Abstract: A motion dependency surgical robotic system (100) employs an independent robotic arm (20) including a first surgical instrument, a dependent robotic arm (21) including a second surgical instrument, and a motion dependency robot controller (104). In operation, the motion dependency robot controller (104) controls an independent motion of the independent robotic arm (20) within a coordinate space responsive to an input signal indicative of the motion of the independent robotic arm (20) within the coordinate space, and further controls a motion of the dependent robotic arm (21) within the coordinate space as a function of a spatial geometric relationship between the independent robotic arm (20) and the dependent robotic arm (21) within the coordinate space. The spatial geometric relationship defines a procedural synchronization between the independent robotic arm (20) and the dependent robotic arm (21) in a synchronized execution of a surgical task by the surgical instruments.

Abstract: Disclosed is a robot including a microphone configured to acquire a voice, a camera configured to acquire a first image including a gesture, and a controller configured to recognize the acquired voice, recognize a pointed position corresponding to the gesture included in the first image, control the camera to acquire a second image including the recognized pointed position, identify a pointed target included in the second image, and perform a control operation on the basis of the identified pointed target and a command included in the recognized voice.

Abstract: Methods and systems for assessing a robotic grasping technique. The system in accordance with various embodiments may include a warehouse management system for retrieving and storing items, a robotic manipulator for grasping an item, and analysis module configured to receive data regarding a first grasp attempt by the robotic manipulator and analyze the received data to determine whether the robotic manipulator successfully grasped the item.

Abstract: A robotic-arm apparatus may include a robotic hand dimensioned to approximate a size and movement of a user's hand. The robotic-arm apparatus may also include one or more tactile-sensing pads coupled to at least a portion of the robotic hand, wherein a tactile-sensing pad is configured to detect surface data about a surface in a real-world environment. Additionally, the robotic-arm apparatus may include an actuator configured to move the robotic hand to mimic a motion of a glove worn by the user's hand, wherein the glove is configured to provide haptic feedback corresponding to the surface data to the user's hand. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a universal connection interface between a robot and a plurality of modular attachments are disclosed. The connection interface includes a data connection and a dynamic amplifier configured to adjust output of at least one electromechanically coupled mechanical output; and a processor configured to control gain of the dynamic amplifier.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for repositioning a deformable laundry article are described. For example, a robotic device includes a conveyor configured to transfer the deformable laundry article outside of a work volume, two or more lifters including grippers individually anchored about the perimeter of the work volume, two or more sensors disposed at fixed locations about the work volume, and a memory storing data indicative of repositioned deformable laundry articles. A controller is in operative communication with the memory, the two or more sensors, and the two or more lifters. The controller is configured to receive a signal from the sensors, identify grip points on the deformable laundry article suspended above the conveyor, instruct a lifter to grip and lift an identified grip point to the suspension height, determine whether the deformable laundry article is repositioned, and instruct the lifters to lower the repositioned deformable laundry article onto the conveyor.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to performance recreation, and in particular, the recreation of observed human performance using reinforcement learning. In this regard, a first object is identified from a plurality of objects. The manipulation of the first object is tracked from a first position to a second position. A characterization of the manipulation is generated. A policy that controls a mechanical gripper to recreate the manipulation is generated based on an iteratively increasing cumulative award. The mechanical gripper iteratively recreates the manipulation to increase a cumulative award with each recreation.

Abstract: A flux sensing system includes a memory and a processor in communication with the memory and a sensing device, the memory storing a plurality of capabilities and a plurality of semantic fluxes associated with the plurality of capabilities. The computing system is configured to infer a semantic based on received inputs and route the inputs to the semantic fluxes based on semantic drift inference between their associated capabilities and inferred semantic. Further, it positions the sensing device for receiving the input from a user in an optimal manner.

Abstract: A method for object grasping can include: generating a set of keypoints for one or more detected objects in a scene; subdividing the set of keypoints into subsets, each corresponding to a subregion of a detected object; determining a graspability score for the subregion; determining a grasp location for the subregion; selecting a candidate grasp location; and optionally grasping an object using the candidate grasp location.

Abstract: A robot device includes: a robot; an operation control section; a sensor configured to detect a value related to a position of a control target portion of the robot; a low-speed position information acquisition section configured to acquire low-speed position information of the control target portion; a calibration section configured to perform calibration between the sensor and the robot by using the low-speed position information and a command position; and a learning control section configured to learn a correction amount that reduces a deviation between operation described in an operation program and an actual operation of the control target portion, by using a detection value of the sensor that is acquired when the robot is operated in accordance with the operation program, the low-speed position information or the command position, and calibration data acquired through the calibration.

Abstract: Device for plugging a plug-in region of an expansion board into a plug-in coupling including: a first interface providing the coupling; a second interface providing the board; a robot manipulator having an effector; and a controller controlling the robot manipulator to plug the region into the coupling, the controller configured to execute a program for the robot manipulator to perform operations including: picking up the board at the second interface using the effector; guiding the board along a trajectory and target orientation of the region to the coupling; carrying out tilting motions of the region until reaching or exceeding a limit value condition G1 for a torque acting on the effector and/or a limit value condition G2 of a force acting on the effector, and/or reaching or exceeding a force/torque signature and/or a position/velocity/acceleration signature at the effector, indicating completion of plugging the region into the coupling within predefined tolerances.

Abstract: A method for the surface treatment of an article (2) by means of a robotic device (3) comprising a robotic arm (5) and a spraying head (4) fitted on the robotic arm (5); the method comprises a learning step, during which the operator moves the spraying head (4) by means of a handling device (9) and the movements made by the spraying head (4) are stored by a storage unit (8); and a reproduction step, which is subsequent to the learning step and during which the robotic arm (5) is operated so that the spraying head (4) repeats the movements stored by the storage unit (8).

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for automatically moving a tool attached to a robotic manipulator from a start position to a goal position. The method includes determining, using a processor, a plurality of next possible positions from the start position. The method includes selecting a second position from the plurality of next possible positions based on respective costs associated with moving the tool from the start position to each of the possible positions in the plurality of next possible positions. The method includes moving, using a plurality of actuators, the tool to the second position. The method includes determining an updated plurality of next possible positions, selecting a next position, and moving the tool to the next position until the goal position is reached.

Abstract: Systems and methods for proximate robot object detection and avoidance are provided herein which include a receiver in electronic communication with an autonomous robot and configured to receive a broadcast message from a beacon, a processor, and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the autonomous robot to detect, based on the received broadcast message, a proximity of the beacon to the autonomous robot, determine, from the received broadcast message, a beacon status, the beacon status indicating whether the beacon is stationary, approaching the autonomous robot, or withdrawing from the autonomous robot, identify, according to the detected proximity and the determined beacon status, a corresponding proximity operation, and control the autonomous robot to stop an ordinary operation and operate according to the identified proximity operation.

Abstract: A hand control apparatus including an extracting unit extracting a grip pattern of an object having a shape closest to that of the object acquired by a shape acquiring unit from a storage unit storing and associating shapes of plural types of objects and grip patterns, a position and posture calculating unit calculating a gripping position and posture of the hand in accordance with the extracted grip pattern, a hand driving unit causing the hand to grip the object based on the calculated gripping position and posture, a determining unit determining if a gripped state of the object is appropriate based on information acquired by at least one of the shape acquiring unit, a force sensor and a tactile sensor, and a gripped state correcting unit correcting at least one of the gripping position and the posture when it is determined that the gripped state of the object is inappropriate.

Abstract: Systems and a method determine a sequence of joint values of an external axis along a sequence of targets. Inputs are received, including robot representation, tool representation, sequence of targets, kinematics of the axis joints, and/or type of robot-axis motion. For each target, it is generated at least one weight factor table representing, for each available configuration of the axis joint motion, a combined effort of the robot motion and the axis motion depending on the type of combined robot-axis motion. Valid weight factor values of the table are determined by simulating collision free trajectories for reaching the target. The sequence of joint values of the at least one external axis is determined by finding from the weight factor table a sequence of joint values for which the sum of their corresponding weight factors for reaching the target location sequence is minimized.

Abstract: An embodiment provides a method of controlling a pipe inspection robot, including: detecting, from a headset, brain activity of a user wearing the headset; binning the brain activity of the user into one of a plurality of different bins; the binning comprising accumulating brain activity values for a period of time to establish a brain activity value for the period of time; determining, using the brain activity value, if a threshold level of brain activity has accumulated over the period of time; after the threshold level has been accumulated, identifying a control action to be sent to the pipe inspection robot based on the brain activity value; and controlling the movement of the pipe inspection robot using a control signal associated with the control action. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for learning and embodying a human facial expression by a robot, in which human emotional indicators are allowed to match with servo motor parameter values of a robot and the robot automatically and mechanically learns a human expression to imitate the human expression.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing device including a passive ultrasonic sensor, a notification section that notifies a user, and a control section that, when detecting a feature indicating approach of an object learned in advance from sensor data detected by the ultrasonic sensor, controls the notification section to notify the user.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operating a robot, a data memory with a corresponding program code, the corresponding robot, and a corresponding robot system. Different coordinate system and their relationships to one another are used to position a tool in a target pose. A stationary reference coordinate system originating at a robot foot of the robot and a target coordinate system originating at the tool are specified. Herein, a z-axis of the target coordinate system corresponds to a specified axis of the tool. The orientations of an x-axis and a y-axis of the target coordinate system are calculated by a first cross product of the orientation of the specified axis and a direction vector, that is not parallel thereto, of coordinate axis of the reference coordinate system and by a second cross product of a result of the first cross product and the orientation of the specified axis.