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 workpiece takeout system includes a robot arm and a disposed-state detector. The robot arm is configured to perform a workpiece takeout operation to take out a workpiece disposed in an area among a plurality of areas. The disposed-state detector is configured to detect a disposed state of the workpiece and is configured to, while the robot arm is performing the workpiece takeout operation to take out the workpiece disposed in the area among the plurality of areas, detect a disposed state of another workpiece disposed in another area among the plurality of areas.

Abstract: A control system for a control module of a vehicle includes a first integrated circuit (IC) core of a primary processor that generates a first control signal using a central processing unit (CPU). A second IC core of the primary processor generates a second control signal using a second CPU and generates a remedial control signal based on the first control signal and the second control signal.

Abstract: A robot control apparatus and a control method for moving a tool along a synthesized trajectory where at least two operations are synthesized in the middle of a desired trajectory. Control positions for a preceding operation and those for a succeeding operation are calculated from initial to terminal values, respectively. With a requirement that initial values for the succeeding operation be matched to terminal values for preceding operation, target control positions at a predetermined time for an actuator in a section where a tool is moved along the synthesized trajectory are calculated on the basis of values obtained by adding values of a difference between the predetermined time and a previous time for the preceding operation to values of a difference between the predetermined time and the previous time for the succeeding operation, and the actuator is controlled such that calculated target control positions are attained.

Abstract: A driver assistance system for a vehicle includes an imaging device disposed at least partially within an exterior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle. With the exterior rearview mirror assembly attached at a side of the vehicle, the imaging device has a field of view forward of the mirror assembly, rearward of the mirror assembly and sideward of the mirror assembly. A control processes image data captured by the imaging device and is operable to determine that the imaging device is misaligned when the imaging device is disposed at least partially within the exterior rearview mirror assembly at the side of the equipped vehicle. The control, responsive to a determination of misalignment of the imaging device, is operable to at least partially compensate for misalignment of the imaging device by at least one of (i) adjusting processing of captured image data and (ii) adjusting the captured image data.

Abstract: A system for interaction with a the environment includes an initial manipulation module operable to orient a device in a general direction of a surface of an object and a range control module operable to converge the device and the surface. Once the device and surface are in the proximity of each other a contact sensor detects when physical contact between the surface and the device occurs. Thereafter, a proprioception module measures normal force disparities between the surface and device motion actuators and finally, an exteroception module to measure translational resistance disparities between relative motion of the surface and the device. The system uses these disparity measurements and actuator positions to modify the manipulation of the device.

Abstract: A system and the like capable of maintaining the continuity or smoothness in the motion of a controlled object. According to a control system 1 and a robot R, which is a controlled object thereof, of the present invention, a desired position trajectory is generated by performing an interpolation process of generating a line segment represented by a linear combination of point sequences disposed in a model space with a basis function for spatial interpolation as a coupling coefficient. Therefore, a line segment, which continuously and smoothly connects the starting point and the end point, represented by a linear combination of a plurality of points (control points), instead of a broken line passing through the plurality of points disposed in the model space.

Abstract: A multi-joint robot having a function for estimating an amount of decrease in inner pressure of a gas spring, by means of a simple and low-cost structure, and a method for estimating the amount of decrease in inner pressure of the gas spring. The gas pressure within a cylinder of the gas spring decreases in connection with the motion of a lower arm associated with the gas spring. In the present invention, an amount of decrease in inner pressure within the gas spring is estimated by using a current value of a servomotor, in view of the finding that the amount of decrease in inner pressure is generally proportional to an amount of decrease in torque, and the torque generated by the servomotor can be calculated based on the current value of the servomotor.

Abstract: Systems for cleaning a structure via a robot are described. The robot includes a body. The robot further includes a tool coupled to the body and configured to hold a structural maintenance tool. The robot includes a sensor coupled to the body. The robot includes a drive system configured to allow positioning of the body along the structure, including inverted positioning and vertical positioning. The robot further includes a communication interface coupled to the body. The robot includes a controller coupled to the body. The controller is in communication with the tool, the sensor, and the drive system. The controller is configured to receive an operating instruction through the communication interface. The controller is configured to autonomously position the body via the drive system and to perform a task with at least one of the tool and the sensor according to the operating instruction.

Abstract: Novel and non-trivial systems and methods for generating and providing alerts in a terrain awareness and warning system (“TAWS”) are disclosed. The systems could be comprised of a navigation system, an airport-related database, a terrain database, a terrain alert processor, and crew alerting system. A phase of flight and flight attitude parameter may be determined based on the location to the nearest airport or runway environment, and a terrain clearance altitude associated with the phase of flight and flight attitude parameter may be added to the highest elevation of a terrain cell over which the aircraft is projected to operate to determine a minimum operating altitude of the terrain cell. If the aircraft altitude is less than any value of minimum operating altitude along the projected flight path, an alert signal is generated.

Abstract: A robot configured to navigate a surface, the robot comprising a movement mechanism; a logical map representing data about the surface and associating locations with one or more properties observed during navigation; an initialization module configured to establish an initial pose comprising an initial location and an initial orientation; a region covering module configured to cause the robot to move so as to cover a region; an edge-following module configured to cause the robot to follow unfollowed edges; a control module configured to invoke region covering on a first region defined at least in part based at least part of the initial pose, to invoke region covering on least one additional region, to invoke edge-following, and to invoke region covering cause the mapping module to mark followed edges as followed, and cause a third region covering on regions discovered during edge-following.

Abstract: A method for operating a hybrid drive device, in particular for a motor vehicle, which has at least one combustion engine and at least one electric machine, the combustion engine and the electric machine being mechanically and operatively connectible to each other by a separating clutch, and a slip torque transmitted by the separating clutch being ascertained. There is a provision for the slip torque to be determined as a function of the speed characteristic of a drive shaft of the combustion engine at least when starting and/or stopping the combustion engine and to be taken into account when operating the hybrid drive device.

Abstract: First and second microcomputers are connected to a ground. A first reference voltage generation circuit is connected between a first power supply and the first microcomputer, and supplies a first reference voltage to the first microcomputer when voltage of the first power supply is higher than the first reference voltage. A first monitoring circuit is connected between a second power supply and the first microcomputer, and supplies the first microcomputer with a first monitoring voltage for monitoring the second power supply. The first microcomputer includes a part configured to perform an operation based on the supplied first reference voltage and the supplied first monitoring voltage, wherein the operation includes detecting abnormality in the voltages of the first and second power supplies, and determining which one of the voltage of the first power supply and the voltage of the second power supply is abnormal.

Abstract: Method and apparatus receiving reports from at least two wireless vehicular sensor nodes and stepping through a process of comparing filtered queues to determine the first and the second waveform in time, leading to counting the vehicles passing the magnetic sensors of the wireless vehicular sensor nodes.

Abstract: A method and a system for controlling lighting beams for vehicles. It proposes controlling the road lighting beam by combining data obtained from a navigation device and detection means suitable for supplying distance and nature information concerning target objects situated in front of the vehicle equipped according to the invention.

Abstract: Disclosed are a robot cleaner and a method for controlling the same, capable of controlling a travelling or cleaning pattern of a robot cleaner in accordance with extension and retraction operations of an auxiliary cleaning tool to perform an efficient cleaning operation. The robot cleaner includes a plurality of auxiliary cleaning units mounted to a bottom of the robot cleaner such that the auxiliary cleaning units are extendable and retractable, an obstacle sensor to sense an obstacle in a cleaning region of the robot cleaner, and a control unit to extend the auxiliary cleaning units while travelling in a wall tracing manner along the periphery of the cleaning region, and to retract the auxiliary cleaning units while the robot cleaner travels in an inner portion of the cleaning region when traveling of the periphery of the cleaning region is finished.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods to detect and reduce any high driveline torsional levels, such as due to the cylinder deactivation in variable displacement system engines or aggressive lock-up strategies for fuel efficiency, in automobile transmissions. The present disclosure utilizes a controller in an automobile to operate a computationally thrifty method for quickly detecting noise and vibration disturbances in the transmission. This quick detection enables fuel economic calibrations that aggressively reduce the disturbances by controlling slip in a launch device of the transmission. As problem disturbances arise, they are detected before occupants notice objectionable behavior. Once detected, the disturbances are reduced, such as by increasing launch device slip, which effectively intercepts the objectionable disturbances before they are transferred through the entire drivetrain.

Abstract: A method for operating a grasping device and grasping devices therefrom are provided. The grasping device is configured to use a plurality of parallel, bi-directional state flow maps each defining a sequence of poses for a plurality of joints in the grasping device. The method include receiving at least one control signal, determining a current pose of the grasping device within the one of the plurality of state flow maps currently selected for the grasping device, and selectively actuating the plurality of joints to traverse the sequence of poses, where a direction for traversing the sequence of poses is based on the at least one control signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microrobot that is microfabricated using microelectromechanical system technology, including i pairs of drive modules wherein i ranges from 1 to n, where n is no less than 1, the microrobot comprising: a mounting arranged so as to support at least two drive modules aligned in a first direction, said drive modules forming a pair of drive modules; i pairs of primary connecting-rod assemblies, each primary connecting-rod assembly being pivotably connected to the drive pin of a drive module of the ith pair of drive modules; a pair of secondary connecting-rod assemblies, each secondary connecting-rod assembly being pivotably connected to the primary connecting-rod assembly of the nth pair of drive modules and to the mounting; and an actuating member pivotably connected to each secondary connecting-rod assembly.

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.