations of one or more corresponding contact points between the robotic device and a ground surface, and determining a ground plane estimation of the ground surface based on the orientation of the robotic device with respect to the gravity aligned reference frame and the one or more locations of one or more corresponding contact points between the robotic device and the ground surface. The ground plane estimation includes a ground surface contour approximation. The method further includes determining a distance between a body of the robotic device and the determined ground plane estimation and causing adjustment of the pose of the robotic device with respect to the ground surface based on the determined distance and the determined ground plane estimation.

Abstract: A method for terrain and constraint planning a step plan includes receiving, at data processing hardware of a robot, image data of an environment about the robot from at least one image sensor. The robot includes a body and legs. The method also includes generating, by the data processing hardware, a body-obstacle map, a ground height map, and a step-obstacle map based on the image data and generating, by the data processing hardware, a body path for movement of the body of the robot while maneuvering in the environment based on the body-obstacle map. The method also includes generating, by the data processing hardware, a step path for the legs of the robot while maneuvering in the environment based on the body path, the body-obstacle map, the ground height map, and the step-obstacle map.

Abstract: A turning controller for a vehicle is configured to execute: a time obtaining process that obtains collision prediction time; a lateral movement amount determining process that determines whether a target lateral movement amount is greater than or equal to a lateral movement amount determination value; and an automatic turning process that, in a case in which the collision prediction time is shorter than or equal to a determination prediction time, outputs a command for steering the front wheel to the front wheel steering device and outputs a command for steering the rear wheel to the rear wheel steering device, in order to avoid a collision between the vehicle and the obstacle; a counter-phase process in the automatic turning process in a case in which the target lateral movement amount is determined to be greater than or equal to the lateral movement amount determination value.

Abstract: A gripper mechanism includes a pair of gripper jaws, a linear actuator, and a rocker bogey. The linear actuator drives a first gripper jaw to move relative to a second gripper jaw. Here, the linear actuator includes a screw shaft and a drive nut where the drive nut includes a protrusion having protrusion axis expending along a length of the protrusion. The protrusion axis is perpendicular to an actuation axis of the linear actuator along a length of the screw shaft. The rocker bogey is coupled to the drive nut at the protrusion to form a pivot point for the rocker bogey and to enable the rocker bogey to pivot about the protrusion axis when the linear actuator drives the first gripper jaw to move relative to the second gripper jaw.

Abstract: A turn assist device is configured to execute a turn assist process that assists turning of a vehicle in a case in which a steering operation of a steering wheel is in progress in a situation in which collision prediction time is shorter than or equal to determination prediction time. The turn assist process includes: an in-phase process that outputs a command for steering a rear wheel in the same direction as a steering direction of a front wheel, and a counter-phase process that outputs a command for steering the rear wheel in a direction opposite to the steering direction of the front wheel when a difference between an actual value of the lateral acceleration of the vehicle and a lateral acceleration target value exceeds a difference determination value during execution of the in-phase process.

Abstract: A robot includes an input link, an output link, and a wire routing. The output link is coupled to the input link at an inline twist joint where the output link is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the output link relative to the input link. The wire routing traverses the inline twist joint to couple the input link and the output link. The wire routing includes an input link section, an output link section, and an omega section. A first position of the wire routing coaxially aligns at a start of the omega section on the input link with a second position of the wire routing at an end of the omega section on an output link.

Abstract: A method for generating intermediate waypoints for a navigation system of a robot includes receiving a navigation route. The navigation route includes a series of high-level waypoints that begin at a starting location and end at a destination location and is based on high-level navigation data. The high-level navigation data is representative of locations of static obstacles in an area the robot is to navigate. The method also includes receiving image data of an environment about the robot from an image sensor and generating at least one intermediate waypoint based on the image data. The method also includes adding the at least one intermediate waypoint to the series of high-level waypoints of the navigation route and navigating the robot from the starting location along the series of high-level waypoints and the at least one intermediate waypoint toward the destination location.

Abstract: Example methods and devices for touch-down detection for a robotic device are described herein. In an example embodiment, a computing system may receive a force signal due to a force experienced at a limb of a robotic device. The system may receive an output signal from a sensor of the end component of the limb. Responsive to the received signals, the system may determine whether the force signal satisfies a first threshold and determine whether the output signal satisfies a second threshold. Based on at least one of the force signal satisfying the first threshold or the output signal satisfying the second threshold, the system of the robotic device may provide a touch-down output indicating touch-down of the end component of the limb with a portion of an environment.