Abstract: A system of fall back flight control configured for use in electric aircraft includes an input control configured to receive a pilot input and generate a control datum. System includes a flight controller communicatively coupled to the input control and configured to receive the control datum and generate an output datum. The system includes the actuator having a primary mode in which the actuator is configured to move the at least a portion of the electric aircraft as a function of the output datum and a fall back mode in which the actuator is configured to move the at least a portion of the aircraft as a function of the control datum. The actuator configured to receive the control datum, receive the output datum, detect a loss of communication with the flight controller, and select the fall back mode as a function of the detection.

Abstract: A lifetime estimation device for a robot including a linear-motion mechanism including a guide member and at least one slider moving along the guide member includes: a load calculation unit that calculates, at predetermined time intervals, a load acting on each slider on a basis of a program for operating the robot and geometric parameters of the robot and a load mounted on the robot; a travel-distance calculation unit that calculates travel distances of the slider at the time intervals; a lifetime calculation unit that calculates a lifetime of the linear-motion mechanism on a basis of the loads calculated by the load calculation unit and the travel distances calculated by the travel-distance calculation unit; and a display unit that displays the calculated lifetime.

Abstract: A tactile sensor including a cap having a top surface and an undersurface. The undersurface includes pins, each pin has a mark. A portion of the undersurface is attachable to a device. A camera positioned in view of the marks, captures images of the marks placed in motion by elastic deformation of the top surface of the cap. A processor receives the captured images and determines a set of relative positions of the marks in the captured images, by identifying measured image coordinates of locations in images of the captured images. Determine a net force tensor acting on the top surface using a stored machine vision algorithm, by matching the set of relative positions of the marks to a stored set of previously learned relative positions of the marks placed in motion. Control the device via a controller in response to the net force tensor determined in the processor.

Abstract: A fly-by-wire system for a rotorcraft includes a computing device having control laws. The control laws are operable to engage a level-and-climb command in response to a switch of a pilot control assembly being selected. The level-and-climb command establishes a roll-neutral (“wings level”) attitude with the rotorcraft increasing altitude. The switch may be disposed on a collective control of the pilot control assembly (e.g., a button on a grip of the collective control). Selection of the switch may correspond to a button depress. The level-and-climb command may include a roll command and a collective pitch command. One or more control laws may be further operable to increase or decrease forward airspeed in response to pilot engagement of the level-and-climb command. The level-and-climb command may correspond to a go-around maneuver, an abort maneuver, or an extreme-attitude-recovery maneuver to be performed by the rotorcraft.

Abstract: An information-processing device includes a first controller configured to determine the number of users using a vehicle that enters or leaves a parking lot or a weight of the vehicle and a second controller configured to determine a position where the vehicle is stopped within a predetermined area of the parking lot on the basis of the number of users or the weight determined by the first controller.

Abstract: A distributed control system with supplemental attitude adjustment including an aircraft control having an engaged state and a disengaged state. The system also including a plurality of flight components and a plurality of aircraft components communicatively connected to the plurality of flight components, wherein each aircraft component is configured to receive an aircraft command and generate a response command directing the flight components as a function of supplemental attitude. The supplemental attitude based at least in part on the engagement datum and generating a supplemental attitude includes choosing a position supplemental attitude if the aircraft control is disengaged and choosing a velocity supplemental attitude if the aircraft control is engaged. In generating the response command, the aircraft attitude is combined with the supplemental attitude to obtain an aggregate attitude, and the aircraft component is configured to generate the response command based on the aggregate attitude.

Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) receives location information describing geographic boundaries of a polygonal no-fly zone (“NFZ”), the NFZ having a plurality of virtual walls each associated with a geographic line segment. The UAV identifies a closest and a second closest virtual wall of the plurality of virtual walls of the NFZ to a geographic location of the UAV. The UAV determines a first distance from the location of the UAV to a portion of the closest virtual wall nearest to the location of the UAV and a second distance from the location of the UAV to a portion of the second closest virtual wall nearest to the location of the UAV. In response to the first and/or second determined distances being less than a threshold distance, the UAV modifies a velocity and/or a trajectory of the UAV such that the UAV does not cross the virtual walls.

Abstract: A robot system includes a holding compartment configured to transport one or more items and an electronic control unit having a processor and a non-transitory computer readable memory including a machine-readable instruction set. The robot system further includes a camera for capturing image data of an environment of the holding compartment and a robotic arm each communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit. The machine-readable instruction set causes the processor to receive image data of the environment of the holding compartment from the camera, determine a set of handling instructions for an item collected by the robotic arm, determine a location within the holding compartment for placing the item collected by the robotic arm based on the image data of the environment of the holding compartment and the set of handling instructions, and manipulate the robotic arm to place the item within the holding compartment at the determined location.

Abstract: A parallel-series connection walking robot and a construction method thereof. The parallel-series connection walking robot mainly comprises leg mechanisms A and B; one leg mechanism A is a parallel-series connection leg mechanism (3); the other leg mechanism B is a parallel-series connection leg mechanism (3) or a foot parallel-connection mechanism (1); and the parallel-series connection leg mechanism (3) is formed of a thigh mechanism (3.2) and a foot parallel-connection mechanism (3.1) through serial connection. The two leg mechanisms have a combination of a specific DOF; upper portions of the two leg mechanisms are fixedly connected together; all members are comprised by and intersected with each other, but have independent activity spaces, respectively; and projections of the triangles formed by toes of the two leg mechanisms on a horizontal plane overlap with each other.

Abstract: A cutting unit for an agricultural working machine and a method for adjusting the cutting unit are disclosed. The cutting unit comprises a support body, a cutting device on the support body, a front suspension arranged on the support body on a first half of the cutting unit and has at least one wheel that rotates about a front axle and a rear suspension on the support body on a second half of the cutting unit and has at least two wheels that rotate about a rear axle, the front suspension and the rear suspension being rotatable about a respective rotary axis relative to the support body so that the front and rear suspensions can each be transferred between a transport position and a working position. The front suspension and the rear suspension, when in their respective working position, are moved relative to the support body between a high position and a low position.

Abstract: There is disclosed in one example a flight control computer for a rotary aircraft, including: a first interface to communicatively couple to a flight control input; a second interface to communicatively couple to flight geometry actuators; a data source; a multi-dimensional lookup table including a data structure to correlate flight control inputs to flight geometry actuator outputs according to a third-factor; and circuitry and logic instructions to: receive an input via the first interface; query the data source for the third-factor; query the multi-dimensional lookup table for a control input modifier according to the flight control input and the third-factor; and compute and send via a third interface a flight geometry output according to the control input modifier.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a computer-implemented method and system for immobilization of machines capable of moving are disclosed. The method for immobilization of machines capable of moving includes detecting an event by a tracking device; providing one or more rules to evaluate the detected event; evaluating the detected event using the one or more rules; and triggering an action type based on the outcome of the evaluation. The system for immobilization of machines capable of moving includes a machine capable of moving, a tracking device including at least one processor and logic, a starter relay and a fuel pump relay, wherein the tracking device detects an event; evaluates the detected event using one or more rules provided to evaluate the detected event; and triggers an action type based on the outcome of the evaluation.

Abstract: A diagnostic system for a hybrid electric vehicle is provided. The system includes a vehicle controller, a battery management controller, a monitoring circuit, a transistor, a voltage sensor, and an analog-to-digital converter. The vehicle controller sends a first message to the battery management controller indicating an engine crank occurred. The battery management controller sends a second message to the monitoring circuit, and the monitoring circuit induces a transistor to de-energize an electrical relay. The voltage sensor outputs a voltage signal indicative of a voltage being output by the transistor. The analog-to-digital converter outputs a voltage value indicative of the voltage. The battery management controller sets a diagnostic flag to a first non-fault value if the voltage value is less than a threshold voltage value.

Abstract: A mobile robot is configured for operation in a commercial or industrial setting, such as an office building or retail store. The robot can patrol one or more routes within a building, and can detect violations of security policies by objects, building infrastructure and security systems, or individuals. In response to the detected violations, the robot can perform one or more security operations. The robot can include a removable fabric panel, enabling sensors within the robot body to capture signals that propagate through the fabric. In addition, the robot can scan RFID tags of objects within an area, for instance coupled to store inventory. Likewise, the robot can generate or update one or more semantic maps for use by the robot in navigating an area and for measuring compliance with security policies.

Abstract: A stability and command augmentation system for controlling an aircraft, comprising: a first member moveable by a pilot input device to a first position defining a first input; a second member moveable to a second position associated with a second input; and an adder device configured to add the first and second inputs and supply an output signal defining a command for an element to be controlled of the aircraft; the stability and command augmentation system comprises: a casing, a first and a second piston integrally movable with one another inside the casing and operatively connected to the second member; and control means configured to exert a first force on the first piston and a second force on the second piston; the second force is independent of the first force.

Abstract: A method for determining a set of dynamic objects in sensor data representative of a surrounding area of a vehicle having sensors, the method being executed by a server, the server executing a machine learning algorithm (MLA). Sensor data is received, and the MLA generates, based on the sensor data, a set of feature vectors. Vehicle data indicative of a localization of the vehicle is received. The MLA generates, based on the set of feature vectors and the vehicle data, a tensor, the tensor including a grid representation of the surrounding area. The MLA generates an mobility mask indicative of grid cells occupied by at least one moving potential object in the grid, and a velocity mask indicative of a velocity associated with the at least one potential object in the grid. The MLA determines, based on the mobility mask and the velocity mask, the set of dynamic objects.

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: An aircraft and a control method therefor. The aircraft has: a velocity acquisition unit that acquires the velocity of the aircraft; a roll angle calculation unit that calculates the roll angle of the aircraft; a turning radius calculation unit that calculates the turning radius of the aircraft on the basis of the velocity and the roll angle; and a yaw rate calculation unit that calculates the yaw rate of the aircraft on the basis of the velocity and the turning radius. A control unit controls flight of the aircraft on the basis of the roll angle and the yaw rate.

Abstract: A method of controlling a suspension system of a vehicle includes identifying an amplitude and a frequency of at least one harmonic event in a topology of a surface to be traversed by the vehicle, and, with a controller, altering at least one response characteristic of at least one adjustable component of the suspension system based on at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the harmonic event. Systems and methods relate to controlling vehicle suspension systems.

Abstract: Methods and devices for controlling a robotic system includes receiving a signal in response to movement of an input device through an input distance, determining the position of a repositioning control disposed on the input device, and moving the tool of the robotic system in response to movement of the input device the input distance. The input device is coupled to an input shaft of an input arm. The robotic system moving the tool a first distance when the repositioning control is in a deactivated position and moves the tool a second distance when the repositioning control in an activated position. The first distance is greater than the second distance.