Abstract: A method and device for dispatching service robots are disclosed. The method comprises: receiving a current task in real time, and acquiring effective robots matched with the current task in a working area according to a preset judging rule based on the current task; and selecting an optimum robot from the effective robots according to the current task and a preset dispatching rule, and sending the current task to the optimum robot, to execute a job corresponding to the current task; and adding the current task to a task set corresponding to the optimum robot. The present disclosure solves the problem of the conventional service robots of low work efficiency in use.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to providing a large variety of robot personalities. In certain aspects, a robot personality may be represented as a personality location in a personality space, which may be a continuous unidimensional or multidimensional space. The dimensions of the personality space may be based on one or more factors. Based on the personality location, an affective state may be maintained for the robot, which may be represented as an affect location in an affect space. The affect location may be updated based on one or more inputs. Accordingly, robot expressions may be influenced based upon the affect location, which in turn is affected by the personality of the robot in the personality space.

Abstract: A robotic system has a plurality of user selectable operating modes. To select one of the operating modes, a user performs a distinguishing action which uniquely identifies a desired operating mode among the plurality of user selectable operating modes. A method implemented by a processor in the robotic system identifies the distinguishing action and places the robotic system in the user selected operating mode.

Abstract: A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulated instruments extending out of its distal end. A controller is configured to command manipulation of one of the articulated instruments towards a state commanded by operator manipulation of an input device while commanding sensory feedback to the operator indicating a difference between the commanded state and a preferred pose of the articulated instrument, so that the sensory feedback serves to encourage the operator to return the articulated instrument back to its preferred pose.

Abstract: An autonomous aerial vehicle includes a flight controller and a mission manager in communication with the flight controller. The flight controller is configured to navigate the autonomous aerial vehicle. The mission manager is configured to receive mission data. The mission data identifies both a landing zone and a designated touchdown zone located within the landing zone. The mission manager is further configured to provide flight control data to the flight controller. The flight control data causes the flight controller to navigate the autonomous aerial vehicle to a predetermined distance from the landing zone. The mission manager is further configured to determine, subsequent to the autonomous aerial vehicle reaching the predetermined distance, whether landing at the designated touchdown zone is feasible.

Abstract: An online system builds a high definition (HD) map for a geographical region based on sensor data captured by a plurality of autonomous vehicles driving through a geographical region. The autonomous vehicles detect map discrepancies based on differences in the surroundings observed using sensor data compared to the high definition map and send messages describing these map discrepancies to the online system. The online system updates existing occupancy maps to improve the accuracy of the occupancy maps (OMaps), and to thereby improve passenger and pedestrian safety. While vehicles are in motion, they can continuously collect data about their surroundings. When new data is available from the various vehicles within a fleet, this can be updated in a local representation of the occupancy map and can be passed to the online HD map system (e.g., in the cloud) for updating the master occupancy map shared by all of the vehicles.

Abstract: A system for detecting and displaying an external force applied to a robot. Magnitude and direction of the detected external force are displayed by an image for visual and intuitive understanding. A robot system includes a robot; a detection section for detecting an external force applied to the robot; a conversion section for converting magnitude and direction of the external force detected by the detection section into a coordinate value of a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system; an image generating section for generating a force model image representing the magnitude and direction of the external force by a graphic, with use of the coordinate value obtained by the conversion section; and a display section for three-dimensionally displaying the force model image generated by the image generating section.

Abstract: A method and device of processing vehicle passing records, which increase the accuracy of vehicle stop point analysis. The method includes: obtaining a plurality of vehicle passing records of a preset target object during a first preset time period (S102), wherein, the vehicle passing records include a gate number of a gate that the preset target object passes and vehicle passing time when passing the gate; obtaining a plurality of vehicle trajectories of the preset target object based on the plurality of vehicle passing records (S104); performing stop point pre-processing on the vehicle trajectories to obtain pre-processed results (S106); obtaining pre-processed records that meet a first preset condition from the pre-processed results (S108); performing clustering processing on the pre-processed records to obtain clustering processing results; outputting the clustering processing results (S110).

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus of a vector control system that drives and controls a motor by an inverter and applies an assist torque to a steering system of a vehicle, including the first compensation function to perform a dead time (DT) compensation based on respective phase motor terminal voltages and respective phase duty command values, the second compensation function to perform a DT compensation based on steering assist command values, the third compensation function to perform the DT compensation based on dq-axis current command values, and a temperature detecting section to detect temperature of ECU, wherein the correction of the DT compensation is performed based on the temperature, wherein switches of the compensation functions are performed by using a conditional branch due to software and a gradual-changing switch, wherein the dq-axis DT compensation values after the conditional branch and the gradual-changing switch are performed are calculated, and wherein the dq-axis voltage command val

Abstract: Systems and related methods control movement of an end effector. A method of controlling movement of an end effector includes receiving, by a controller, a command to close or open an end effector that includes a first jaw member, a second jaw member, a wrist, and an instrument shaft. In response to the command, the controller controls movement of the end effector to simultaneously move the first jaw member relative to the second jaw member and actuate the wrist to orient the end effector so that at least one of a position and an orientation of a reference aspect of the end effector is substantially maintained in space.

Abstract: A multi-bar linkage includes a driving unit that is configured to supply torque to a driving shaft, where the driving shaft is provided on a first portion of a first link. A driving arm has one end fixed to the driving shaft and an opposite end being movable following rotation of the driving shaft. A first auxiliary link has one end pivotably connected to the opposite end of the driving arm. A second auxiliary link is pivotably connected to a first point of a second portion of the first link and to an opposite end of the first auxiliary link. A second link is disposed below the first link and pivotably connected to the second auxiliary link. A third auxiliary link has one end pivotably connected to a second point of the second portion of the first link, separated from the first point, and an opposite end pivotably connected to the second link.

Abstract: A monitoring and diagnostics system for a machine having a plurality of rotating components includes a powertrain with a plurality of rotating components and a vibration sensor. The vibration sensor include a vibration sensor element and a sensor controller. The vibration sensor is disposed adjacent one of the plurality of rotating components. The vibration sensor element is configured to generate raw vibration data indicative of vibrations of the vibration sensor element. The sensor controller is configured to access a vibration threshold, access a time threshold, receive the raw vibration data from the vibration sensor element, generate condition indicators based upon the raw vibration data; compare the condition indicators to the vibration threshold, and if the condition indicators exceed the vibration threshold for a time exceeding the time threshold, transmit a predetermined amount of raw vibration data to a remote system remote from the machine.

Abstract: A method and a system stream robot tool center point position to external processors at high frequency. The method includes the steps of: reading robot joint encoder data using an Interrupt Service Routine in the robot controller; calculating tool center point position based on the encoder data; and sending the calculated position data to a network socket in a high priority task. The method achieves tool center point and/or joint position communication at fast and consistent time intervals, as compared to much longer times for prior art methods. A downstream device, such as a processor or controller for another machine, reads the communicated tool center point and/or joint position data and uses it to control the operations of its own device. High speed motion command streaming from outside processors can be used in a similar way to control the robot.

Abstract: A control device controls the arm such that a first contacting operation of setting an object to a first orientation and bringing the object into contact with an inserted object is performed, and an inserting operation of setting the object to a second orientation different from the first orientation and inserting the object by moving the object in a first direction is performed. Between the first contacting operation and the inserting operation, the control device performs a second contacting operation of bringing the object and the inserted object into contact in a portion different from a contact portion in the first contacting operation by performing force control such that a component of a target force in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction is set to a value greater than 0 based on an output from the force sensor at an orientation at which the object is tilted.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for positioning a camera of a surgical robotic system to capture images inside a body cavity of a patient during a medical procedure are disclosed. In some embodiments, the method involves receiving location information at a controller of a surgical robotic system performing the medical procedure, the location information defining a location of at least one tool with respect to a body cavity frame of reference, and in response to receiving an align command signal at the controller, causing the controller to produce positioning signals operable to cause the camera to be positioned within the body cavity frame of reference to capture images of the at least one tool for display to an operator of the surgical robotic system.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method and an apparatus for controlling a mobile robot. A specific embodiment of the method comprises: generating pedestrian assessment information based on perception information of the mobile robot, wherein the pedestrian assessment information includes a pedestrian intent type and a pedestrian event type of the nearby pedestrian; then, generating pedestrian behavior information based on the perception information and the pedestrian assessment information, wherein the pedestrian behavior information includes a predicted position information sequence and a predicted behavior type sequence of the nearby pedestrian in a preset future time period; next, generating information for control use based on the perception information, the pedestrian assessment information and the pedestrian behavior information; finally, and controlling the mobile robot based on the information for control use. This embodiment improves a social acceptance of the mobile robot.

Abstract: A sensor detection error at a joint of a robot arm is correctly detected. A joint structure that joins links and of a robot arm includes a sensor for determining force acting between the links. A driving apparatus that generates a driving force of a joint includes first and second driving parts. A constraining part that constrains the joint movable in a driving direction of the joint and be unmovable in another direction includes first and second supporting parts that are movable relative to each other in the driving direction of the joint. The driving part of the driving apparatus is fixed to the link, and the supporting part of the constraining part is fixed to the link. Also, the supporting part of the constraining part is fixed to the driving part of the driving apparatus. The sensor is fixed so as to link the supporting part and the link.

Abstract: A method is provided to generate vehicle lane speed patterns. A method may include: receiving probe data from a plurality of probes, where the probe data includes probe data point location and heading; matching probe data points to a road segment to generate map-matched probe data points; analyzing the probe data relative to the road segment to establish a multi-modal distribution of probe data representing a distance of the probe data points from a pre-defined reference position of the road segment; matching the analyzed probe data points to individual lanes of the road segment, where peaks in the established multi-modal distribution are associated with individual lanes; and generating a vehicle lane speed pattern for each lane of the road segment based on a speed associated with probe data that is map-matched to the individual lanes.

Abstract: An autonomous mobile object includes: a moving mechanism; a power-receiving terminal that is supplied with power from a power-supply terminal; an imaging unit configured to image the power-supply terminal at a position separated from the power-supply terminal by more than a distance at which the power-receiving terminal is capable of being supplied with power from the power-supply terminal; a determination unit configured to determine whether to remove contamination of the power-supply terminal based on an analysis result obtained by analyzing the image captured by the imaging unit and information on misalignment between the power-supply terminal and the power-receiving terminal, the misalignment being predicted when the autonomous mobile object moves to a position at which the power-receiving terminal is capable of being supplied with power from the power-supply terminal; and a removal unit configured to remove the contamination when the determination unit determines to remove the contamination.

Abstract: A method for controlling a human-robot collaboration (HRC) system wherein the HRC system includes at least one manipulator having an end effector. The method includes using the end effector in a first operating mode, wherein the end effector is operated with reduced power; monitoring whether a desired object is manipulated when the end effector is used in the first operating mode; and increasing the power used to operate the end effector in order to use the end effector in a second operating mode when the monitoring indicates that the desired object is being manipulated.