Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods are described for robotic learning and execution of skills. A robotic apparatus can include a memory, a processor, sensors, and one or more movable components (e.g., a manipulating element and/or a transport element). The processor can be operatively coupled to the memory, the movable elements, and the sensors, and configured to obtain information of an environment, including one or more objects located within the environment. In some embodiments, the processor can be configured to learn skills through demonstration, exploration, user inputs, etc. In some embodiments, the processor can be configured to execute skills and/or arbitrate between different behaviors and/or actions. In some embodiments, the processor can be configured to learn an environmental constraint. In some embodiments, the processor can be configured to learn using a general model of a skill.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein include an automated vehicle having a pitot tube mounted to a side-view mirror of the automated vehicle. The pitot gathers samples of wind speed information for calculating three-dimensional wind measurements using the information gathered by the pitot tube. The pitot tube is installed at an area that offers the pitot tube access to outside “clean air,” undisturbed by the vehicle's movement. A controller and/or driving software ingest the three-dimensional wind measurements and generate driving tasks of the automated vehicle based upon the three-dimensional wind measurements.

Abstract: Systems, methods, computing platforms, and storage media for controlling an autonomous inventory management system are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: direct a first transport system to a first location; determine a respective drop off location for each of the one or more autonomous storage units; determine a boarding order for the one or more autonomous storage units based at least in part on the respective drop off location for each of the one or more autonomous storage units; direct the one or more autonomous storage units to board the first transport system at the first location; and transport the one or more autonomous storage units from the first location to the one or more respective drop off locations.

Abstract: There are disclosed systems and methods for managing object configurations within a structure. For one embodiment, a fixed object profile including dimensions and locations of ventilation of a building space and a non-fixed object profile including dimensions and a location of a non-fixed object are identified. One or more contaminant risk locations of the building space are determined in response to determining the air flow within the building space associated with an HVAC unit. The air flow is determined based on incoming air flow streams to the building space and outgoing air flow streams away from the building space. One or more object positions are provided at an output device based on the contaminant risk location(s). For another embodiment, the contaminant risk location(s) are selected from possible people locations. A person position is displayed at an output device, in proximity to the building space, based on the contaminant risk location(s).

Abstract: A personal assistant control system which enables a robotic personal assistant to properly support a user according to the user's growth, includes: a first personal assistant (PA) 1 used in a first period to acquire information from a first sensor group; a second PA 2 used in a second period to acquire information from a second sensor group; and a server 5 connected to the first PA 1 and the second PA 2 via a network and configured to estimate a state of a user 3 based on information acquired from the first or second sensor group. In a third period T3 bridging the first period T1 and the second period T2, the server estimates the state of the user 3 based on information acquired from common sensors which are specific types of sensors included in the first and second sensor groups and configured to acquire common attributes.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses for inspecting a tank containing a flammable fluid are provided. A vehicle configured to inspect the tank can include a propeller, a battery, a control unit, an inspection device, and a ranging device. The battery provides power to the propeller, the control unit, the inspection device, and the ranging device. The control unit generates a map of the tank and determines a first position of the vehicle on the map. The propeller moves the vehicle through the flammable fluid in the tank. The inspection device includes a pulsed eddy current array to obtain inspection data indicating a quality of a tank wall. The control unit causes the propeller to move the vehicle from the first position to a second position within the tank. The control unit obtains first inspection data indicating the quality of the tank wall, and stores the first inspection data.

Abstract: A patient cart for a robot surgical system can include a mobile base having a frame adapted and configured to support a medical robot, one or more motive devices operatively connected to the frame, and one or more motors connected to the motive devices to drive the motive devices to move the frame. The patient cart can include a drive control interface connected to the frame and configured to sense a user input and to operate the one or more motors to move the one or more motive devices as a function of the user input.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for hosting and arbitrating algorithms for the generation of structured frames of data from one or more sources of unstructured input frames. A plurality of frames may be received from a recording device and a plurality of object types to be recognized in the plurality of frames may be determined. A determination may be made of multiple machine learning models for recognizing the object types. The frames may be sequentially input into the machine learning models to obtain a plurality of sets of objects from the plurality of machine learning models and object indicators may be received from those machine learning models. A set of composite frames with the plurality of indicators corresponding to the plurality of objects may be generated, and an output stream may be generated including the set of composite frames to be played back in chronological order.

Abstract: The disclosure includes embodiments for an analysis system. A method according to some embodiments is executed by a graphics processing unit. The method includes generating input data including image data captured with a monocular camera operating in a field environment wherein the image data describes a two-dimensional image of the field environment. The method includes analyzing the input data to generate output data describing a three-dimensional graphic of the field environment depicted in the two-dimensional image. In some embodiments, the output data localizes objects, such as a mobile field device upon which the monocular camera is mounted, within the field environment. In some embodiments, the output data localizes any tangible object located within the field environment with an accuracy that satisfies a threshold for accuracy. The method includes modifying an operation of an autonomous control system of a mobile field device based on the output data.

Abstract: A steerable overtube assembly for a robotic surgical system can include a steerable shaft having one or more instrument channel and a control hub configured to mount to the steerable shaft. The assembly can also include a manual actuator extending from the control hub and configured to allow the steerable shaft to be manually steered by a user's hand, and a robotic actuator housed by and/or extending from the control hub configured to connect to a robotic driver to allow robotic steering of the steerable shaft.

Abstract: A method includes: accessing a coating thickness range for workpiece coating; triggering an optical sensor to capture scan data representing the workpiece; triggering a depth sensor to capture a first depth value; assembling the scan data into a first virtual model representing the workpiece; defining first spray parameters corresponding to a minimum coating thickness; defining a first toolpath; driving a coating applicator along the first toolpath to spray the coating onto the workpiece; triggering the depth sensor to capture a second depth value; calculating a first coating thickness based on the first depth value and the second depth value; in response to the first coating thickness falling below the target minimum coating thickness defining a second set of spray parameters and a second toolpath; and driving the coating applicator along the second toolpath to spray the coating onto the workpiece according to the second set of spray parameters.

Abstract: Robotic inspection devices for simultaneous surface measurements at multiple orientations are described. An example inspection device includes a robot and a first payload, where the robot is structured to move along an inspection surface in a first direction of travel. The first payload includes a first inspection assembly structured to support two phased array elements. The first phased array element has a first surface orientation and a first directional orientation, and the second phased array element has a second surface orientation and a second directional orientation. A raster device is structured to move the first inspection assembly in a second direction of travel along the inspection surface, wherein the first direction of travel and the second direction of travel are different.

Abstract: A system includes an inspection robot having a plurality of input sensors, the plurality of input sensors distributed horizontally relative to an inspection surface and configured to provide inspection data of the inspection surface at selected horizontal positions; a controller, comprising: a position definition circuit structured to determine an inspection robot position of the inspection robot on the inspection surface; a data positioning circuit structured to interpret the 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.

Abstract: A system including an inspection robot having a plurality of sensors, a further sensor, and a controller. The controller having circuitry to receive inspection data with a first resolution from the plurality of sensors, determine a characteristic on the inspection surface based on the inspection data, and provide an inspection operation adjustment in response to the characteristic, wherein the inspection operation adjustment includes a change from the first resolution to a second resolution. The change from the first resolution to the second resolution includes enabling the further sensor where the further sensor is at least one of: horizontally distributed with or vertically displaced from the plurality of sensors relative to a travel path of the plurality of sensors, and at least one of: offset in alignment from the travel path of the plurality of sensors, or operated out of phase with the plurality of sensors.

Abstract: Disposable controls, re-usable devices, and their methods of use. The disposable controls and reusable devices are adapted to in operable communication during a procedure or process, and thereafter the disposable control can be discarded while the reusable device can be reused in a subsequent procedure or process. The disposable controller and reusable portion can be part of an intubation system.

Abstract: Construction robot, for the construction of bridges, formed by a motorized chassis (4) and configured to run longitudinally along a beam (1) with a geo-positioning system (7) and one or more height-adjustable cutting tools (8) arranged over at least one edge of the beam (1). The cutting tools (8) vary the height according to the position of the robot.

Abstract: Data is received that includes a feed of images of a plurality of objects passing in front of each of a plurality of inspection camera modules forming part of each of a plurality of stations. The stations can together form part of a quality assurance inspection system. The objects when combined or assembled, can form a product. The received data derived from each inspection camera module can be separately analyzed using at least one image analysis inspection tool. The analyzing can include visually detecting a unique identifier for each object. The images are transmitted with results from the inspection camera modules along with the unique identifiers to a cloud-based server to correlate results from the analyzing for each inspection camera module on an product-by-product basis. Access to the correlated results can be provided to a consuming application or process via the cloud-based server.

Abstract: Robotic systems for surface inspection with simultaneous measurements at multiple orientations are described. An example inspection system may include a robot for traversing an inspection surface, the robot having an inspection payload to support an inspection element with two phased array UT elements, the first phased array at a first surface orientation and the second phased array at a second surface orientation, both orientations relative to the inspection surface. Each of the inspection elements includes a couplant connection structured to receive couplant from the robot. The inspection further includes a tether fluidly coupling a couplant source to the robot.

Abstract: One variation of a method for autonomously scanning and processing a part includes: collecting a set of images depicting a part positioned within a work zone adjacent a robotic system; assembling the set of images into a part model representing the part. The method includes segmenting areas of the part model—delineated by local radii of curvature, edges, or color boundaries—into target zones for processing by the robotic system and exclusion zones avoided by the robotic system. The method includes: projecting a set of keypoints onto the target zone of part model defining positions, orientations, and target forces of a sanding head applied at locations on the part model; assembling the set of keypoints into a toolpath and projecting the toolpath onto the target zone of the part model; and transmitting the toolpath to a robotic system to execute the toolpath on the part within the work zone.

Abstract: Data is received that includes a feed of images of a plurality of objects passing in front of an inspection camera module forming part of a quality assurance inspection system. Thereafter, a machine learning model is used to generate a representation of each image. These representations are analyzed to determine a type of object captured in the corresponding image. This analysis can be provided to a consuming application or process for quality assurance analysis.