Abstract: In an autonomous vehicle, position of a planar obstacle such as a wall or a fence having apertures is determined. A horizontal plane is scanned with a laser range tinder so as to acquire positional coordinates of a plurality of scanning points. An element vector is formed with each two scanning points so that one acquired former is used as a start point and the other acquired later as an end point of the vector. A plurality of continuous element vectors which satisfy predetermined conditions is selected among the element vectors, and a scanning segment vector is formed by composition of the selected element vectors. When a length of the scanning segment vector is equal to or longer than a predetermined length, it is possible to recognize that a planar obstacle exists along the scanning segment vector.

Abstract: A vehicle transmission retarder control apparatus is provided including an engine, a throttle, a brake, a transmission having an output member with an actual transmission output speed, a speed sensor operable for measuring the actual transmission output speed, a plurality of user-commandable input devices for selecting a desired transmission output speed, and a controller having an algorithm for controlling the amount of retarder request to provide a zero or constant rate of deceleration independently of weight and axle ratio. Additionally, a method is provided for controlling a transmission retarder, including measuring the actual transmission output speed, sensing a desired transmission output speed using a plurality of user-commandable input devices, communicating the actual and desired speeds to a controller, and commanding the retarder to apply a continuously variable opposing torque to the transmission based on the actual and desired output speeds to achieve a constant rate of deceleration.

Abstract: A gait generator determines a desired motional trajectory and a desired object reaction force trajectory of an object 120 for a predetermined period after the current time by using an object dynamic model while supplying, to the object dynamic model, a model manipulated variable (estimated disturbance force) for bringing a behavior of the object 120 on the object dynamic model close to an actual behavior, and provisionally generates a gait of a robot 1 for a predetermined period by using the aforesaid determined trajectories. Based on the gait and an object desired motion trajectory, a geometric restrictive condition, such as interference between the robot 1 and the object 120, is checked, and a moving plan for the object 120 or a gait parameter (predicted landing position/posture or the like) of the robot 1 is corrected as appropriate according to a result of the check, so as to generate a gait of the robot 1.

Abstract: A docking station (20) and a robot (22) for docking therein, include corresponding transmission parts. These transmission parts are for the transmission of energy, such as electricity, for recharging the robot (22), and/or signals, for operating the robot (22), the energy and/or signals passing between the docking station and the robot (22). The docking station (20) and robot (22) are such that the docking of the robot (22) in the docking station (20) is at a horizontal orientation, as the transmission part on the robot (22) includes laterally protruding docking contacts that contact corresponding laterally oriented contact arms of the docking station (20).

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for controlling a camera mounted at a robot cleaner in order to sense obstacles and perform position compensation. The apparatus for controlling a camera of a robot cleaner includes a first axis driver for driving a camera mounted at the robot cleaner in a first axis direction; a second axis driver 320 for driving the camera in a second axis direction other than the first axis direction; an image processor 330 for receiving and processing an image photographed by the camera; and a control section 340 for controlling the first axis driver and the second axis driver, and controlling a traveling of the robot cleaner based on the image photographed by the camera.

Abstract: A drive control system for an automotive vehicle includes an engine, an automatic transmission, a torque converter, a start clutch, an oil pump, a hydraulic pressure control unit, an engine control unit, an automatic engine stop/restart control unit and a torque transmission control unit configured to calculate target start clutch engagement time and torque based on an accelerator opening of the vehicle, calculate a target engine torque based on the target clutch engagement torque and cause the hydraulic control unit and the engine control unit to control the engagement state of the start clutch and the output torque of the engine according to the target clutch engagement time and torque and the target engine torque at a restart of the engine.

Abstract: A robotic surgical system has a robot arm holding an instrument for performing a surgical procedure, and a control system for controlling movement of the arm and its instrument according to user manipulation of a master manipulator. The control system includes a filter in its forward path to attenuate master input commands that may cause instrument tip vibrations, and an inverse filter in a feedback path to the master manipulator configured so as to compensate for delay introduced by the forward path filter. To enhance control, master command and slave joint observers are also inserted in the control system to estimate slave joint position, velocity and acceleration commands using received slave joint position commands and torque feedbacks, and estimate actual slave joint positions, velocities and accelerations using sensed slave joint positions and commanded slave joint motor torques.

Abstract: An apparatus or system and method to control traffic at an intersection which uses a digital camera with pan, tilt, zoom, fast position and autofocus to send information to an integrated central processing unit having image processing algorithms which evaluate and analyze less than the entire image to determine whether a vehicle(s) is (are) present or are approaching and its (their) size, speed and distance in order to solve logical propositions to maintain or change the right of way by signal to a conventional traffic control signal unit.

Abstract: A system and method for performing distributed sequential node localization in active sensor deployment is presented. An equilateral orthogonal reference frame is defined. The reference frame includes s+1 anchor nodes that is placed in s-dimensional physical space. New nodes are sequentially placed in a natural sequential ordering within the s-dimensional physical space to form a sequentially well-connected network. For each of the new nodes, location estimates are obtained for the new node from at least s+1 of the anchor nodes previously placed in the s-dimensional physical space. A location is determined for the new node based on the location estimates. The new node are placed in the s-dimensional physical space as a new anchor node proximate to at least one of the s+1 previously-placed anchor nodes upon satisfactory location determination.