Abstract: Implementations directed to providing a computer-implemented system for performing an action with a robot comprising receiving command information indicating a command related to performance of an action with a robot, identifying state information for a plurality of active routines that are actively running for the robot, the state information indicating a state for each of the active routines, determining contextual information for the command based on the accessed state information for the plurality of active routines, selecting one of the active routines as a handling routine to service the command based on the contextual information, determining an output module of the robot to perform the action based on the state of the handling routine and the contextual information, and executing one or more instructions to perform the action with the output module.

Abstract: A method for determining a response time of a brake of at least one assigned axis of a multi-axis machine includes actuating the axis, switching the brake, and determining a response time between a switching point in time and a response point in time at which a motion state of the axis changes. The method may further include opposing actuation of the axis while the brake is closed, and detecting a mechanical play between opposing maximum deflections of the axis. A method of operating or monitoring a multi-axis machine includes determining a response time and/or detecting mechanical play, and operating the machine or triggering a fault response based on the response time or mechanical play.

Abstract: A method for controlling powertrain of a machine not having a torque converter output speed sensor during a direction change of the machine is provided. The method includes retrieving a first desired engine speed value and a second desired engine speed value based on a detection of the direction change by a control module. The second desired engine speed value is determined based on a current gear setting of a gear shift lever and a desired gear setting of the gear shift lever. The method further includes determining the desired engine speed value based on a comparison between the first desired engine speed value and the second desired engine speed value by the control module. The control module is configured to identify a lower value of the first desired engine speed value and the second desired engine speed value as the desired engine speed value.

Abstract: A method of using an unmanned agricultural robot to generate an anticipatory geospatial data map of the positions of annual crop rows planted within a perimeter of an agricultural field, the method including the step of creating a geospatial data map of an agricultural field by plotting actual annual crop row positions in a portion of the geospatial data map that corresponds to a starting point observation window, and filling in a remainder of the geospatial data map with anticipated annual crop row positions corresponding to the annual crop rows outside of the starting point observation window, and refining the geospatial data map by replacing the anticipated annual crop row positions with measured actual annual crop row positions when an unexpected obstacle is encountered.

Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving training of sub-modules for autonomously controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes generating projected controls for autonomously controlling the vehicle through a driving scene by analyzing sensor data about the driving scene using an end-to-end (E2E) model. The E2E model is based, at least in part, on at least one of the sub-modules. The method includes training the E2E model according to the projected controls and labels for the sensor data that indicate expected controls for driving the vehicle through the driving scene. The method includes transferring electronic data of the E2E model into the at least one of the sub-modules associated with the E2E model to initialize the at least one of the sub-modules to improve operation of the at least one sub-modules at sub-tasks for autonomously controlling the vehicle.

Abstract: A system for gathering perception-data includes a transceiver and a controller-circuit. The transceiver is for installation on a host-vehicle. The transceiver is configured to receive perception-data from a perception-sensor installed on an assisting-vehicle proximate to the host-vehicle. The controller-circuit is in communication with the transceiver. The controller-circuit is configured to determine a preferred-perspective for gathering perception-data by the perception-sensor of the assisting-vehicle, and operate the transceiver to transmit a path-request to the assisting-vehicle that changes a planned-path of the assisting-vehicle to move the perception-sensor of the assisting-vehicle to the preferred-perspective.

Abstract: A steering control system for a vehicle that considers the limitations of at least one of the vehicle and the environment is contemplated. The steering control system can receive a vehicle characteristic, an environmental condition, a desired amount of turning, and a desired velocity of the vehicle. Based on some, or all of these parameters, the steering control system can determine at least one of a wheel torque, a wheel angle, a wheel camber, and a wheel suspension for a desired vehicle path to enhance vehicle performance.

Abstract: An actuation system to manipulate an interface in an aircraft having an actuation controller, a vision system, a robotic arm, and a housing. Each of the vision system and the robotic arm assembly may be operatively coupled to the actuation controller. The vision system may be configured to optically image a display device of the preexisting interface, while the robotic arm assembly may be configured to engage a user-actuable device of the preexisting interface. The housing can be configured to affix to a surface adjacent the preexisting interface, where each of the vision system and the robotic arm assembly are coupled to the housing. In operation, the actuation controller may be configured to instruct the robotic arm assembly based at least in part on data from the vision system.

Abstract: In one aspect, a vehicle includes an engine, a battery, a processor, and storage accessible to the processor. The storage bears instructions executable by the processor to identify a road feature and, at least in part based on the identification, apportion power between the engine and the battery to propel the vehicle.

Abstract: A robot control device includes a memory and a processor configured to acquire first environmental information regarding a surrounding environment of a robot, specify a first appropriate level associated with a first activity based on the first environmental information by referring to a control policy in which activity information on an activity which has been conducted by the robot, environmental information at a time of conduction of the activity, and appropriate level determined based on a reaction to the activity are associated with each other, and when the first appropriate level information of the first activity does not satisfy a specific condition, deter conduction of the first activity by the robot.

Abstract: Methods and systems for assessing, detecting, and responding to malfunctions involving components of autonomous vehicle and/or smart homes are described herein. Autonomous operation features and related components can be assessed using direct or indirect data regarding operation. Such assessment may be performed to determine the condition of components for salvage following a collision or other loss-event. To this end, the information regarding a plurality of components may be received. A component of the plurality of components may be identified for assessment. Assessment may including causing test signals to be sent to the identified component. In response to the test signal, one or more responses may be received. The received response may be compared to an expected response to determine whether the identified component is salvageable.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for a machine and process that include a computer code specially programmed for creating a runway extension speed for an aircraft taking off. The process may include sensing current location, current acceleration, and current speed, for the aircraft during takeoff roll; receiving, in a ROTTOWIRE, the current speed and the current acceleration for the aircraft; creating in the ROTTOWIRE an actual speed profile; creating, using a specially coded program in the ROTTOWIRE and the current acceleration, the runway extension speed via determining, for a current location of the aircraft, a distance from a departure end of the runway and a terminating distance required to terminate the takeoff to a stop of the aircraft on the runway, a distance until the aircraft reaches a designated height; and when the terminating distance equals the distance from the departure end of the runway; and presenting the runway extension speed.

Abstract: Provided are a real-time acceleration sensor calibration apparatus for measuring a movement of a vehicle and an acceleration sensor calibration method, the acceleration sensor calibration apparatus including an acceleration sensor configured to measure a triaxial acceleration value, a gyroscope configured to measure a triaxial angular velocity value, an acceleration data calibrator configured to primarily transform a vector of the measured acceleration value using a gravity vector calculated based on the triaxial acceleration value and the triaxial angular velocity value measured by the acceleration sensor and the gyroscope, and a communicator configured to transmit information related to the movement of the vehicle to a server based on calibrated acceleration data.

Abstract: A center-of-gravity-of-load position calculator is provided which determines the position of the center of gravity of a physical load held by a horizontal four-axis robot arm. The center-of-gravity-of-load position calculator moves horizontally move the physical load a plurality of times in conditions where positions of a fourth axis are different from each other and measures degrees of torque acting on the fourth axis during such movement to calculate given first and second parameters. The center-of-gravity-of-load position calculator calculates the position of the center of gravity of the physical load as a function of the first and second parameters. This achieves fast and easy calculation of the position of the center of gravity of the physical load.

Abstract: According to one or more embodiments described herein, a steer by wire steering system includes a pair of actuators, a handwheel actuator that provides a commanded position to a roadwheel actuator, which moves a rack of the vehicle to a rack position based on the commanded position from the handwheel actuator. The steer by wire steering system further includes a controller that generates a handwheel torque command, the handwheel actuator generates a feedback torque based on the handwheel torque command. The controller further computes a tracking error based on a difference between the commanded position and the rack position. The controller further determines a catch motor torque value using the tracking error. The controller further modifies the handwheel torque command using the catch motor torque, the handwheel actuator generates an amount of torque that is substantially a sum of the feedback torque and the catch motor torque.

Abstract: A submersible inspection device used for inspection of, for example, liquid cooled electrical transformers can include a number of separate cameras for imaging the internal structure of the transformer. The submersible can be configured to communicate to a base station using a number of wireless transmitters and receivers. Signals transmitted to the submersible include command signals useful to effect an action on the submersible but also a heartbeat signal to indicate health of the transmitted signal. A redundant channel selection logic is provided to switch from a channel which no longer receives a heartbeat to another channel that includes a current heartbeat. Multiple signals can be received and evaluated in software, and another signal received via a firmware radio.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing map information for determining a driving situation of a vehicle includes a processor configured to update a position of an own vehicle to a detailed map including lane information, configure a valid detailed map by selecting an effective region around the position of the own vehicle on the basis of the position of the own vehicle on the detailed map, and generate a road model according to a requested type of a vehicle device which has requested providing of map information, using the valid detailed map.

Abstract: A multi-anchor depth control system for a boat or other watercraft having a line for securing anchors to the boat, at least two anchors attached at or near opposing ends of the line, a depth finder, and a controller configured to automatically adjust the amount of line released from the boat to maintain the anchors on the floor of the body of water in which the boat is floating, based upon information obtained from the depth finder.

Abstract: A saddle-ride vehicle includes a forward travel sensor a brake that decelerates the vehicle by actuation of a rider-operable brake control. A controller identifies a trigger for an autonomous braking event for the brake. A rider sensor system is in electrical communication with the controller and includes one or both of: a rider cognition sensor operable to detect parameters of rider cognition and report rider cognition status to the controller, and a rider physical sensor operable to detect parameters of a physical engagement between a rider and the vehicle and report rider physical engagement status to the controller. The controller is programmed to perform one or both of the following in response to the identification of the autonomous braking event trigger: checking for a positive cognitive engagement of the rider with the rider cognition sensor, and checking for a positive physical engagement of the rider with the rider physical sensor.

Abstract: A trailer backup assist system for a vehicle reversing a trailer includes a sensor module adapted to attach to the trailer and generate a trailer yaw rate or a trailer speed. The trailer backup assist system also includes a vehicle sensor system that generates a vehicle yaw rate and a vehicle speed. Further, the trailer backup assist system includes a controller that estimates a hitch angle based on the trailer yaw rate or the trailer speed and the vehicle yaw rate and the vehicle speed in view of a kinematic relationship between the trailer and the vehicle.