Abstract: To provide a robot control system that performs a process by a robot for a continuously-moving process target or a repeatedly-moving/stopped process target, the robot control system being configured so that even in a case where the robot process cannot be properly performed in the robot control system, disadvantages such as occurrence of damage of equipment can be avoided by sensing of such failure in the robot process. The robot control system includes a robot that performs a process for a process target, a control unit that controls drive of the robot, a first area setting unit that sets a first area where the process is performed for the process target, and a second area setting unit that sets a second area outside the first area such that the robot performs a retraction motion when a working apparatus provided at the robot moves out of the first area and enters the second area while the robot is following the moving process target.

Abstract: A system includes a robotic manipulator including a serial chain comprising a first joint, a second joint, and a first link. The system further includes a processing unit including one or more processors. The processing unit is configured to receive first link data from a first sensor system located at the first link, generate a first joint state estimate of the first joint based on the first link data, and generate a second joint state estimate of the second joint. The processing unit is further configured to apply a first weight to the first joint state estimate to generate a first weighted joint state estimate, apply a second weight to the second joint state estimate to generate a second weighted joint state estimate, and control the first and second joints based on the first weighted joint state estimate and second weighted joint state estimate.

Abstract: An autonomous robot with on demand human intervention is disclosed. In various embodiments, a robot operates in an autonomous mode of operation in which the robot performs one or more tasks autonomously without human intervention. The robot determines that a strategy is not available to perform a next task autonomously. In response to the determination, the robot enters a human intervention mode of operation.

Abstract: A manipulator including a shaft driven by a first motor, a rotatable unit, a linear slider, and a gripper is provided. The rotatable unit is coupled to the shaft, wherein the rotatable unit rotates with rotation of the shaft. The linear slider disposed on a first surface of the rotatable unit configured to slide from an initial position proximate to an outer edge of the rotatable unit to intermediate positions and to a final position proximate to a center of the rotatable unit. The gripper coupled to the linear slider to facilitate movement of the gripper along a first plane defined by the first surface of the rotatable unit.

Abstract: There is provided a moving robot including a first light source module and a second light source module respectively project a first light section and a second light section, which are vertical light sections, in front of a moving direction, wherein the first light section and the second light section cross with each other at a predetermined distance in front of the moving robot so as to eliminate a detection dead zone between the first light source module and the second light source module in front of the moving robot to avoid collision with an object during operation.

Abstract: A robot system with a hand-guiding function is disclosed. The robot system selects the hand-guiding function or non-hand-guiding function of an enable device by a mode option mechanism during the operation of a teach mode or an automatic mode. When selecting the hand-guiding function, the enable device has both the enabling and the hand-guiding function to easily hand-guiding the robot to operate.

Abstract: A robot system causing a robot to operate in response to a handling force, wherein a position of the robot can be adjusted with higher accuracy. In one aspect of the present disclosure, a robot system includes a robot having a handle, a force sensor configured to detect a handling force applied to the handle, and an inching motion execution section configured to execute an inching motion of causing the robot to move by a movement amount determined in response to the handling force detected by the force sensor.

Abstract: A method and system for programming picking and placing of a workpiece is provided. Embodiments may include associating a workpiece with an end effector that is attached to a robot and scanning the workpiece while the workpiece is associated with the end effector. Embodiments may also include determining a pose of the workpiece relative to the robot, based upon, at least in part, the scanning.

Abstract: Systems, devices, articles, and methods, described in greater detail herein, including robotic systems which include at least one rangefinder, at least one manipulator, and at least one processor in communication with the at least one rangefinder, and methods of operation of the same. The at least one processor obtains rangefinder pose information which represents, at least, the at least one manipulator in a plurality of poses. The at least one processor obtains manipulator pose information, optimizes a model of mismatch between the rangefinder pose information and the manipulator pose information, wherein the model of mismatch includes a plurality of parameters, and updates at least one processor readable storage device with the plurality of parameters based at least in part on the optimization.

Abstract: A mother-child robot cooperative work system and a work method thereof include a mother robot and a charging base0, in which the mother robot is provided with a control unit and a work unit. The system also includes child robot, communicatively coupled to the mother robot. The mother robot performs cleaning for a work area under the control of the control unit, and recognizes cleanable area and assisted cleaning area in a cleaning process. After cleaning work in the cleanable area is completed, the control unit in the mother robot controls the child robot to cooperatively complete the cleaning work in the assisted cleaning area. The mother robot is provided with a child robot pose sensing unit. The unit inputs child robot pose information to the control unit; and the control unit controls the child robot to act as indicated.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided a teaching device on which portable terminal equipment is mounted, the teaching device being used to teach operation to a robot. The teaching device includes a case section including a mounting surface on which the portable terminal equipment is mounted. The case section includes a first member including a stop switch for stopping the operation of the robot and configured to restrict the portable terminal equipment's moving in a first direction extending along the mounting surface and a second member provided to be capable of moving in the first direction relatively to the first member and configured to restrict the portable terminal equipment's moving in an opposite direction of the first direction.

Abstract: The application relates to a smart cabinet. The smart cabinet includes a cabinet body, a moving module, a controlling module and an assisting module. The moving module is positioned in the cabinet body; the controlling module is connected to the moving module. The moving module includes a base, a guiding wheel group disposed on the base, a plurality of drivers pivotally connected with the guiding wheel group, and a manipulator disposed on the base. The controlling module includes an input control unit, a guiding rope, and a pulley group. The input control module is electrically connected with the drivers and the manipulator. The pulley group includes a plurality of pulleys defining a movement range for the moving module. The assisting module includes a rope retractor and a sensor electrically coupled to the rope retractor. Two ends of the guiding rope are coupled to the rope retractor.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method and system use various sensors to determine a shape of a collection of materials (e.g., foodstuffs). A controller can determine a trajectory which achieves the desired end-state, possibly chosen from a set of feasible, collision-free trajectories to execute, and a robot executes that trajectory. The robot, executing that trajectory, scoops, grabs, or otherwise acquires the desired amount of material from the collection of materials at a desired location. The robot then deposits the collected material in the desired receptacle at a specific location and orientation.

Abstract: A substation containing a switch-gear or control-gear system, in particular a switch-gear or control-gear system includes at least one low voltage switch-gear or control-gear, with unmanned operation and maintenance. The inner room, where the switch-gear or control-gear are located in, is hermetically enclosed by an outer housing, the switch-gear or control-gear system is provided for unmanned operation and maintenance with a robotic system or manipulator, and/or the robotic system or manipulator is provided with a camera system, and/or an image recognition system and/or the inner room is locked against the outer housing by an inner, automatically operated door, and/or the robot system is implemented in such, that the robot systems acting area is extended from the inner room, partly in the area outside the inner room, but inside the outer housing, where spare parts are stored in a spare parts hand over area.

Abstract: A robot operating device includes a camera that is attached to a distal end of a robot arm or a position adjacent to the distal end and that acquires an image; a display which displays the image acquired by the camera; an operation-accepting unit which accepts an operation that is performed by an operator on the image displayed on the display unit; and a controller which moves the robot arm based on the operation accepted by the operation-accepting unit.

Abstract: Embedded and/or pooled robotic process automation (RPA) robots are disclosed. A master robot initiates one or more RPA robots in a deterministic and/or probabilistic manner. For instance, when a step in an RPA workflow of the master robot is encountered where an action is not clear, some data is missing, there are multiple possible branches, etc., one or more embedded and/or pooled minion robots may be called upon by the master robot to determine the next action to take, to retrieve missing data, to determine which branch is appropriate, etc. The master robot may perform orchestration functionality with respect to the minion robot(s).

Abstract: Systems and methods for camera control within surgical robotic systems are provided. One system includes a computing device, multiple robot assemblies, and a surgeon console. Each robot assembly among the multiple robot assemblies includes a robotic arm. A robotic arm of a first robot assembly is coupled to an image capture device. Robotic arms of at least a subset of robot assemblies, different from the first robot assembly, are coupled to surgical instruments. The surgeon console includes multiple handles, each communicatively coupled to a robot assembly coupled to a surgical instrument. The surgeon console is configured to transmit to the computing device one or more packets that include data related to a movement of at least one handle. The computing device configured to calculate a new position of the image capture device and transmit instructions to the first robot assembly to move the image capture device to the new position.

Abstract: Robots, including robot arms, can interface with other modules to affect the world surrounding the robot. However, designing modules from scratch when human analogues exist is not efficient. In an embodiment, a mechanical tool, converted from human use, to be used by robots includes a monolithic adaptor having two interface components. The two interface components include a first interface component cabal be of mating with an actuated mechanism on the robot side, the second interface capable of clamping to an existing utensil. In such a way, utensils that are intended for humans can be adapted for robots and robotic arms.

Abstract: A method for preemptive control planning can include: optionally determining a graph that defines dependencies between behaviors; executing an execution plan for an executing behavior; generating a set of predictions with the executing behavior; propagating the set of predictions to child behaviors of the executing behavior; determining child execution plans and child predictions with the child behaviors; repeating the above for descendant behaviors of each child behavior; determining a realized world state associated with completion of the execution plan; and executing a child execution plan associated with a world state prediction matching the realized world state.

Abstract: A plurality of sensors are configured to provide respective outputs that reflect a sensed value associated with engagement of a robotic arm end effector with an item. The respective outputs of the plurality of sensors are used to make a determination associated with engagement of a robotic arm end effector with an item. A first value measured by a first sensor is used to determine a first input associated with a first factor. A second value measured by a second sensor is used to determine a second input associated with a second factor. The first input and the second input are provided to a multi-factor model configured to provide, based at least in part on the first input and the second input, an output associated with engagement of the robotic arm end effector with the item. The output of the multi-factor model is used to make the determination associated with engagement of the robotic arm end effector with the item.