Abstract: A motor housing includes a core and a shell having an annular body. The annular body is configured to secure a stator of a motor therein. The annular body includes first and second ends defining first and second openings, respectively. The annular body defines a slot extending along a length of the annular body. The slot is coterminous with the first opening. The core is configured to be in registration with the shell. The core is configured to rotatably support a rotating assembly of the motor including an output shaft. The core includes a base portion, an annular ring, and a guide arm interconnecting the base portion and the annular ring. The core is in registration with the shell when the guide arm is received in the slot of the annular body of the shell to form an interlocking structure.

Abstract: A buoyant aerial vehicle system includes a balloon, a ballonet configured to selectively receive and discharge a gas to adjust an altitude of the balloon, and an energy regeneration assembly. The energy regeneration assembly includes a turbine and an electric motor. The turbine is coupled to an outlet of the ballonet, such that gas released by the bayonet activates the turbine. The electric motor is operably coupled to the turbine and is configured to convert mechanical energy received from the turbine into electrical energy and convey the electrical energy to a battery.

Abstract: A bone conduction device includes: an enclosure; and an adhesive applied to a surface of the enclosure, in which the enclosure includes: a bone conduction transducer configured to cause the enclosure to vibrate; at least one sensor configured to sense a non-audible input from a region of the user's skin to which the adhesive adheres and produce a sensor output signal in response to sensing the non-audible input, the sensor output signal being indicative of a current state of the user; and a transceiver coupled to the bone conduction transducer and to the at least one sensor, in which the transceiver is configured to a) receive the output signal from the sensor and transmit the output signal to a remote processor and b) in response to transmitting the output signal, receive the bone-conduction control signal from the remote processor and transmit the bone-conduction control signal to the bone conduction transducer.

Abstract: A valve assembly for use with an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided and includes an inlet tube, a shuttle, a base plate, a screw assembly, and a spacer block. The shuttle is partially disposed within the inlet tube and is configured to be placed in a first position where the shuttle abuts the inlet tube and a second position where the outer surface is disposed in spaced relation to the inlet tube. The base plate extends between a first end portion that defines a cavity therein and a second end portion. The screw assembly is disposed within the cavity of the base plate and is coupled to a portion of the shuttle. The spacer block is interposed between the second end portion of the inlet tube and the first end portion of the base plate and is configured to maintain the inlet tube and the base plate in spaced relation.

Abstract: Example systems and methods allow for runtime control of robotic devices during a construction process. One example method includes determining at least one sequence of robot operations corresponding to at least one robot actor, causing the at least one robot actor to execute a portion of the at least one sequence of robot operations during a first time period, receiving an interrupt signal from a mobile computing device indicating a modification to the at least one sequence of robot operations, where the mobile computing device is configured to display a digital interface including one or more robot parameters describing the at least one robot actor and one or more tool parameters describing operating characteristics of at least one physical tool, and causing the at least one robot actor to execute a portion of the at least one modified sequence of robot operations during a second time period.

Abstract: Example implementations may relate to optimization of observer robot locations. In particular, a control system may detect an event that indicates desired relocation of observer robots within a worksite. Each such observer robot may have respective sensor(s) configured to provide information related to respective positions of a plurality of target objects within the worksite. Responsively, the control system may (i) determine observer robot locations within the worksite at which one or more of the respective sensors are each capable of providing information related to respective positions of one or more of the plurality of target objects and (ii) determine a respectively intended level of positional accuracy for at least two respective target objects. Based on the respectively intended levels of positional accuracy, the control system may select one or more of the observer robot locations and may direct one or more observer robots to relocate to the selected locations.

Abstract: Example embodiments may relate to robot-cloud interaction. In particular, a cloud-based service may receive a query from a first robotic system including sensor data, a request for instructions to carry out a task, and information associated with a configuration of the first robotic system. The cloud-based service may then identify stored data including a procedure previously used by a second robotic system to carry out the task and information associated with a configuration of the second robotic system. The cloud-based service may then generate instructions for the first robotic system to carry out the task based at least in part on the sensor data, the procedure used by the second robotic system to carry out the task, the information associated with the configuration of the first robotic system, and the information associated with the configuration of the second robotic system.

Abstract: Example methods and systems enable rearrangement of a warehouse to an optimal layout determined according to customizable goals. An example method includes receiving, at a warehouse management system (WMS), information of a warehouse and items of the warehouse, identifying an item shipment expectation including new items expected to be received at the warehouse at a future date and items present at the warehouse marked for delivery at the future date, determining an optimal layout of the items of the warehouse at a present date based on the item shipment expectation, determining an amount of time to rearrange the items, by one or more of robotic devices rearranging the items, to the optimal layout based on a time measurement for robotic devices to perform tasks, and determining to rearrange the items of the warehouse based on the amount of time to rearrange the items being less than a threshold amount of time.

Abstract: Methods and systems for allocating tasks to robotic devices are provided. An example method includes receiving information associated with task logs for a plurality of robotic devices and in a computing system configured to access a processor and memory, determining information associated with a health level for the plurality of robotic devices based on the information associated with the task logs. A health level for a given robotic device may be proportional to a current level of ability to perform a function, which may change over a lifespan of the given robotic device. Information associated with a plurality of tasks to be performed by one or more or the robotic devices may also be determined. The computing system may optimize an allocation of the plurality of tasks such that a high precision task may be allocated to a robotic device having a greater current health level than another robotic device.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method is described. The method may include providing an end effector tool of a robotic device configured to perform a task on a work surface within a worksite coordinate frame. The method may further include providing first location data indicating a first location of the end effector tool with respect to the work surface, providing second location data indicating a second location of the end effector tool within the worksite coordinate frame, and providing third location data indicating a third location of the end effector tool within the worksite coordinate frame. The method may further include tracking the location of the end effector tool based on the first, second, and third location data, and, based on the tracked location of the tool, instructing the robotic device to manipulate the end effector tool to perform a task on the work surface.

Abstract: Systems and methods for efficient coupling to low-loss eigenmodes of a spherical waveguide bounded by the Earth's surface and its ionosphere are disclosed. One or more eigenmodes of the Earth-ionosphere waveguide may be computed based on a mathematical model incorporating electrical properties of the terrestrial surface and plasma physics of the ionospheric layer. An array of electrically-connected waveguide-coupling elements may be configured for coupling to the one or more eigenmodes. By adjusting relative phases and/or amplitudes of the waveguide-coupler elements, as well as frequencies, the electrical size of the array may be made much larger than its physical size, and substantial electromagnetic energy may be targeted to preferentially excite the one or more eigenmodes. The adjustments may also account or compensate for non-homogeneous propagation properties of the ionosphere, and help reduce ohmic losses in the ionosphere.

Abstract: An example method includes determining an expected sound profile corresponding to a given task for a robotic device. The method further includes detecting a sound profile during execution of the given task by the robotic device. The method also includes determining one or more differences in amplitude for at least one frequency range between the detected sound profile and the expected sound profile corresponding to the given task for the robotic device. In response to determining the one or more differences in amplitude for the at least one frequency range between the detected sound profile and the expected sound profile, the method additionally includes identifying at least one component of the robotic device associated with the detected sound profile during execution of the given task. The method further includes adjusting control data for the at least one component of the robotic device.

Abstract: A method and a device for measuring a fluid flow characteristic of an ambient fluid and modifying fluid flow of the ambient fluid, the method including: applying a first voltage between a first electrode and a second electrode, the first voltage being sufficient to generate a plasma in the first space; applying a second voltage between the first electrode and a third electrode, the second voltage being sufficient to generate a plasma in the second space; measuring a first current between the first and second electrodes, and a second current between the first and third electrodes; determining a fluid flow characteristic of the ambient fluid; and applying a third voltage between the first and second electrodes, the third voltage being sufficient to generate a plasma in the first space sufficient to modify fluid flow of the ambient fluid in the first direction in the first space.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including an apparatus that includes a motorized base configured to move the apparatus; an upper portion coupled to the motorized base; one or more load-sensing devices located between the motorized base and the upper portion, the one or more load-sensing devices being configured to (i) detect forces between the upper portion and the motorized base, and (ii) provide force information based on the detected forces between different portions of the upper portion and the motorized base; and one or more processors performs operations of: obtaining the force information provided by the one or more load-sensing devices; determining a difference between the forces indicated by the force information from the one or more load-sensing devices; determining, based the difference in the forces, a movement to be performed by the apparatus; and providing control information to cause the motorized base to perform the determined movement.

Abstract: In some implementations, a method includes receiving, by one or more processing devices configured to control a traffic signal at an intersection of roads, camera data providing images of the intersection, the processing devices being located proximate to the intersection, using one or more local machine learning models to identify objects at the intersection and paths of the objects based on the camera data, providing traffic data generated from outputs of the one or more local machine learning models to a remote traffic planning system over a network, receiving, from the remote traffic planning system, a remote instruction for the traffic signal determined using one or more remote machine learning models, and providing a control instruction to the traffic signal at the intersection that is determined based on (i) the remote instruction from the remote traffic planning system, and (ii) a local instruction generated by the processing devices.

Abstract: Example systems and methods allow for use of a graphical interface to cause one or more robotic devices to construct an output product. One example method includes causing a graphical interface to be displayed on a display device, receiving input data corresponding to one or more interactions with the graphical interface indicating at least one motion path and at least one sequence of tool actions to execute at one or more points within the at least one motion path for use in construction of an output product, generating a plurality of digital nodes including at least one robot node, at least one motion command node, and at least one tool command node, and providing instructions for the at least one robot actor to move according to the sequence of robot motion commands determined by the at least one motion command node and execute the sequence of tool commands determined by the at least one tool command node to construct the output product.

Abstract: An example system includes one or more laser sensors on a robotic device, where the one or more laser sensors are configured to produce laser sensor data indicative of a first area within a first distance in front of the robotic device. The system further includes one or more stereo sensors on the robotic device, where the stereo sensors on the robotic device are configured to produce stereo sensor data indicative of a second area past a second distance in front of the robotic device. The system also includes a controller configured to receive the laser sensor data, receive the stereo sensor data, detect one or more objects in front of the robotic device based on at least one of the laser sensor data and the stereo sensor data, and provide instructions for the robotic device to navigate based on the one or more detected objects.

Abstract: Systems and methods related to roadmaps for robotic devices are provided. A computing device can receive a roadmap representing a plurality of paths through an environment. The computing device can discretize the roadmap to obtain a discrete planning graph having a plurality of states corresponding to discretized segments of the plurality of paths of the roadmap such that states corresponding to adjacent discretized path segments are connected in the discrete planning graph. The computing device can determine a Boolean equation representing at least a portion of the discrete planning graph. The computing device can determine a sequence of states from the plurality of states of the discrete planning graph such that the determined sequence of states satisfies the Boolean equation. The computing device can provide a route through the environment for a robotic device based on the determined sequence of states.

Abstract: A fully-passive optical system creates a counter-propagating reference beam, which may be used to evaluate a misalignment between a receive beam, a transmit beam, and a tracking beam. The system can be mated to a motorized tip-tilt stage, and can measure power of received signals and automatically adjust the tip-tilt stage in response. Thus, the system would always maintain bore-sight with the received beam regardless of mechanical shift over time.