Abstract: A controller adapter system for a robotic surgical instrument controller assembly can include an instrument controller having a housing and one or more controller actuators. The housing can be configured to receive a drape opening structure on the housing. The system can include an inner drape adapter configured to mount to the instrument controller and extend distally from the instrument controller. The inner drape adapter can include one or more adapter actuators configured to receive actuation from the one or more controller actuators at a proximal side thereof, and to transmit the actuation to a distal side thereof. The system can include an outer drape adapter configured to axially retain the inner drape adapter to the instrument controller. The outer drape adapter can be configured to sandwich the drape opening structure to the housing of the instrument controller.

Abstract: Various embodiments relate generally to computer vision and automation to autonomously identify and deliver for application a treatment to an object among other objects, data science and data analysis, including machine learning, deep learning, and other disciplines of computer-based artificial intelligence to facilitate identification and treatment of objects, and robotics and mobility technologies to navigate a delivery system, more specifically, to an agricultural delivery system configured to identify and apply, for example, an agricultural treatment to an identified agricultural object. In some examples, a method may include, receiving data representing a policy specifying a type of action for an agricultural object, selecting an emitter with which to perform a type of action for the agricultural object as one of one or more classified subsets, and configuring the agricultural projectile delivery system to activate an emitter to propel an agricultural projectile to intercept the agricultural object.

Abstract: A method can include inserting a first device into a body lumen having a bend, sliding a first sheath having a first sheath diameter over first device, sliding a second sheath having a second sheath diameter larger than the first sheath diameter over the first device, and navigating the first device through and beyond the bend. The method can also include at least partially straightening the first device to at least partially straighten the bend, removing the first device and the first sheath from the body lumen, leaving the second sheath in place within the at least partially straightened bend, and introducing a second device into the second sheath to navigate the second device through the at least partially straightened bend to an opening of the second sheath.

Abstract: A robot for order fulfillment includes a mobility assembly, an arm, a pneumatically actuatable tool, and a coupler having a mating end in selective communication with the pneumatically actuatable tool. The mating end of the coupler being configured to access a pneumatic supply from an external pneumatic source such that the robot need not include a large compressor.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to multi-sensor superresolution scanning and capture system. A sensing system may be employed to scan a plurality of paths across objects using beams such that the sensing system includes event sensors and image sensors and such that the image sensors are a higher resolution than the event sensors. The event sensors may be employed to provide events based on detection of the beams that are reflected by the objects. The image sensors may be employed to provide images based on the reflected the beams. Enhanced trajectories may be generated based on a plurality of first trajectories and a plurality of second trajectories such that the plurality of the first trajectories are based on the events and the plurality of paths and such that the plurality of second trajectories are based on the images and the plurality of paths.

Abstract: System and method for end-to-end differentiable joint image refinement and perception are provided. A learning machine employs an image acquisition device for acquiring a set of training raw images. A processor determines a representation of a raw image, initializes a set of image representation parameters, defines a set of analysis parameters of an image analysis network configured to process the image's representation, and jointly trains the set of representation parameters and the set of analysis parameters to optimize a combined objective function. A module for transforming pixel-values of the raw image to produce a transformed image comprising pixels of variance-stabilized values, a module for successively performing processes of soft camera projection and image projection, and a module for inverse transforming the transformed pixels are disclosed. The image projection performs multi-level spatial convolution, pooling, subsampling, and interpolation.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may generate a binary intermediate mask model from 2D image data and 3D data obtained from a background image and a component image. Because the intermediate mask model is binary, erosion and dilation (e.g., 2D data processing) may be used to remove noise from the intermediate mask model. The augmented intermediate mask model with any erroneous and/or missing data corrected, may be applied to the second aligned model. The pixels in the second aligned model that correspond to pixels in the augmented intermediate mask model that are assigned a value of 1 may be identified as foreground pixels. Then, the vision system may generate foreground object data using the 2D image data and the 3D data in the foreground pixels from the second aligned model.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for automatic infusion of concentrate and distillate material into cigarettes or other containers. In one embodiment, a thermally-controlled infusion system is provided. The system can maintain a selected temperature of the concentrate material throughout the infusion process, using a two-stage approach. In a first stage, the concentrate material is pressure-fed to a dosing chamber. In the second stage, the concentrate material is pumped into an insertion cannula and into a cigarette or container. A revolver houses the cigarettes or containers and vertically transitions them to an insertion position, where the insertion cannula can infuse the cigarettes or containers.

Abstract: Various embodiments of an apparatus, methods, systems and computer program products described herein are directed to an agricultural observation and treatment system and method of operation. The system uses a pump in combination with a fluid regulator to obtain and disperse fluid from the fluid tanks. The fluid regulator includes a fluid input port, a fluid output port and a fluid control valve. A first tube fluidly coupled from the fluid pump to the fluid input port. The system includes a moveable treatment head having one or more spraying tips, including a first spraying tip. A second tube is fluidly coupled from the fluid output port to the moveable treatment head. A system includes a controller configured to provide to the fluid regulator to open and close the fluid control valve to release an amount of the first fluid.

Abstract: Wearable actuator systems are disclosed herein. The wearable actuator system may include an active layer comprising a plurality of actuators, each actuator having a deformable shell that defines an enclosed internal cavity, a fluid dielectric contained within the enclosed internal cavity, a first electrode disposed over a first side of the enclosed internal cavity, and a second electrode disposed over a second side of the enclosed internal cavity.

Abstract: A robotic system coordinates collision-free self-storage of a robot. The robotic system initiates and performs a controlled collapse of the robot into a pre-defined compact geometry that permits self-storage in a confined, compact area when not in use. The system also coordinates collision-free self-deployments of the robot into a deployed geometry suitable for performing autonomous tasks outside of the compact storage area. The system includes a collapsible robot configured to extend and retract at least one robotic arm to perform tasks above a worksurface, a powered docking station positioned below the worksurface and including a power source interface to electrically couple the collapsible robot to a power source, and control circuitry for coordinating movements of the collapsible robot-such as collision-free self-collapse, collision-free self-deployments, and collision-free ingress and egress of the robot into and out of the compact storage area.

Abstract: An automatic insertion device and method of using the same is provided. A vibrator and an extender are connected to a penetrating member and are both in electrical communication with a controller. A detector identifies a subcutaneous target for insertion and the insertion angle, distance and trajectory for the penetrating member are calculated. The vibrator provides vibrations to the penetrating member and the extender advances the penetrating member for insertion. The vibrator and extender are in electrical communication with one another during the insertion process and adjustments to the insertion speed are made based on feedback of vibrational load encountered by the vibrator during insertion, and adjustments to the vibrations are made based on feedback of insertion load encountered by the extender during insertion. Iterative samples are taken to constantly adjust the operation of one motor based on the operations and feedback from the other motor.

Abstract: A parsing system includes an imaging device and one or more processors. The imaging device may capture visual instructions displayed on a monitor. The one or more processors may be configured to receive, from the imaging device, the captured visual instructions, generate functions for a robot to perform based on the captured visual instructions, and transmit, to a robot, the functions to perform.

Abstract: An automated robotic depalletizing system includes at least one robot for transferring inventory that arrives on a pallet to different storage locations within a warehouse. The robot may perform the automated depalletizing by moving to the pallet having a stacked arrangement of a plurality of objects, identifying, via a sensor, a topmost object of the plurality of objects, aligning a retriever with the topmost object, engaging the topmost object with the retriever, and transferring the topmost object from the pallet to the robot by actuating the retriever. The automated depalletizing may also be performed via coordinated operations of two or more robots. For instance, a first robot may retrieve objects from the pallet, and a second set of one or more robots may be used to transfer the retrieved objects into storage.

Abstract: There is described a system for translating clock domain for non-synchronized sensors comprising a first sensor, a second sensor, and an upstream device. The first and second sensors receive a beacon from a tag. Each sensor transmits a report including a beacon receive time in a sensor clock domain. The upstream device receives the reports and translates beacon receive times from the sensor clock domain to an aggregator clock domain. The translation is based, at least in part, on beacon reception data of the sensors, report transmission data of the sensors, and report reception data of the upstream device. The upstream device determines a location of the tag based on a delta of the beacon receive times in the aggregator clock domain.

Abstract: A storage system configured to house a plurality of containers housing inventory items includes support members, a first set of parallel rails to support a mobile, manipulator robot, and a fluid supply line having a plurality of valves disposed within the fluid supply line. Each of the valves having a closed condition in which the supply line is in fluid isolation from an outside environment and an open condition in which the supply line is in fluid communication with the environment such that the supply line is configured to supply fluid to a mobile, manipulator robot. Mobile, manipulator robots for retrieving inventory items stored within the containers and retrieval methods are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request for generating a simulation scenario or digital media that includes one or more entities and one or more assets in an environment, the request including contextual information. The method further includes selecting three-dimensional (3D) digital twins based on the contextual information, wherein one or more of the 3D digital twins correspond to the assets, one or more of the 3D digital twins correspond to the one or more entities, and one of the 3D digital twins corresponds to the environment. The method further includes generating the simulation scenario that initializes the 3D digital twins and establishes a spatial relationship between the 3D digital twins based on the contextual information. The method further includes controlling behavior of the 3D digital twins in the simulation scenario based on the contextual information.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for computing an object's weight or the quantity of items within the object based on activations of different robot actuators used in retrieving the object from a storage location. Specifically, the robot may activate one or more actuators during retrieval of an object, may obtain a measurement in response to activating a particular actuator, and may derive a weight of the object based on the measurement by converting the measurement from a first range of values that are associated with activations of the particular actuator to a second range of values that are disassociated with activations of the particular actuator. The robot may then modify its operation in response to the weight that is derived for the object matching or being mismatched to an expected or last tracked weight.

Abstract: Disclosed is a robot for performing three-dimensional (“3D”) or multi-plane sortation and/or order fulfillment. The robot may include a motorized base to move about a first plane, a lift that raises and lowers a dispensing receptacle atop the lift about a second plane, and one or more actuators that modify a position of the dispensing receptacle from an upright position to a first tilted position in which the dispensing receptacle is tilted towards a first side of the robot and to a second tilted position in which the dispensing receptacle is tilted towards an opposite second side of the robot. The robot may receive and carry items when the dispensing receptacle is in the upright position, and may dispense the items to a destination on either side of the robot by tilting the dispensing receptacle to the first tilted position or the second tilted position.

Abstract: A container with an alignment correcting end is provided. The alignment correcting end has angled side walls that extend from parallel flat square or rectangular sides of the container. Each angled side wall extends at an angle between 5 and 70 from one of the parallel walls towards the center of the container. Nubs may be disposed about an exterior of the angled side walls. Also, a passive displacing robotic element for performing misaligned or off-axis placement of the container with the alignment correcting end is provided. The passive displacing robotic element provides displacement of the one or more robotic actuators that are used to engage and place the container into the slot in response to the alignment correcting end of the container contacting the slot edge, wall, or other barrier.