Abstract: A robot in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present technology includes a torso having a superior portion, an inferior portion, and an intermediate portion therebetween. The robot further includes two legs connected to the torso via the inferior portion of the torso, two arms connected to the torso via the superior portion of the torso, and a protrusion also connected to the torso via the inferior portion of the torso and extending anteriorly from the torso. The robot is configured to move an object toward the torso at least partially via contact between the object and at least one of the arms. The robot is further configured to support a weight of the object at least partially via the protrusion while the robot ambulates via the legs.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for controlling an autonomous vehicle to enter a driveway. As an example, an instruction to pickup or drop off a passenger at a location may be received. It may be determined that the vehicle is arriving in a lane on an opposite side of a street as the location, the lane having a traffic direction opposite to a traffic direction of a lane adjacent to the location. A difficulty score to maneuver the vehicle to the lane adjacent to the location may be determined, and the difficulty score may be compared to a predetermined difficulty score. Based on the comparison, it may be determined to an available driveway on the same side of the street as the location. The vehicle may be controlled to enter the available driveway.

Abstract: A method for autonomously servicing a first cleaning component of a battery-operated mobile device, including: inferring, with a processor of the mobile device, a value of at least one environmental characteristic based on sensor data captured by a sensor disposed on the mobile device; actuating, with a controller of the mobile device, a first actuator interacting with the first cleaning component to at least one of: turn on, turn off, reverse direction, and increase or decrease in speed such that the first cleaning component engages or disengages based on the value of at least one environmental characteristic or at least one user input received by an application of a smartphone paired with the mobile device; and dispensing, by a maintenance station, water from a clean water container of the maintenance station for washing the first cleaning component when the mobile device is docked at the maintenance station.

Abstract: The robot teaching method includes a pre-registration step, robot operation step, and teaching step. The pre-registration step is for specifying a relative self-position of a measuring device with respect to surrounding environment by measuring the surrounding environment using the measuring device, and registering an environment teaching point that is a teaching point of the robot specified using the relative self-position. The robot operation step for automatically operating the robot so that the relative self-position of the robot with respect to the surrounding environment become equal to the environment teaching point in a state where the measuring device is attached to the robot. The teaching step for registering a detection value of a position and a posture of the robot measured by an internal sensor as teaching information in a state where the relative self-position of the robot with respect to the surrounding environment become equal to the environment teaching point.

Abstract: A machine-learning control system is trained to perform a task using a simulation. The simulation is governed by parameters that, in various embodiments, are not precisely known. In an embodiment, the parameters are specified with an initial value and expected range. After training on the simulation, the machine-learning control system attempts to perform the task in the real world. In an embodiment, the results of the attempt are compared to the expected results of the simulation, and the parameters that govern the simulation are adjusted so that the simulated result matches the real-world attempt. In an embodiment, the machine-learning control system is retrained on the updated simulation. In an embodiment, as additional real-world attempts are made, the simulation parameters are refined and the control system is retrained until the simulation is accurate and the control system is able to successfully perform the task in the real world.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an information processing portion. The information processing portion is configured to accept registration of first teach data and second teach data such that the first teach data and the second teach data are associated with each other. The first teach data is related to a robot arm. The second teach data is related to a peripheral apparatus disposed around the robot arm.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a robot traveling device including a body part, a moving part that slidably moves in a longitudinal direction of the body part, a front end traveling part that is rotatably mounted on the body part and the moving part and is rotatable by contact friction, and a rear end traveling part that is rotatably mounted on the body part and the moving part and is rotatable by contact friction.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems, robots, and methods for organizing and selecting classifiers of a library of classifiers. The classifiers of the library of classifiers can be organized in a relational model, such as a hierarchy or probability model. Instead of storing, activating, or executing the entire library of classifiers at once by a robot system, computational resource demand is reduced by executing subset of classifiers to determine context, and the determined context is used as a basis for selection of another subset of classifiers. This process can be repeated, to iteratively refine context and select more specific subsets of classifiers. A selected subset of classifiers can eventually be specific to a task to be performed by the robot system, such that the robot system can take action based on output from executing such specific classifiers.

Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a processor. The processor is configured to receive a first requested value of acceleration acting on a vehicle from a first system configured to request holding a stopped state of the vehicle. The processor is configured to receive a second requested value of the acceleration from a second system. The processor is configured to select one of the first requested value and the second requested value as an arbitration result. The processor is configured to set a priority for selecting the first requested value lower than a priority for selecting the second requested value when the processor acquires predetermined information from one of the first system and the second system while the vehicle is stopped.

Abstract: A cruise control algorithm including receiving a set speed and a minimum speed, generating a first control signal indicative of a first engine torque request, controlling a vehicle to maintain the set speed in response to the first engine torque request, detecting a vehicle pitch, detecting the vehicle speed, generating a second control signal indicative of the first engine torque request in response to the vehicle pitch being greater than zero degrees and the vehicle speed being greater than the minimum speed, controlling the vehicle to maintain a first engine torque in response to the first engine torque request, generating a third control signal indicative of a second engine torque request in response to the vehicle pitch being greater than zero degrees and the vehicle speed being less than the minimum speed, and controlling the vehicle to maintain the minimum speed in response to the third engine torque request.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method, performed by an electronic device, of obtaining location information of the electronic device, the method including obtaining at least one image captured by the electronic device, identifying a plurality of feature points included in the at least one image, obtaining a plurality of distances between the plurality of feature points and the electronic device, obtaining location information of the plurality of feature points, generating a plurality of circles having the obtained distances as radii and having the plurality of feature points as centers, based on the location information of the plurality of feature points, and obtaining location information of the electronic device based on a point where the plurality of circles overlap each other.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems, robots, and methods for organizing and selecting classifiers of a library of classifiers. The classifiers of the library of classifiers can be organized in a relational model, such as a hierarchy or probability model. Instead of storing, activating, or executing the entire library of classifiers at once by a robot system, computational resource demand is reduced by executing subset of classifiers to determine context, and the determined context is used as a basis for selection of another subset of classifiers. This process can be repeated, to iteratively refine context and select more specific subsets of classifiers. A selected subset of classifiers can eventually be specific to a task to be performed by the robot system, such that the robot system can take action based on output from executing such specific classifiers.

Abstract: A robotic device including one or more proximity sensing systems coupled to various portions of a robot body. The proximity sensing systems detect a distance of an object about the robot body and the robotic device reacts based on the detected distance. The proximity sensing systems obtain a three-dimensional (3D) profile of the object to determine a category of the object. The distance of the object is detected multiple times in a sequence to determine a movement path of the object.

Abstract: A teaching method for generating an operation program of a robot based on an operation in which an operator sequentially moves a plurality of objects to an arrangement region and arranges the objects so as to form a target arrangement pattern, the teaching method including an imaging step of imaging the object moved to the arrangement region in the operation, a recognizing step of recognizing a position of the object imaged in the imaging step, an estimating step of estimating candidate arrangement patterns based on the position of the object recognized in the recognizing step, and a display step of displaying the candidates estimated in the estimating step.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a master-slave robot arm control system and method. The control method includes steps of: (a) providing a master and a slave robot arms; (b) executing a robot arm demonstration task, wherein the step (b) includes steps of: (b1) utilizing the slave robot arm to output a force feedback; (b2) generating an action command by operating the master robot arm; (b3) calculating and generating a movement command; (b4) controlling the slave robot arm to move and to generate a movement trajectory and the force feedback correspondingly; (c) repeating the step (b) to collect a plurality of movement trajectories of the slave robot arm; (d) utilizing a statistic module to analyze the plurality of movement trajectories; (e) generating an optimized trajectory of the slave robot arm; and (f) controlling the slave robot arm to execute a robot arm task.

Abstract: A vehicle includes: a secondary battery configured to supply electric power for travel driving; a first communication unit configured to communicate with a server device and uploads information on the state of the secondary battery to the server device; a display unit configured to display images; and a display control unit configured to cause the display unit to display an image in which a deterioration degree of the secondary battery with respect to a mileage or the number of years run with respect to the vehicle can be compared with the result of statistically processing the deterioration degree of the secondary batteries with respect to a mileage or the number of years run with respect to other vehicles on the basis of the information that the first communication unit has received from the server device.

Abstract: A robotic system is disclosed. The system includes a communication interface that receives, from a sensor(s) deployed in a workspace, sensor data indicative of a current state of the workspace, the workspace comprising a pallet or other receptacle and a plurality of items stacked on or in the receptacle. The system includes one or more processors that control a robotic arm to place a first set of items on or in, or remove the first set of items from, the pallet or other receptacle, update a geometric model based on the first set of items placed on or in a receptacle, use the geometric model in combination with the sensor data to estimate a stack of one or more items on or in the receptacle, and use the estimated state to generate or update a plan to control the robotic arm to place a second set of items.

Abstract: This disclosure sets forth a robotic end effector for acquiring and managing an article, such as an item of luggage. The robotic end effector can include an extendable arm comprising a first support member, a capture device comprising a guide member having a plurality of apertures formed therein with a rod slideably supported in each aperture of the guide member. The capture device can further include a biasing member associated with one or more rods and being configured to bias the one or more rods in a first direction relative to the guide member. The article interface system can include an actuatable article engagement device. The actuatable article engagement device can itself include an article interface surface. The actuatable article engagement device can be operated to interface with an article to facilitate movement of the article toward the capture device.

Abstract: A forklift includes a vehicle body, a fork that mounts a pallet, and a sensor provided in an insertion portion of the fork. The forklift inserts the insertion portion into an insertion opening, while moving the fork. When the sensor detects a proximity state, in which the insertion portion has approached a facing surface to such an extent that a distance between the insertion portion and the facing surface is less than or equal to a specified value, the forklift executes a stopping process that stops movement of the fork. The forklift executes an avoidance process that tilts and vertically moves, after the stopping process, the fork to separate the insertion portion away from the facing surface such that a position of the insertion portion with respect to an entrance of the insertion opening does not change in an up-down direction of the vehicle body.

Abstract: A robotic work tool system (200) for defining a stay-out area (120) within a work area (150). The stay-out area (120) is an area which is to be excluded from the work area (150) in which a robotic work tool (100) is subsequently intended to operate. The robotic work tool system (200) comprises a boundary definition unit (130) comprising at least one position unit (175) configured to receive position data and at least one controller (110, 210). The controller (110, 210) is configured to receive a stay-out area definition trigger signal, which indicates that the boundary definition unit (130) has approached the stay-out area to be defined. The controller (110, 210) is further configured to receive, based on the received signal, position data indicating the present position of the boundary definition unit (130) from the position unit (175). The controller (110, 210) is further configured to define the stay-out area (120) as an area centered at an offset from the received position data.