Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a robotic surgical system are provided. The system includes a surgical tool, a manipulator comprising links for controlling the tool, a navigation system includes a tracker and a localizer to monitor a state of the tracker. Controller(s) determine a relationship between one or more components of the manipulator and one or more components of the navigation system by utilizing kinematic measurement data from the manipulator and navigation data from the navigation system. The controller(s) utilize the relationship to determine whether an error has occurred relating to at least one of the manipulator and the navigation system. The error is at least one of undesired movement of the manipulator, undesired movement of the localizer, failure of any one or more components of the manipulator or the localizer, and/or improper calibration data.

Abstract: Robotic surgery systems and methods of surgical robot operation are provided. A method of surgical robot operation includes moving a surgical instrument through a tissue using the surgical robot, where the surgical robot attempts to move the surgical instrument to a desired position. The method further includes measuring an actual position of the surgical instrument, and calculating a difference between the actual position and the desired position. The actual position of the surgical instrument is adjusted to the desired position using the surgical robot.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes identifying a force and torque for a robot to accomplish a task and identifying context of a portion of a movement plan indicating motion of the robot to perform the task. Based on the identified force, torque, and context, a context specific torque is determined for at least one aspect of the robot while the robot executes the portion of the movement plan. In turn, a control signal is generated for the at least one aspect of the robot to operate in accordance with the determined context specific torque.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a controller area network (CAN) and a plurality of a controllers in communication with each other via the CAN, wherein each controller of the plurality of controllers is configured to time-stamp messages transmitted via the CAN using a vehicle-wide synchronized clock, determine a worst-case transmission delay via the CAN based on the time-stamps for messages received from other controllers of the plurality of controllers, and based on the worse-case transmission delay, set a dynamic recovery timer for a malfunctioning controller of the plurality of controllers to recover after its malfunction, wherein the dynamic recovery timer prevents a particular controller that was malfunctioning but has since recovered from being incorrectly designated as a malfunctioning controller in need of service.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein relate to simulating edge-computing deployment in diverse terrains. One embodiment receives a layer-selection input specifying which layers among a plurality of layers in a simulation model of an edge-computing deployment are to be included in a simulation experiment; receives a set of input parameters for each of the layers specified by the layer-selection input, the set of input parameters for one of the layers specified by the layer-selection input including selection of a vehicular application whose performance in the edge-computing deployment is to be evaluated via the simulation experiment; executes the simulation experiment in accordance with the layer-selection input and the set of input parameters for each of the layers specified by the layer-selection input; and outputs, from the simulation experiment, performance data for the selected vehicular application in the edge-computing deployment.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for optimizing a plan for one or more robots using a process definition graph. One of the methods includes receiving a process definition graph for a robot, the process definition graph having a plurality of action nodes. One or more of the action nodes are motion nodes that represent a motion to be taken by the robot from a respective start location to an end location. It is determined that a motion node satisfies one or more splitting criteria, and in response to determining that the motion node satisfies the one or more splitting criteria, the process definition graph is modified. Modifying the process definition graph includes splitting the motion node into two or more separate motion nodes whose respective paths can be scheduled independently.

Abstract: There is provided a cleaning robot including a light source module, an image sensor and a processor. The light source module projects a line pattern and a speckle pattern toward a moving direction. The image sensor captures an image of the line pattern and an image of the speckle pattern. The processor calculates one-dimensional depth information according to the image of the line pattern and calculates two-dimensional depth information according to the image of the speckle pattern.

Abstract: A substrate transport device includes an arm, an end effector coupled to the arm, a driver configured to lift the arm so that the end effector receives a substrate, and a controller configured to control an output of the driver to set a lifting speed of the arm. A difference in height between the end effector and the arm is a position difference. A period from when the end effector contacts the substrate until the end effector completes reception of the substrate is a transition period. The controller sets an upper limit value of the lifting speed that decreases an amplitude of one of acceleration or jerk of the position difference in the transition period as compared to before the transition period to an upper limit value of the lifting speed for the transition period.

Abstract: A computer-assisted teleoperated system includes a pre-load assembly in an instrument manipulator that is under the control of a controller. The controller can automatically cause the preload assembly to engage and disengage a preload. A surgical apparatus includes an instrument manipulator assembly and a sterile adapter assembly. The sterile adapter assembly is mounted in the distal face of the instrument manipulator assembly. When the preload assembly configures the instrument manipulator assembly to apply a preload force on the sterile adapter assembly, the sterile adapter assembly is removable from the distal face of the instrument manipulator. The sterile adapter assembly includes a mechanical sterile adapter assembly removal lockout and a mechanical instrument removal lockout.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods by which robots predictively detect objects that may obstruct robotic tasks prior to the robots performing those tasks. For instance, a robot may receive a task, and may obtain dimensions of a task object based on a first identifier obtained with the task or with a sensor of the robot. The robot may determine a first boundary for moving the task object based on the task object dimensions and an added buffer of space that accounts for imprecise robotic operation. The robot may detect a second identifier of a neighboring object, and may obtain dimensions of the neighboring object using the second identifier. The robot may compute a second boundary of the neighboring object based on the dimensions of the neighboring object and a position of the second identifier, and may detect an obstruction based on the second boundary crossing into the first boundary.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described, and an example system includes a transport bin configured to carry a baggage item and having spatial reference frame marking detectable by electromagnetic scan and by machine vision. The system includes a robotic arm apparatus at an inspection area, and includes a switched path baggage conveyor that, responsive to electromagnetic scan detection of an object-of-interest (OOI) within the baggage item, conveys the transport bin to the inspection area. The electromagnetic scan generates OOI geometric position information indicating geometric position of the OOI relative to the spatial reference frame marking. The robotic arm apparatus, responsive to receiving the transport bin, uses machine vision to detect orientation of the spatial reference frame marking, then translates OOI geometric position information to local reference frame, for robotic opening of the baggage item, and robotic accessing and contact swab testing on the OOI.

Abstract: A first sensitivity level is used to interpret an input signal received from an input device in a vehicle while the vehicle is in a first region. A second sensitivity level is used to interpret the input signal received from the input device in the vehicle while the vehicle is in a second region, wherein the second sensitivity level is greater than the first sensitivity level.

Abstract: A display part of a mobile terminal displays an operation program. The operation program includes an operation icon indicating an operation of a robot or an operation tool, and an auxiliary icon having a shape sandwiching the operation icon. The auxiliary icon indicates control of adding an operation of the robot apparatus. The display part is configured to display a screen configured to set setting information related to the operation of the robot apparatus in such a manner that as operator is enabled to set the setting information. The display part displays the operation icon and the auxiliary icon so as to align the operation icon and the auxiliary icon in order of the operations of the robot apparatus.

Abstract: A vehicle or another object is grasped by a robotic arm of a handling system and caused to undergo one or more movements or manipulations resulting in a change of position, orientation, velocity or acceleration of the vehicle. Sensors provided in the robotic arm capture data representative of forces or torques imparted upon the robotic arm by the vehicle during or after the movement, or power or energy levels of vibration resulting from the movement. A signature representative of an inertial or vibratory response of the vehicle to the movement is derived based on the data. The signature may be compared to a baseline signature similarly derived for a vehicle that is known to be structurally and aerodynamically sound. If the signature is sufficiently similar to the baseline signature, the vehicle may also be determined to be structurally and aerodynamically sound.

Abstract: Systems and methods for classifying at least a portion of an image as being textured or textureless are presented. The system receives an image generated by an image capture device, wherein the image represents one or more objects in a field of view of the image capture device. The system generates one or more bitmaps based on at least one image portion of the image. The one or more bitmaps describe whether one or more features for feature detection are present in the at least one image portion, or describe whether one or more visual features for feature detection are present in the at least one image portion, or describe whether there is variation in intensity across the at least one image portion. The system determines whether to classify the at least one image portion as textured or textureless based on the one or more bitmaps.

Abstract: Vehicle driver assistance and warning systems that alert a driver of a vehicle to wrong-way driving and/or imminent traffic control measures (TCMs) are disclosed. The system will identify a region of interest around the vehicle, access a vector map that includes the region of interest, and extract lane segment data associated with lane segments that are within the region of interest. The system will analyze the lane segment data and the vehicle's direction of travel to determine whether motion of the vehicle indicates that either: (a) the vehicle is traveling in a wrong-way direction for its lane; or (b) the vehicle is within a minimum stopping distance to an imminent TCM in its lane. When the system detects either condition, it will cause a driver warning system of the vehicle to output a driver alert.

Abstract: A device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an on-vehicle control device configured to control a traveling speed of a vehicle including the on-vehicle control device. The on-vehicle control device includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a present light color of a traffic light unit installed at an intersection; a calculation unit configured to calculate an avoidance position and an avoidance speed with respect to a dilemma zone at a time when yellow light starts; and a control unit configured to execute a first deceleration process of reducing the traveling speed of the vehicle at the avoidance position to a speed equal to or lower than the avoidance speed, in a case where a present position of the vehicle is on an upstream side relative to the avoidance position and the present light color is green.

Abstract: A handling apparatus has an arm having a joint; a holding portion attached to the arm and configured to hold an object; a sensor configured to detect a plurality of the objects; and a control apparatus configured to control the arm and the holding portion, wherein the control apparatus is configured to calculate an ease of holding the object by the holding portion as a score based on information acquired by the sensor with respect to each object and each holding method, select the object to hold and the holding method according to the score, and calculate a position for holding the selected object and an orientation of the arm.

Abstract: Provided is an autonomous driving assistance system for vehicles that has redundancy without posing any problem in diversity. The autonomous driving assistance system includes: a sensor configured to acquire surroundings information; a downstream device including an actuator configured to control a vehicle; and a driving assistance device configured to calculate a control amount for the downstream device on the basis of the surroundings information. The downstream device further includes a diagnosis unit configured to: perform comparison between at least two control amounts that include the control amount calculated in the driving assistance device and a control amount calculated in the downstream device on the basis of the surroundings information; and determine, if the control amounts are equal to each other, that the control amounts are normal, and determine, if the control amounts are different from each other, that the control amounts are abnormal.

Abstract: Control systems and methods for operating a robot are disclosed. The control system includes a robot comprising a fixed end and a manipulator movable relative to the fixed end. The robot is configured to move an elongated tool attached to an end effector of the manipulator within a robot space for aligning the elongated tool with an occluded target, wherein the robot space comprises a 3-dimensional (3D) space with the fixed end as a center. The control system further includes a processor communicatively coupled with the robot and a 3D imaging device. The 3D imaging device is configured to capture 3D images within an imaging space, wherein the imaging space comprises a 3D space with a fixed reference point on the 3D imaging device as a center. The processor is configured to process a preliminary 3D image of the end effector captured by the 3D imaging device to calibrate the robot by integrating the robot space with the imaging space.