Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus includes an information acquiring section; a determining section that determines whether a special road terrain exists; and a speed control section that controls a speed of the subject vehicle. The speed control section is further configured to: when the special road terrain exists but a preceding vehicle does not exist, increase or decrease the speed of the subject vehicle with respect to a pre-set vehicle speed in the energy efficiency zone such that the energy efficiency is improved; and when the special road terrain and a preceding vehicle exists and the speed of the subject vehicle is planned to increase in the energy efficiency zone, control the speed of the subject vehicle in an inter-vehicle distance maintenance zone such that the subject vehicle has an inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle longer than a pre-set inter-vehicle distance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining movement of a robot are provided. A computing system of the robot receives information including an initial state of the robot and a goal state of the robot. The computing system determines, using nonlinear optimization, a candidate trajectory for the robot to move from the initial state to the goal state. The computing system determines whether the candidate trajectory is feasible. If the candidate trajectory is feasible, the computing system provides the candidate trajectory to a motion control module of the robot. If the candidate trajectory is not feasible, the computing system determines, using nonlinear optimization, a different candidate trajectory for the robot to move from the initial state to the goal state, the nonlinear optimization using one or more changed parameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods for the treatment of plants, including decarboxylation, photo-oxidation, oxidation and/or combinations thereof, of cannabis and hemp plants and oils for biosynthesizing THCA, CBDA, and CBCA from CBGA are disclosed. A cannabinoid compound solution is fed into a cavitation zone of a controlled cavitation apparatus where the cannabinoid compound solution is subjected to cavitation and interaction with UV light for conversion of the cannabinoid compound solution to form a synthesized cannabinoid THC, CBD, CBC, CBG, CBNA, CBEA, CBLA product, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A method of manipulating boxes includes receiving a minimum box size for a plurality of boxes varying in size located in a walled container. The method also includes dividing a grip area of a gripper into a plurality of zones. The method further includes locating a set of candidate boxes based on an image from a visual sensor. For each zone, the method additionally includes, determining an overlap of a respective zone with one or more neighboring boxes to the set of candidate boxes. The method also includes determining a grasp pose for a target candidate box that avoids one or more walls of the walled container. The method further includes executing the grasp pose to lift the target candidate box by the gripper where the gripper activates each zone of the plurality of zones that does not overlap a respective neighboring box to the target candidate box.

Abstract: A jackknife suppression device is configured to execute an acquisition process, a prediction process, a determination process, and a treatment process. The acquisition process is a process of acquiring a hitch angle variable and a steered angle variable. The prediction process is a process of calculating a predicted value of the hitch angle using the hitch angle variable and the steered angle variable as inputs. The determination process is a process of determining whether there is a high risk that a jackknife occurs using the predicted value and the steered angle variable as inputs. The treatment process is a process of operating predetermined hardware in order to suppress occurrence of the jackknife when it is determined that the risk is high.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for the production of antigen-specific effector T cells and NK cells from pluripotent stem cells which express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Further provided herein are methods for the adoptive cell therapy by administering the effector T cells and/or NK cells provided herein.

Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a command unit that generates a command value for an actuator and causes a vehicle to travel by outputting the command value to a control unit, a state quantity acquiring unit that acquires at least two values of a vehicle state quantity among a vehicle state quantity ideal value, a vehicle state quantity detection value, and a vehicle state quantity operation value, an event storage unit that stores multiple events that can occur when the vehicle on-board device is not functioning normally, an event acquiring unit that compares at least two values of the vehicle state quantity and acquires an event corresponding to a result of the comparison, and an anomaly determining unit that determines whether there is an anomaly in the vehicle on-board device by using a Bayesian network that includes, as a node, an occurrence probability of the event.

Abstract: A method for negotiating stairs includes receiving image data about a robot maneuvering in an environment with stairs. Here, the robot includes two or more legs. Prior to the robot traversing the stairs, for each stair, the method further includes determining a corresponding step region based on the received image data. The step region identifies a safe placement area on a corresponding stair for a distal end of a corresponding swing leg of the robot. Also prior to the robot traversing the stairs, the method includes shifting a weight distribution of the robot towards a front portion of the robot. When the robot traverses the stairs, the method further includes, for each stair, moving the distal end of the corresponding swing leg of the robot to a target step location where the target step location is within the corresponding step region of the stair.

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 facet joint replacement system includes a facet joint replacement device including an enclosing body and an articulating body. The enclosing body includes an interior surface defining an inner cavity of the enclosing body. The interior surface includes a first articulating surface and a projection extending inwardly relative to a surrounding area of the interior surface. The articulating body is positioned within the inner cavity of the enclosing body and is configured to move within the enclosing body. The articulating body includes a second articulating surface and a recess extending inwardly relative to a surrounding area of the articulating body and aligned with the projection of the interior surface of the enclosing body so as to allow movement of the projection along the recess of the enclosing body while constraining rotational motion of the articulating body within the enclosing body.

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: The disclosure relates to an energy efficient motor-generator which includes a stator, a main winding (M) of the stator for generating a rotating magnetic field (RMF), and a rotor disposed to rotate relative to the main winding (M) of the stator due to the RMF. The stator further includes a first additional winding (F) for producing an alternating EMF and a second additional winding (E) for producing a corresponding alternating EMF due to the rotation of the rotor. The two alternating EMFs are harvested through an electronic control unit (ECU) interfaced to the stator for continuously supplying power for the working of the motor-generator and for supplying power to drive electrical loads, respectively.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for generating a joint command. The method includes receiving a maneuver script including a plurality of maneuvers for a legged robot to perform where each maneuver is associated with a cost. The method further includes identifying that two or more maneuvers of the plurality of maneuvers of the maneuver script occur at the same time instance. The method also includes determining a combined maneuver for the legged robot to perform at the time instance based on the two or more maneuvers and the costs associated with the two or more maneuvers. The method additionally includes generating a joint command to control motion of the legged robot at the time instance where the joint command commands a set of joints of the legged robot. Here, the set of joints correspond to the combined maneuver.

Abstract: An example method may include i) detecting a disturbance to a gait of a robot, where the gait includes a swing state and a step down state, the swing state including a target swing trajectory for a foot of the robot, and where the target swing trajectory includes a beginning and an end; and ii) based on the detected disturbance, causing the foot of the robot to enter the step down state before the foot reaches the end of the target swing trajectory.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods for the efficient in vitro differentiation of somatic cell-derived pluripotent stem cells to hematopoietic precursor cells, and the further differentiation of the hematopoietic precursor cells into immune cells of various myeloid or lymphoid lineages, particularly T cells, NK cells, and dendritic cells. The pluripotent cells may be maintained and differentiated under defined conditions; thus, the use of mouse feeder cells or serum is not required in certain embodiments for the differentiation of the hematopoietic precursor cells.

Abstract: A hybrid rocket engine system has: an oxidizer tank containing a liquid oxidizer; a rocket engine having a combustion chamber operatively connected to the oxidizer tank; a solid propellant fuel within the combustion chamber; a nozzle fluidly connected to the combustion chamber, the nozzle having a convergent section and a divergent section downstream of the convergent section; and a thrust vector control device operatively connected to the divergent section of the nozzle and operable to inject a fluid through at least one aperture defined through the divergent section for controlling a direction of a thrust generated by the rocket engine.

Abstract: An example implementation includes (i) receiving sensor data that indicates topographical features of an environment in which a robotic device is operating, (ii) processing the sensor data into a topographical map that includes a two-dimensional matrix of discrete cells, the discrete cells indicating sample heights of respective portions of the environment, (iii) determining, for a first foot of the robotic device, a first step path extending from a first lift-off location to a first touch-down location, (iv) identifying, within the topographical map, a first scan patch of cells that encompass the first step path, (v) determining a first high point among the first scan patch of cells; and (vi) during the first step, directing the robotic device to lift the first foot to a first swing height that is higher than the determined first high point.

Abstract: A control device includes a model generation unit that generates a control model that formulates a task to be executed, and a task processing unit that causes the vehicle to execute the task by performing model prediction control using the control model. Assuming that a first state space is a state space of the control model used at an execution time of the first task, and a second state space is a state space of the control model used at an execution time of the second task, the task processing unit starts to cause the vehicle to execute the second task, after executing a transition process that is a process of making a value of a state variable that is commonly included in both the first state space and the second state space within a predetermined range that is allowed at the execution time of the second task.

Abstract: A Finger Weight System have a main central body portion and a pair of end body portions hinged to the main central body portion, allowing the end body portions to flex and hinge away from the main central body portion. A weight holder on each of the body portions for receiving weights. An outwardly bulb-shaped projection located on at least one of the end body portions, wherein the projection is sized to be received in an opening in a strap after the strap has been wrapped around a person's finger. A member hinged to a rear flange member for retaining the strap in position against the main central body portion, the member secured in a locked position against the strap by a front flange member including a tab or upstanding projection that fits into a groove on an end of the member.

Abstract: A drive system includes a linear actuator with a drive shaft and having an actuation axis extending along a length of the linear actuator. A motor assembly of the drive system couples to drive shaft and is configured to rotate the drive shaft about the actuation axis of the linear actuator. The drive system further includes a nut attached to the drive shaft and a carrier housing the nut. A linkage system of the drive system extends from a proximal end away from the motor assembly to a distal end. The proximal end of the linkage system rotatably attaches to the carrier at a first proximal attachment location where the first proximal attachment location offset is from the actuation axis. The drive system also includes an output link rotatably coupled to the distal end of the linkage system where the output link is offset from the actuation axis.