Abstract: Asynchronous robotic control utilizing a trained critic network. During performance of a robotic task based on a sequence of robotic actions determined utilizing the critic network, a corresponding next robotic action of the sequence is determined while a corresponding previous robotic action of the sequence is still being implemented. Optionally, the next robotic action can be fully determined and/or can begin to be implemented before implementation of the previous robotic action is completed. In determining the next robotic action, most recently selected robotic action data is processed using the critic network, where such data conveys information about the previous robotic action that is still being implemented. Some implementations additionally or alternatively relate to determining when to implement a robotic action that is determined in an asynchronous manner.

Abstract: Techniques for providing carbon dioxide include generating thermal energy, an exhaust fluid, and electrical power from a power plant; providing the exhaust fluid and the generated electrical power to an exhaust fluid scrubbing system to separate components of the exhaust fluid; capturing heat from a source of heat of an industrial process in a heating fluid; transferring the heat of the industrial process captured in the heating fluid to a carbon dioxide source material of a direct air capture (DAC) system; providing the generated electrical power from the power plant to the DAC system; providing the thermal energy from the power plant to the DAC system; and separating, with the transferred portion of the heat of the industrial process and the provided thermal energy, carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide source material of the DAC system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for sorting fish in aquaculture. In some implementations, one or more images are obtained of a particular fish within a population of fish. Based on the one or more images of the fish, a data element is determined. The data element can include a first value that reflects a physical characteristic of the particular fish, and a second value that reflects a condition factor of the particular fish. Based on the data element, the fish is classified as a member of a particular subpopulation of the population of fish. An actuator of an automated fish sorter is controlled based on classifying the particular fish as a member of the particular subpopulation of the population of fish.

Abstract: Technologies are generally described for coordination of structured light-based image detectors. In some examples, one or more structured light sources may be configured to project sets of points onto the scene. The sets of points may be arranged into disjoint sets of geometrical shapes such as lines, where each geometrical shape includes a subset of the points projected by an illumination source. A relative position and or a color of the points in each geometrical shape may encode an identification code with which each illumination source may be identified. Thus, even when the point clouds projected by each of the illumination sources overlap, the geometrical shapes may still be detected, and thereby a corresponding illumination source may be identified. A depth map may then be estimated based on stereovision principles or depth-from-focus principles by one or more image detectors.

Abstract: A coke oven can include an oven body, a foundation, and a plurality of beams separating the oven body from the foundation, A buckstay applies force to the oven body to maintain compression on the oven body during thermal cycling of the coke oven. The coke oven further comprises a spring-loaded compression device, which can include a restraining device, an anchor coupled to the restraining device, and a spring coupled to the restraining device. The anchor can be attached to one or more of the beams, the foundation of the oven, or to a similar compression device on an opposite side of the oven. The spring applies force between the restraining device and the one or more beams or foundation to compress the buckstay against the oven. The force applied by the spring can maintain structural stability of the coke oven over a plurality of thermal cycles.

Abstract: In an illustrative embodiment, methods and systems for image projection include a beam director having a surface region geometrically encoded with an image such that, when a beam profile created from a beam strikes a portion of the surface region of the beam director, an altered beam profile is created incident to the portion of the surface region, where the altered beam profile has a light beam pattern configured to present a portion of the image, and the altered beam profile includes a predetermined beam spacing, a predetermined beam size, and a predetermined beam shape. The beam director may be configured to redirect predetermined beam profiles including the altered beam profile, incident across portions of the surface region of the beam director, as image beam patterns configured to strike a projection surface where the image is displayed.

Abstract: An alert system is configured to track conditions for a tracking system. The one or more processors of the alert system are configured to receive data in a payload related to characteristics of tracking devices of the tracking system. The one or more processors are then configured to determine a condition timeframe for each condition for a given alert based on the data in the payload. The given alert requires at least a first condition and a second condition of the plurality of conditions. The one or more processors are configured to perform a query for historical data for the first condition based on a timestamp of the second condition that is prior to the first condition, determine an alert timeframe for the given, alert based on the condition timeframes and the historical data, and store the given alert and the alert timeframe in a memory of the alert system.

Abstract: The technology enables locating asset tracking tags based on a ramped sequence of signals from one or more beacon tracking tags. The sequence includes at least one minimum power signal and at least one maximum power signal. Each signal in the sequence has a tag identifier and an initial signal strength value. Each beacon signal in the ramped sequence is associated with the time at which that beacon signal was received by a reader. Each beacon signal is also associated with a received signal strength at reception. A location of the beacon tracking tag is estimated according to the signals in the sequence based on the difference between the initial and received signal strengths. A position of the reader device is identified based on the beacon tag's location. An asset tracking tag location is identified based on the reader's location and packets received by the reader from the asset tag.

Abstract: An ophthalmic measurement and laser surgery system includes: a laser source; a corneal topography subsystem; an axis determining subsystem; a ranging subsystem comprising an Optical Coherence Tomographer (OCT); and a refractive index determining subsystem. All of the subsystems are under the operative control of a controller. The controller is configure to: operate the corneal topography subsystem to obtain corneal surface information; operate the axis determining subsystem to identify one or more ophthalmic axes of the eye; operate the OCT to sequentially scan the eye in a plurality of OCT scan patterns, the plurality of scan patterns configured to determine an axial length of the eye; operate the refractive index determining subsystem so to determine an index of refraction of one or more ophthalmic tissues, wherein at least one of the corneal surface information, ophthalmic axis information, and axial length is modified based on the determined index of refraction.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for generating integrated circuit layouts are described herein. A computer implemented method for generating integrated circuit layouts includes receiving a first layout for an integrated circuit, segmenting the first layout into a plurality of different patches, each patch of the plurality of patches describing a discrete portion of the first layout, identifying a non-compliant patch of the plurality of patches, the non-compliant patch violating a design rule governing the manufacture of the integrated circuit, generating a transformation of the non-compliant patch using a machine learning model, and generating a second layout using the transformation and the first layout, where the second layout is compliant with the design rule.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a precursor dispenser for dispensing a precursor material into a workspace, one or more acoustic sources configured to direct acoustic waves towards the workspace to provide acoustic fields that arrange the precursor material in a three-dimensional shape in the workspace, one or more sensors configured to detect a distribution of the precursor material in the workspace, and an electronic controller in communication with the precursor dispenser, the one or more acoustic sources, and the one or more sensors, the electronic controller being programmed to cause the one or more acoustic sources to adjust the acoustic fields to reduce deviations in the distribution of the precursor material from the three-dimensional shape in the workspace.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method of extending the lifespan of an organism comprising administering to the organism an effective amount of a ferroptosis inhibitor. Also provided are compositions for extending lifespan comprising ferroptosis inhibitors.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described include a robot and/or an associated computing system that can use various cues about an environment of the robot to apply a bias to increase the accuracy of speech transcription. In some implementations, audio data corresponding to a spoken instruction to a robot is received. Candidate transcriptions of the audio data are obtained. A respective action of the robot corresponding to each of the candidate transcriptions of the audio data is determined. One or more scores indicating characteristics of a potential outcome of performing the respective action corresponding to the candidate transcription of the audio data are determined for each of the candidate transcriptions of the audio data. A particular candidate transcription is selected from among the candidate transcriptions based at least on the one or more scores. The action determined for the particular candidate transcription is performed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a storage box (100) for storing an article, the storage box (100) having a locking assembly arranged on a portion of the body (100b) to facilitate an open position and closed position of the storage box (100). The locking assembly includes a biasing member (110), a latching member (120) and a button (130). The biasing member (110) is attachable to a side or front portion of the body (100b). The latching member (120) arranged on a portion of the biasing member (110). The latching member (120) is adapted to engage with an engaging portion of the lid (100a). The button (130) operably configured on the biasing member (110) such that upon pressing the button (130), the biasing member (110) biases and enable the latching member (120) to disengage with the engaging portion of the lid (100a) thereby opening the storage box (100).

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for quantum analog-digital conversion. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining a quantum analog signal; applying a hybrid analog-digital encoding operation to the quantum analog signal and a qudit in an initial state to obtain an evolved state of the qudit, wherein the hybrid analog-digital encoding operation is based on a swap operation comprising multiple adder operations; and providing the qudit in the evolved state as a quantum digital encoding of the quantum analog signal.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for managing robot resources are described. A robot receives from an application a request to reserve a particular set of physical resources of the robot. The robot then determines that each of the physical resources in the set are available to the application and, based on the determination, allocates exclusive use of the particular set of resources to the application by (i) generating a token corresponding to the set of resources, (ii) providing the token to the application, and (iii) updating token data that associates the token with the set of resources. The robot then controls access to the particular set of resources such that, while token data indicates that the token is valid, commands from applications that involve the set of resources are only executed when provided with the token corresponding to the allocation of access to the particular set of resources.

Abstract: A laser system calibration method and system are provided. In some methods, a calibration plate may be used to calibrate a video camera of the laser system. The video camera pixel locations may be mapped to the physical space. A xy-scan device of the laser system may be calibrated by defining control parameters for actuating components of the xy-scan device to scan a beam to a series of locations. Optionally, the beam may be scanned to a series of locations on a fluorescent plate. The video camera may be used to capture reflected light from the fluorescent plate. The xy-scan device may then be calibrated by mapping the xy-scan device control parameters to physical locations. A desired z-depth focus may be determined by defining control parameters for focusing a beam to different depths. The video camera or a confocal detector may be used to detect the scanned depths.

Abstract: Bacteria, cancer cells, fungus and other harmful cells located beneath the surface of a mammal body can be effectively destroyed by passing an electrical current through the area to be treated. Electrodes are positioned on either side of the area to be treated, for example, gums, fingers, arms, legs, feet and torso, and an electric current is caused to flow between the electrodes and through the area to be treated. The electric current will destroy the bacteria, cancer cells, fungus or other harmful cells.

Abstract: A sensor positioning system, includes an actuation server for communicating with components of the sensor positioning system. The sensor positioning system additionally includes a first actuation system and a second actuation system, wherein each actuation system includes a pulley system for maneuvering an underwater sensor system. The sensor positioning system includes a dual point attachment bracket that connects through a first line to the first actuation system and connecting through a second line to the second actuation system. The underwater sensor system is affixed to the first pulley system, the second pulley system, and the dual attachment bracket through the first line and the second line.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for sea lice mitigation. In some implementations, a method includes obtaining multiple observations of a population of reference fish across a period of time, generating, from the multiple observations, a record for each reference fish that indicates an extent of sea lice infestation for the reference fish across the period of time, training, based on the records, a model that determines a predicted health indicator for a fish, obtaining an image of a sample fish that is not in the population of reference fish, determining, based on the image of the sample fish and with the model, a predicted health indicator for the sample fish, and selectively initiating sea lice mitigation based on the predicted health indicator.