Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for compensating an instantaneous fuel economy reading for stored energy. One method comprises, when a vehicle undergoes a sufficient change in one or more of square of vehicle speed and vehicle altitude, estimating a conversion factor for fuel due to stored vehicle energy and adjusting the instantaneous fuel economy reading by the estimated conversion factor. The adjusted instantaneous fuel economy reading may be displayed to an operator of the vehicle.

Abstract: A window cleaning apparatus includes a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit that is attached to both sides of a window, respectively, by a magnetic force and moved on the sides, and a method of controlling a movement of the window cleaning apparatus. The method includes detecting the first initial attachment position of the window cleaning apparatus and moving the window cleaning apparatus close to the detected initial attachment position after cleaning.

Abstract: A robot includes a base, a first arm rotatably connected to the base around a first rotating axis, a second arm rotatably connected to the first arm around a second rotating axis orthogonal to the first rotating axis, a third arm rotatably connected to the second arm around a third rotating axis parallel to the second rotating axis, and a three-axis inertial sensor provided in the third arm and including a first detection axis, a second detection axis, and a third detection axis orthogonal to each other, the first detection axis and the third rotating axis being parallel to each other.

Abstract: Example embodiments may relate to methods and systems for selecting a grasp point on an object. In particular, a robotic manipulator may identify characteristics of a physical object within a physical environment. Based on the identified characteristics, the robotic manipulator may determine potential grasp points on the physical object corresponding to points at which a gripper attached to the robotic manipulator is operable to grip the physical object. Subsequently, the robotic manipulator may determine a motion path for the gripper to follow in order to move the physical object to a drop-off location for the physical object and then select a grasp point, from the potential grasp points, based on the determined motion path. After selecting the grasp point, the robotic manipulator may grip the physical object at the selected grasp point with the gripper and move the physical object through the determined motion path to the drop-off location.

Abstract: Robotic devices may be trained by a user guiding the robot along target action trajectory using an input signal. A robotic device may comprise an adaptive controller configured to generate control signal based on one or more of the user guidance, sensory input, performance measure, and/or other information. Training may comprise a plurality of trials, wherein for a given context the user and the robot's controller may collaborate to develop an association between the context and the target action. Upon developing the association, the adaptive controller may be capable of generating the control signal and/or an action indication prior and/or in lieu of user input. The predictive control functionality attained by the controller may enable autonomous operation of robotic devices obviating a need for continuing user guidance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for evaluating a group of robotic platforms is present. The method controls the group of robotic platforms to perform operations in an operating area. Environmental signals are generated in the operating area. A response of the group of robotic platforms to an input is identified. A determination is made as to whether the response is a desired response.

Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle washing mode for a vehicle equipped with shift-by-wire shifting device, may include performing an N-range-off determining step that determines whether a shift lever is in an N-range when an engine stops, performing an ACC determining step that determines whether the vehicle is in an ACC state, and performing a shifting step that shifts a P-range state of a transmission to a N-range state thereof by operating an actuator, when the N-range-off determining step determines that the shift lever is in the N-range when the engine was stopped, and when the ACC determining step determines that the vehicle is in the ACC state.

Abstract: A robot has an operation mode setting unit that sets an operation mode of the robot. The operation mode setting unit changes a correction factor multiplied by the maximum acceleration and the maximum deceleration of an arm and the servo gain of a servo circuit, and thereby selectively sets the operation mode to one of a first operation mode, a second operation mode in which the arm operates faster than in the first operation mode, and a third operation mode in which the arm vibrates less than in the first operation mode.

Abstract: A mining vehicle is provided, which is capable of appropriately recognizing a condition of a traveling road in front of the vehicle, preventing an obstacle on a roadside from being erroneously detected by a distance detector, and controlling the speed of the vehicle in a stable manner even when the vehicle is approaching a curved portion of the road from a linear portion of the road.

Abstract: A method and system for setting motor torque for a hybrid vehicle that converts charge or discharge limiting power of a battery into maximum charge or discharge torque of a motor to set motor torque and to protect a battery system of the hybrid vehicle may include obtaining maximum discharge power of a battery of the hybrid vehicle, power consumption of a low voltage DC-DC converter (LDC), and power consumption of electrical loads; calculating electrical discharge power that may be output by a motor with electric power based on the maximum discharge power, the power consumption of the LDC, and the power consumption of the electrical loads; calculating mechanical discharge power that may be output from the motor based on the electrical discharge power of the motor and discharge efficiency of the motor; and calculating maximum discharge torque of the motor at a determined speed based on the mechanical discharge power.

Abstract: Provided is a robot further improved in safety. The robot includes at least one link which is rotatably coupled around an axis, a motor which rotates the link around the axis, a first sensor which detects a rotation state of the motor, and a second sensor which detects a rotation state of the link. The robot also includes a controller which controls the rotation of the link based on information from the first sensor. The controller determines an operation state of at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor, based on first information from the first sensor and second information from the second sensor.

Abstract: An autonomous cleaner has an enhanced structure capable of conducting an efficient cleaning task according to the material quality or the condition of the floor surface of a cleaning space. The autonomous cleaner includes a body, a driving wheel to drive the body, a driving wheel assembly having the driving wheel, and a control unit. The control unit detects a displacement of the driving wheel corresponding to a reference position by sensing a sensor target, determines material quality or condition of a floor surface according to the displacement of the driving wheel, and controls the driving of the autonomous cleaner according to the determined material quality or the condition of the floor surface.

Abstract: A method for optimized route planning for a user, including: (a) determining a departure point and a destination point for multimodal travel; (b) based on said departure point and destination point, computing and proposing criteria for restricting the number of candidate routes to consider, (c) proposing an updated list of candidate routes between said departure point and said destination point, said updated list being either: i) automatically displayed after a delay, and/or: ii) based on user selection of said criteria.

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 master-slave device grips an object and performs a task while being in contact with a to-be-treated object. A force detection unit measures force information given to a slave mechanism. A force correction determination unit determines a force correction part serving as information from correction start to end times of force information transmitted to a master mechanism and, as a correcting method to perform correction, a first method determining a gain such that a reduction in absolute value of force information at the force correction part is maintained for a predetermined period of time or a second method determining a gain such that a reduction and an increase in the absolute value are repeated within a range that is not more than a value by reducing the absolute value. A force correction unit corrects information of a type of a force based on the force correction part and the gain.

Abstract: A method for controlling a manipulator includes determining by a control device one or more contact force values between the manipulator and a first workpiece. Each of the contact force values is based on an actual driving force of the manipulator and a drive force according to a dynamic model of the manipulator. The method also includes at least one of a) measuring in multiple stages an orientation and location of the first workpiece based on at least one of the one or more determined contact force values or b) joining a second workpiece and the first workpiece under a compliant regulation, where a joining state of the first and second workpieces is monitored based on at least one of an end pose of the manipulator obtained under the compliant regulation, a speed of a temporal change of the manipulator, or at least one of the one or more determined contact force values.

Abstract: A vehicle event recorder is provided that includes a camera for capturing a video as discrete image frames, and that further includes a managed loop memory and a management system for generating a virtual ‘timeline dilation’ effect. To overcome size limits in the buffer memory of the video event recorder, the maximum time extension of a video series is increased by enabling a reduction in temporal resolution in exchange for an increase in the temporal extension. Memory cells are overwritten in an ‘interleaved’ fashion to produce a reduced frame rate for the recording of certain time periods connected to an event moment. In time periods furthest from the event moment, the resulting frame rate is minimized while in time periods closest to the event moment, the resulting frame rate is maximized.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for displaying license plate information and regulating the use of a vehicle's license plate through the use of a multi-function electronic display license plate system are disclosed. In an aspect of the present disclosure, the multi-function electronic display license plate system utilizes a combination of motion sensors, position sensors, identification verification systems, and the like to allow a vehicle owner to regulate who may use the vehicle, while providing for a safer and more efficient use of the vehicle.

Abstract: Surgical controlling systems and methods. A surgical controlling system includes: at least one surgical tool adapted to be inserted into a surgical environment of a human body for assisting a surgical procedure; at least one location estimating unit to real-time locate the 3D spatial position of at least one surgical tool at any given time t; and at least one movement detection unit in communication with a movement's database and with the location estimating means. The system also includes a controller having a processing unit in communication with a controller's database. The controller controls the spatial position of at least one surgical tool.

Abstract: A robot system of the present disclosure includes: a robot including an operable working arm driven by an actuator; an operation load detection unit configured to detect an operation load of the actuator; a region setting unit that sets a region with a predetermined range around the robot; a moving body detection unit configured to detect a position of a moving body other than the robot; and an abnormality determination unit that determines abnormality when detecting of the position of the moving body within the region, wherein the region setting unit changes the range of the region in accordance with the operation load of the actuator.