Abstract: A vehicle includes at least one autonomous driving sensor configured to detect a traffic flow pattern relative to an intersection. An autonomous mode controller is configured to determine the state of the traffic control device. The autonomous mode controller may estimate when the state of the traffic control device is likely to change based on the traffic flow pattern.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for controlling movement of a continuum robot that includes a plurality of independently controlled segments along the length of the continuum robot. The continuum robot is inserted into a cavity of unknown dimensions or shape. A plurality of forces acting upon the continuum robot by the surrounding cavity are estimated. A positioning command indicating a desired movement of the distal end of the continuum robot is received from a manipulator control. The desired movement is augmented based, at least in part, on the estimated plurality of forces acting on the continuum robot such that movement is restricted to within safe boundaries of the surrounding cavity. The positioning of the continuum robot is then adjusted based on the augmented desired movement.

Abstract: A method for controlling a tele-operated robot agile lift system is disclosed. The method comprises manipulating a human-machine interface of a master robot located on a mobile platform. The human machine interface is kinematically equivalent to a user's arm with a plurality of support members. A position value and a torque value is measured for each support member. The position value and torque value are communicated to support members of a kinematically equivalent slave arm to position the support members to correspond with a position of the human-machine interface.

Abstract: Vector Field SLAM is a method for localizing a mobile robot in an unknown environment from continuous signals such as WiFi or active beacons. Disclosed is a technique for localizing a robot in relatively large and/or disparate areas. This is achieved by using and managing more signal sources for covering the larger area. One feature analyzes the complexity of Vector Field SLAM with respect to area size and number of signals and then describe an approximation that decouples the localization map in order to keep memory and run-time requirements low. A tracking method for re-localizing the robot in the areas already mapped is also disclosed. This allows to resume the robot after is has been paused or kidnapped, such as picked up and moved by a user. Embodiments of the invention can comprise commercial low-cost products including robots for the autonomous cleaning of floors.

Abstract: A robot control apparatus includes a transformation-matrix generating unit that generates, on the basis of N first command values for learning per one robot, which are position-corrected command values for positioning a master robot and a slave robot on tracks of their respective robots during the synchronous driving, concerning the respective N command values for learning, transformation matrices among the command values for learning, a command-value storing unit that outputs a first command value for driving at each of M operation periods for defining the track of the master robot, a transformation-matrix -function generating unit and a command-value generating unit that interpolate the N transformation matrices and generate a transformation matrix at the each first command value for driving, and a command-value generating unit that causes the transformation matrices to act on the M first command values for driving and generates M second command values for driving of the slave robot.

Abstract: A method for detecting wear on at least one component of an electric bicycle includes: monitoring the operating condition of the at least one component with the aid of at least one sensor; detecting the stress on the component over the duration of operation; and displaying the need for service on a display unit as soon as a long-term load threshold defined for this component is reached, to inform the cyclist promptly of the need for service.

Abstract: A surgical controlling system comprising: at least one location estimating means to real-time locate the 3D spatial position of at least one surgical tool; at least one movement detection means in communication with a movement database and with the location estimating means; and a controller, which controls the position of at least one surgical tool, in communication with a movement database, a control database and the movement detection means. The movement database stores the 3D spatial position of each surgical tool at the present time and at at least one previous time; a tool has moved if its present position is different from its previous position. The control database stores rules to identify a movement of a tool as either an ALLOWED movement or a RESTRICTED movement.

Abstract: A robot includes an angular velocity sensor installed to a second horizontal arm and for obtaining the angular velocity of the first horizontal arm with respect to a base, and suppresses the vibration of the first horizontal arm by driving a first electric motor based on the angular velocity of the first horizontal arm. In the robot, an electric wire to be connected to a second electric motor incorporated in the second horizontal arm and electric wire to be connected to the angular velocity sensor are laid around through a wiring duct having end portions coupled respectively to the base and the second horizontal arm, disposed outside the first horizontal arm and outside the second horizontal arm, and having a passage leading to the inside of the base and the inside of the second horizontal arm.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a speed change of a hybrid vehicle are provided. The apparatus includes an engine for combustion of fuel to generate power and a motor that is configured to supplement the power from the engine and operate as a generator during braking to generate electrical energy and store the generated electrical energy generated a battery. A transmission is configured to convert the power from the engine to a required torque based on a speed and transmit the power to wheels and is directly connected to the motor. In addition, a controller is configured to operate the transmission to shift in a constant power section of the motor when the motor is performing regenerative braking. The apparatus minimizes the sense of difference felt by a driver by shifting in the constant power section of the motor during the regenerative braking of a hybrid vehicle.

Abstract: Methods for automatic and efficient location generation for cooperative motion. A method includes receiving a cooperative operation comprising a master operation and the slave operation, simulating the slave operation to obtain a slave duration between consecutive slave locations and a trajectory time to perform the slave operation, populating a plurality of potential locations along the master trajectory, generating a plurality of candidate operations in a population, for each of the plurality of candidate operations in the population, simulating a candidate operation with the slave operation to calculate an efficiency factor to perform the candidate operation and removing the candidate operation from the population when the efficiency factor is not better compared to other candidate operations in the population and returning the candidate operation remaining in the population.

Abstract: Avionics systems, controllers, and methods are provided. An avionics system includes a display and a controller. The controller is communicatively coupled with the display. The controller is configured to generate a flight clearance portion of the image including flight clearance information and to generate a flight progress portion of the image including flight progress information.

Abstract: Specified streets or intersections that are within a specified distance of a specified city can be found by a search, even when they are not actually in that city. For computational efficiency, some addresses are included in search results even when they exceed the specified distance from the specified city by a small amount (“false positives”). The search method guarantees that no instance of the street name within the specified distance of the specified city is erroneously missed (“false negatives”).

Abstract: A robot includes a first horizontal arm coupled to a base, a second horizontal arm coupled to the base via the first horizontal arm, first and second motors adapted to rotate the respective arms, and first and second encoders adapted to calculate rotational angles and rotational velocities of the respective motors. A first motor control section subtracts first and second angular velocities based on the first and second encoders from a sensor angular velocity detected by an angular sensor, and controls the first motor so that a velocity measurement value obtained by adding a vibration velocity based on a vibration angular velocity as the subtraction result and a first rotational velocity becomes equal to a velocity command value.

Abstract: An example implementation for avoiding leg collisions may involve a biped robot reducing a three-dimensional system to a two-dimensional projection of the biped robot's feet. An example biped robot may determine a touchdown location for a swing foot. The biped robot may determine lateral positions of the touchdown location and the swing foot, each relative to a stance foot. Based on one or more of the determined lateral positions of the touchdown location and the swing foot, each relative to the stance foot, the biped robot may determine an intermediate swing point for the swing foot that is not on a line defined by the swing foot and the touchdown location. The biped robot may further cause the swing foot to move to the intermediate swing point, and then cause the swing foot to move to the touchdown location.

Abstract: A robot includes an angular velocity sensor that detects the vibration of a robot. A control device allows the robot to perform a trial operation and acquires the measurement result measured by the angular velocity sensor during the trial operation as vibration information and analyzes the acquired vibration information based on maker evaluating information that is stored in a database. In the maker evaluating information, vibration information and the operating speed appropriate to the installation situation of the robot at which the vibration information is measured are associated with each other. Then, the robot is operated at an operating speed selected based on the analysis result of the vibration information.

Abstract: A vehicle-installed apparatus detects relative positions of other vehicles which are running ahead of the host vehicle of the apparatus, and, for each of these other vehicles, derives a value of probability that the vehicle is located in the same travel path as the host vehicle. A signal indicative of the yaw rate of the host vehicle is utilized in deriving the probabilities, and is filtered to exclude a range of high-frequency signal components, with the excluded range being widened when it is judged that the yaw rate is varying excessively rapidly.

Abstract: A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with articulatable instruments extending out of its distal end, an entry guide manipulator providing controllable four degrees-of-freedom movement of the entry guide relative to a remote center, and a controller configured to manage operation of the entry guide manipulator in response to operator manipulation of one or more input devices. As the entry guide manipulator approaches a yaw/roll singularity, the controller modifies its operation to allow continued movement of the entry guide manipulator without commanding excessive joint velocities while maintaining proper orientation of the entry guide.

Abstract: A device for controlling the distribution of drive force includes a driven wheel drive force distribution reference command value calculator configured to determine a driven-wheel-oriented drive force distribution reference command value from the estimated value of the drive force sent to the drive wheels and a drive force reference distribution ratio, and a driven wheel drive force distribution command value calculator configured to determine a driven-wheel-oriented drive force distribution command value by correcting the driven wheel drive force distribution reference command value by a correction amount that differs between the electric motor operating mode and the electric motor non-operating mode, and to make the correction amount for the electric motor operating mode greater than the correction amount for the electric motor non-operating mode.

Abstract: A force detection device includes a charge output element that outputs charge in accordance with a received external force, a conversion and output circuit, having a first switching element and a first capacitor, which converts the charge into a voltage and outputs the voltage, a compensation signal output circuit, having a second switching element and a second capacitor, which outputs a compensation signal, and an external force detection circuit that detects an external force on the basis of the voltage which is output from the conversion and output circuit and the compensation signal which is output from the compensation signal output circuit. The capacitance of the second capacitor is smaller than the capacitance of the first capacitor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radio network controller (RNC) for receiving a LOCATION_REPORTING_CONTROL message and analyzing a value of a request type information element received in the LOCATION_REPORTING_CONTROL message. The RNC directly determines requested location information for a user equipment (UE) if the request information element indicates sending location information as a direct response to the LOCATION_REPORTING_CONTROL message or the RNC determines the requested location information if the UE changes the service area if the request information element indicates sending location information at a change of service area by the UE. The RNC then sends a LOCATION_REPORT message comprising the location information and the request type information element to at least one control node.