Abstract: Architectures and techniques are provided for improved vibration compensation for a boom lift-robot-mounted (BLMR) system, which can result in improved BLMR operating precision and safety at a reduced cost. Boom lifts typically contain extendable large-scale, variable-stiffness structures, subject to complex nonlinear static deformation and dynamic motion/gust-induced vibrations. Said vibrations can be compensated for at an end effector of a robot via a Jacobian-based vibration compensation via IMU (JVCI) procedure. The output of the JVCI procedure can rely on IMU feedback and can be combined with other vibration-mitigation techniques, including various feedforward techniques.

Abstract: Techniques for autonomous vehicle boundary intersection detection and avoidance are described. In an example, a geofence boundary is received at a display coupled to a control module of a vehicle. A 2D footprint is generated using a definition of the vehicle and an implement coupled to the vehicle. Using geographic coordinates for the vehicle, a current position and orientation for the footprint are determined. A 2D projection footprint is generated for the vehicle using the current position and orientation, a current steering state, and a direction of travel. A first distance from the current position and orientation at which the projection footprint intersects with the boundary is determined. Based on the first distance, the speed of the vehicle is maintained at or below a maximum speed.

Abstract: A flight path specification device includes: a space information generation unit configured to, based on model data on a structure of an industrial machine and an operating state of the industrial machine, generate non-interference space information indicating a non-interference space in which the industrial machine and an unmanned aircraft do not interfere with each other; a command accepting unit configured to accept an operation command for the unmanned aircraft; and a path information generation unit configured to, based on the non-interference space information and the operation command, generate flight path information that specifies a flight path for the unmanned aircraft.

Abstract: In an example, a method comprises receiving a digital representation of a floor plan to be printed by a surface marking robot guided using a remote guiding system, receiving guiding system position information, and receiving obstacle information identifying an obstacle. The method also comprises identifying a specific floor plan feature of the digital representation which intersects a shadow region of the obstacle from a guiding system point of view, and, in response to this, modifying the digital representation to produce a second digital representation, whereby the specific floor plan feature is either deleted or modified in the second digital representation, the modified floor plan feature excluding at least a portion of the specific floor plan feature in the shadow region. The method also comprises operating the surface marking robot to print the second digital representation using the guiding system.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods to reduce impact of robot collision and/or avoid robot collision are described herein. An example collision detection device includes a housing to be coupled to an automated robot, a sensor in the housing, a relay in the housing, the relay to be electrically coupled to a safety circuit of the automated robot, and circuitry in the housing. The circuitry is to determine a parameter value based a signal from the sensor, compare the parameter value to a threshold value, and, in response to the parameter value satisfying the threshold value, trigger the relay to stop the automated robot.

Abstract: A battery electric vehicle includes: a traction motor; an inverter driving the motor; a first battery; an electric device running on electric power from the first battery; a detachable portable second battery; a first connecting and disconnecting device connecting and disconnecting a power line connected to the inverter and the first battery to and from each other; a second connecting and disconnecting device connecting and disconnecting the power line and the second battery to and from each other; and a control device controlling the first connecting and disconnecting device and the second connecting and disconnecting device. When a system startup instruction is given, the control device controls the first and second connecting and disconnecting devices so that the second battery is preferentially connected to the power line over the first battery when a temperature of the second battery is within an allowable temperature range of the second battery.

Abstract: A robot cell, having a cell floor defining an array of nodes corresponding with a predetermined two-dimensional coordinate system and defining a volume for receiving a workpiece W therein, is described. The robot cell comprises: a set of robots, including a first robot, having respective bases, end effectors and working envelopes and defining respective three-dimensional coordinate systems, located according to the array of nodes; a set of detectors, including a first detector, configured to detect respective locations and/or bearings of the set of robots; a set of sensors, including a first sensor, configured to sense respective poses of the set of robots; and a controller, communicatively coupled to the set of robots and to the set of detectors, configured to control movement of the set of robots using the detected respective locations and/or bearings of the set of robots.

Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing system includes a plurality of transfer modules, a pass module, and one or more process modules. In a substrate transfer method, a transfer robot is controlled to transfer a substrate from one of the transfer modules to a process module connected to the other transfer module via a pass module. In the substrate transfer method, when a plurality of substrates are transferred, it is determined whether to perform one-by-one correction in which positions of a plurality of substrates are corrected on a one-by-one basis and placed on a plurality of stages of the pass module, or to perform average correction in which an average value of positions of a plurality of substrates with respect to the plurality of stages is obtained and the plurality of substrates are placed collectively.

Abstract: The present invention relates to remotely controlling robots and provides a method and a system, for remotely controlling robots, that are capable of controlling moving paths of a plurality of robots. The method for remotely controlling traveling robots comprises the steps of: controlling a specific robot to move along a preset first path; receiving an obstacle event for a specific area of the first path; generating a second path avoiding the specific area on the basis of the obstacle event; and controlling the specific robot so that same moves along the second path, wherein the destination of the second path is related to the destination of the first path.

Abstract: A tracking target position estimation unit and a tracking target search unit that searches for a tracking target are included. The tracking target search unit calculates one or more search routes connecting a current position of the mobile device and a position where the tracking target can exist, generates a search route list in which the calculated one or more search routes are arranged from the top in order of proximity to a tracking target estimated position, and selects a search route in order from the top of the generated search route list, and moves the mobile device according to the selected search route to search for the tracking target. It is determined whether or not the tracking target has been detected based on an image captured by a camera mounted on the mobile device, and in a case where the tracking target has been detected, tracking processing is resumed.

Abstract: A control device for controlling a machine with axes having a corotational relation includes: axis position detectors; motor position detectors; a position command calculation unit calculating a position command for each of the axes based on an operation program; a position control unit outputting a speed command of each motor based on the position command and the detection position of the corresponding axis; a speed control unit controlling each motor based on the speed command; and a correction value calculation unit calculating a correction value for correcting, based on the corotational relation, the speed command of a motor with a to-be-controlled axis which is an axis rotating dependent on the corotational relation. The speed control unit corresponding to the to-be-controlled axis corrects the speed command based on the correction value so as to be applied to control of the motor with the to-be-controlled axis.

Abstract: For control about a remote center of motion (RCM) of a surgical robotic system, possible configurations of a robotic manipulator are searched to find the configuration providing a greatest overlap of the workspace of the surgical instrument with the target anatomy. The force at the RCM may be measured, such as with one or more sensors on the cannula or in an adaptor connecting the robotic manipulator to the cannula. The measured force is used to determine a change in the RCM to minimize the force exerted on the patient at the RCM. Given this change, the configuration of the robotic manipulator may be dynamically updated. Various aspects of this RCM control may be used alone or in combination, such as to optimize the alignment of workspace to the target anatomy, to minimize force at the RCM, and/or to dynamically control the robotic manipulator configuration based on workspace alignment and force measurement.

Abstract: Methods and systems for assisting a vehicle in avoiding an object in a roadway and communicating associated information to trailing vehicles. Image data is sensed by a vehicle image sensor regarding a roadway. A computing system detects an object in the roadway based on the first image data. Feature extraction is performed to extract relevant features of the object, which is fed to an object classification model to determine a class of the object. A threat analysis is performed based on the determined class of the object, outputting a risk score. The first vehicle is commanded to take an action based on the risk score. The class of the object, the risk score, and/or the commanded action taken by the vehicle is communicated to a second vehicle that is approaching the object.

Abstract: A method and system for robot skill learning applicable to high precision assembly tasks employing a compliance controller. An actor-critic reinforcement learning controller is coupled to the compliance controller, where an actor neural network provides target position adjustment action data to the compliance controller based on robot state data feedback, and a critic neural network is used to train the actor. The critic neural network receives the robot state data feedback and reward data from the robot, along with the action data from the actor, and correlates optimal actions associated with states in order to maximize the reward. The critic then adjusts the parameters of the actor so that the actor produces effective actions in response to the state data, leading to rapid and reliable completion of the assembly task by the compliance controller/robot system. The critic is no longer used after the actor is adequately trained.

Abstract: A terminal device is configured to photograph a first image including a work target and a marker for the work target, and a second image including a robot marker, the work target, and the marker for the work target, which maintain a positional relation in the first image, set a user coordinate system using the marker for the work target as a reference, set an operation path based on a work spot of the work target included in the first image, create a work program based on the set operation path of the industrial robot, calculate a robot coordinate system based on the robot marker included in the second image and position attitude information of the industrial robot, and modify the work program by converting a coordinate system of the operation path of the industrial robot from the user coordinate system to the robot coordinate system.

Abstract: A method for avoiding singularities of a robotic arm includes: calculating a virtual environment external force required by the robotic arm to avoid singularities based on current joint positions of joints on the robotic arm when it is determined that the robotic arm needs to avoid singularities; obtaining a current end force of the robotic arm and a desired end trajectory of the robotic arm; performing admittance control calculation based on the virtual environment external force, the current end force and the desired end trajectory to obtain a corrected end trajectory of the robotic arm; and controlling the robotic arm to move based on the corrected end trajectory.

Abstract: A control method for an automotive seat is applied to a child safety seat. The method includes: acquiring a distance between an automotive door and the seat after the automotive door is opened; determining that the distance is greater than or equal to a preset threshold; and controlling the seat to rotate to a preset position. The control method acquires the distance between the automotive door and the seat to determine whether the automotive door is open, and compares the acquired distance with the preset threshold to determine whether the automotive door is open to a certain angle. In this way, the control method determines whether a user intends to use the child seat. When the acquired distance between the automotive door and the seat is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, the control method controls the seat to rotate automatically to an execution position.

Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus configured to assist driving of a vehicle by a driver who drives the vehicle: acquires, from at least one environment recognition device provided at a location other than the vehicle, measurement range data of the environment recognition device and measurement result data obtained by the environment recognition device; causes the measurement range data and the measurement result data visually recognizable by the vehicle's driver to be displayed on an image display in a superimposed manner on map data, a real space, or a captured image of the real space; and causes a display of a non-measurement range to be shifted to the display of the non-measurement range as time elapses when the measurement range of the environment recognition device in the real space changes. The display of the non-measurement range is a display of a range deviating from the measurement range and not being measured.

Abstract: The avionics computer, in particular a flight management system, comprises a processing unit configured to compare a first altitude with what is referred to as a threshold altitude, the first altitude corresponding to the altitude of a missed approach point relative to the runway, the threshold altitude being equal to the sum of a second altitude corresponding to the altitude of the runway and of a threshold crossing height, and to determine a terminal point that has an altitude equal to the threshold altitude and that forms, with the position of the missed approach point, a straight line segment that has a slope equal to the slope of the straight line segment defined by the missed approach point and a final approach fix, said terminal point being capable of being used as anchor point, the avionics computer thus having improved properties especially in terms of availability and robustness.

Abstract: A method, a system and a computer program product are provided for applying a neural network including an action sequence decoder for generating an action sequence for a robot to perform a task. The neural network is applied to generate the action sequence based on recordings demonstrating humans performing tasks. In an example, the method comprises collecting a recording and a sequence of captions describing scenes in the recording; extracting feature data from the recording; encoding the extracted feature data to produce a sequence of encoded features; and applying the action sequence decoder to produce a sequence of actions for the robot based on the sequence of encoded features having a semantic meaning corresponding to a semantic meaning of the sequence of captions. The feature data includes features of a video signal, an audio signal, and/or text transcription capturing a performance of the task.