Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for delegating object type and/or pose detection to a plurality of “targeted object recognition modules.” In some implementations, a method may be provided that includes: operating an object recognition client to facilitate object recognition for a robot; receiving, by the object recognition client, sensor data indicative of an observed object in an environment; providing, by the object recognition client, to each of a plurality of remotely-hosted targeted object recognition modules, data indicative of the observed object; receiving, by the object recognition client, from one or more of the plurality of targeted object recognition modules, one or more inferences about an object type or pose of the observed object; and determining, by the object recognition client, information about the observed object, such as its object type and/or pose, based on the one or more inferences.

Abstract: Implementations are described herein for generating embeddings of source code using both the language and graph domains, and leveraging combinations of these semantically-rich and structurally-informative embeddings for various purposes. In various implementations, tokens of a source code snippet may be applied as input across a sequence-processing machine learning model to generate a plurality of token embeddings. A graph may also be generated based on the source code snippet. A joint representation may be generated based on the graph and the incorporated token embeddings. The joint representation generated from the source code snippet may be compared to one or more other joint representations generated from one or more other source code snippets to make a determination about the source code snippet.

Abstract: A cabinet organizer attaching to the interior surface of a cabinet door providing a low profile. An organizer utilizing a critical, predetermined dimension range and construction based specifically on the gap generated within a cabinet between the cabinet door recessed panel, the cabinet face frame, and adjacent shelving contained therein when the cabinet is closed. A cabinet organizer accounting for the spatial limitations and considerations of this defined gap/space along the interior surface of the cabinet door when the cabinet door is closed as to substantially fit in this gap and not substantially protrude into the shelving storage space, yet provide enough room to accommodate a variety and/or multitude of articles of interest for storage within a variety of cabinets made with this construction. An organizer utilizing a critical, predetermined balance in dimensions and construction for storage space practicality purposes.

Abstract: Some embodiments disclosed here provide for a method fragmenting a cataractous lens of a patient's eye using an ultra-short pulsed laser. The method can include determining, within a lens of a patient's eye, a high NA zone where a cone angle of a laser beam with a high numerical aperture is not shadowed by the iris, and a low NA zone radially closer to the iris where the cone angle of the laser beam with a low numerical aperture is not shadowed by the iris. Laser lens fragmentation is accomplished by delivering the laser beam with the high numerical aperture to the high NA zone, and the laser beam with the low numerical aperture to the low NA zone. This can result in a more effective fragmentation of a nucleus of the lens without exposing the retina to radiation above safety standards.

Abstract: A ski binding release system includes a spring that is releasably maintained in a first state using a pyrotechnic fastener. In the first state, a ski boot is secured in the ski binding. The pyrotechnic fastener is electrically coupled to an activation circuit. The activation circuit includes a battery, a plurality of sensors, a switch, and a controller. When the controller determines that the skier has fallen, the controller generates an output signal that transitions the switch from a disconnected state to a connected state. In the disconnected state, the pyrotechnic fastener is electrically disconnected from the battery. In the connected state, the pyrotechnic fastener is electrically connected to the battery. Electrical energy from the battery causes the pyrotechnical fastener to explode to transition the spring from the first state to a second state to release the ski boot from the ski binding.

Abstract: Techniques for ensuring fabricability of segmented designs are provided. In some embodiments, a computing system receives a design specification to be used to create a proposed segmented design. Each segment of the proposed segmented design indicates a material within the segment. The proposed segmented design includes segments that indicate at least two different materials. The computing system chooses a segment to touch with a paintbrush pattern for a first material. The computing system updates a set of material statuses for each material based on the chosen segment. The computing system updates a set of touch statuses for each material based on the chosen segment. The choosing and updating actions are repeated until all segments are associated with a material. The computing system generates the proposed segmented design based on the sets of material statuses.

Abstract: A method of altering a refractive property of a crosslinked acrylic polymer material by irradiating the material with a high energy pulsed laser beam to change its refractive index. The method is used to alter the refractive property, and hence the optical power, of an implantable intraocular lens after implantation in the patient's eye. In some examples, the wavelength of the laser beam is in the far red and near IR range and the light is absorbed by the crosslinked acrylic polymer via two-photon absorption at high laser pulse energy. The method also includes designing laser beam scan patterns that compensate for effects of multiphone absorption such as a shift in the depth of the laser pulse absorption location, and compensate for effects caused by high laser pulse energy such as thermal lensing. The method can be used to form a Fresnel lens in the optical zone.

Abstract: An optical communication system includes an optical transmitter and one or more processors. The optical transmitter is configured to output an optical signal, and includes an average-power-limited optical amplifier, such as an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). The one or more processors are configured to receive optical signal data related to a received power for a communication link from a remote communication system and determine that the optical signal data is likely to fall below a minimum received power within a time interval. In response to the determination, the one or more processors are configured to determine a duty cycle of the optical transmitter based on a minimum on-cycle length and a predicted EDFA output power and operate the optical transmitter using the determined duty cycle to transmit an on-cycle power that is no less than the minimum required receiver power for error-free operation of the communication link.

Abstract: A method includes receiving input data indicative of tactile input at a bidirectional jog control device associated with a seven-degree-of-freedom (7DOF) robotic arm, where the 7DOF robotic arm is in a first arm configuration with an end effector of the 7DOF robotic arm positioned at a first pose in an environment. Based on the input data, the method further includes determining a direction to jog the 7DOF robotic arm through a null space while keeping the end effector fixed at the first pose in the environment. The method additionally includes controlling the 7DOF robotic arm to jog through the null space in the determined direction to a second arm configuration, where the end effector is positioned at the first pose in the environment when the 7DOF robotic arm is in the second arm configuration.

Abstract: In some embodiments, techniques are disclosed for creating a fabricable segmented design for a physical device for which a loss is to be minimized. A computing system determines costs associated with touching each segment of a proposed segmented design based on a design specification with a first paintbrush pattern associated with a first material or a second paintbrush pattern associated with a second material. The computing system chooses a segment to touch with the first paintbrush pattern or the second paintbrush pattern based on the costs, and touches the segment with the pattern. These actions are repeated until all segments have been associated with the first material or the second material. The computing system estimates a gradient of the loss, and backpropagates the gradient of the loss to update the design specification.

Abstract: A measurement apparatus for measuring a laser focus spot size, which includes a two-dimensional image detector and an imaging system which forms a magnified image of a focus spot located an object plane onto the image detector. The imaging system includes at least an objective lens. A sealed liquid container is secured over a part of the objective lens such as the optical surface of the objective lens is immersed in the liquid (e.g. water) within the container. The liquid container has a window through which the laser beam enters. An image processing method is also disclosed which processes the image obtained by the image detector to obtain the focus spot size while implementing an algorithm that corrects for the effect of ambient vibration.

Abstract: The present application discloses implementations that relate to devices and techniques for sensing position, force, and torque. Devices described herein may include a light emitter, photodetectors, and a curved reflector. The light emitter may project light onto the curved reflector, which may reflect portions of that projected light onto one or more of the photodetectors. Based on the illuminances measured at the photodetectors, the position of the curved reflector may be determined. In some implementations, the curved reflector and the light emitter may be elastically coupled via one or more spring elements; in these implementations, a force vector representing a magnitude and direction of a force applied against the curved reflector may be determined based on the position of the curved reflector.

Abstract: An example method includes determining, by a controller of an image capture system, a plurality of sets of exposure parameter values for one or more exposure parameters. The plurality of sets of exposure parameter values are determined at an exposure determination rate. The method further includes capturing, by an image capture device of the image capture system, a plurality of images. Each image of the plurality of images is captured according to a set of exposure parameter values of the plurality of sets of exposure parameter values. The method also includes sending, by the controller of the image capture system to an image processing unit, a subset of the plurality of images. Each subset of images is sent at a sampling rate, and the sampling rate is less than the exposure determination rate.

Abstract: Implementations are described herein for analyzing a sequence of digital images captured by a mobile vision sensor (e.g., integral with a robot), in conjunction with information (e.g., ground truth) known about movement of the vision sensor, to determine spatial dimensions of object(s) and/or an area captured in a field of view of the mobile vision sensor. Techniques avoid the use of visual indicia of known dimensions and/or other conventional tools for determining spatial dimensions, such as checkerboards. Instead, techniques described herein allow spatial dimensions to be determined using less resources, and are more scalable than conventional techniques.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for using a neural network to predict locations of feeders in an electrical power grid. One of the methods includes training a generative adversarial network comprising a generator and a discriminator; and generating, by the generator, from input images, output images with feeder metadata that represents predicted locations of feeder assets, including receiving by the generator a first input image and generating by the generator a corresponding first output image with first feeder data that identifies one or more feeder assets and their respective locations, wherein the one or more feeder assets had not been identified in any input to the generator.

Abstract: Methods for annotating objects within image frames are disclosed. Information is obtained that represents a camera pose relative to a scene. The camera pose includes a position and a location of the camera relative to the scene. Data is obtained that represents multiple images, including a first image and a plurality of other images, being captured from different angles by the camera relative to the scene. A 3D pose of the object of interest is identified with respect to the camera pose in at least the first image. A 3D bounding region for the object of interest in the first image is defined, which indicates a volume that includes the object of interest. A location and orientation of the object of interest is determined in the other images based on the defined 3D bounding region of the object of interest and the camera pose in the other images.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods of plant enhancement comprising administration of a composition comprising microalgae biomass to improve seed germination rate, seed germination time, seedling emergence, seedling emergence time, seedling size, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, utilization, fruit production, leaf production, leaf formation, leaf size, leaf area index, plant height, thatch height, plant health, plant resistance to salt stress, plant resistance to heat stress, plant resistance to heavy metal stress, plant resistance to drought, maturation time, yield, root length, root mass, color, insect damage, blossom end rot,-fruit quality, flowering, or sunburn.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer-readable storage devices, for managing voice interface devices. In some implementations, messages are received from a plurality of devices, each of the messages indicating a respective voice input detected by the device that sent the message. Audio signatures are obtained for the voice inputs detected by the plurality of devices. The audio signatures for the voice inputs and times that the voice inputs were detected are evaluated. Based on the evaluation, at least some of the plurality of devices are grouped to form a group of multiple devices that detected a same user utterance. A device from the group is selected to respond to the user utterance, and the multiple devices in the group are managed so that only the selected device outputs a synthesized speech response to the user utterance.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for a system that includes a plurality of stations equipped for free-space optical communications (FSOC) in a network and a central control system. At least one station in the plurality of stations includes a wavelength selectable switch, an OEO module, and one or more first processors. The one or more first processors are configured to control the wavelength selectable switch, process an electrical signal that is extracted using the OEO module, and communicate with the central control system. The central control system includes one or more second processors that are configured to receive data regarding FSOC communication conditions at the plurality of stations, determine a path between stations through the network based on the received data, and transmit instructions to the plurality of stations.

Abstract: The present technology is generally directed to vent stack lids and associated systems and methods. In particular, several embodiments are directed to vent stack lids having improved sealing properties in a coke processing system. In a particular embodiment, a vent stack lid comprises a first lid portion proximate to and at least partially spaced apart from a second lid portion. The vent stack lid further comprises a first sealing portion coupled to the first lid portion and a second sealing portion coupled to the second lid portion. In several embodiments, the second sealing portion at least partially overlaps the first sealing portion over the space between the first and second lid portions. In further embodiments, at least one of the first or second sealing portions includes layers of tadpole seals, spring seals, rigid refractory material, and/or flexible refractory blanket.