Abstract: A method of detecting change in contact between a contact part of a robot arm and an object as defined by the independent claims, by obtaining a contact force provided at the contact part of the robot arm by sensing a force provided to a part of said robot arm; and by obtaining the part acceleration 5 of the contact part of the robot arm by sensing the acceleration of at least a part of the robot arm and then indicate if a change in contact between the contact part of the robot arm and the object has occurred based on the obtained contact force and the obtained contact part.

Abstract: The power supply control apparatus performs power supply control of a sensor used in the driving support apparatus. The power supply control apparatus comprises a power supply control unit. The power supply control unit performs power supply reset of a plurality of sensors when it is determined that one of the driving support functions other than one of the driving support functions using a malfunctioning sensor is in inoperative. The power supply control unit does not perform power supply reset of the plurality of sensors when it is determined that one of the driving support functions other than one of the driving support functions using the malfunctioning sensor is operative.

Abstract: An automatic driving vehicle is running in an automatic driving mode effected by a driving control device. An operator is able to instruct via a SLOW DOWN button on a touch panel that the automatic driving vehicle is to be decelerated or stopped. Should any anomaly occur to the SLOW DOWN button, a message or the like is displayed on a touch panel to encourage operation of an emergency stop switch. When the operator operates the emergency stop switch, emergency stop control is executed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for locomotion of at least one nanorobot through a biochemical environment. The present disclosure also reveals a method for locomotion of nanorobots for use in drug delivery, delivery of materials for medical imaging and medical diagnosis.

Abstract: A rigidizing device includes a plurality of layers and an inlet between the elongate flexible tube and the outer layer and configured to attach to a source of vacuum or pressure. The rigidizing device is configured to have a rigid configuration when vacuum or pressure is applied through the inlet and a flexible configuration when vacuum or pressure is not applied through the inlet.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are disclosed for dynamic picture-in-picture (PIP) by a client. The client may reside on any device. The client may receive video content from a server, and identify an object within the video content using at least one of object recognition or metadata. The metadata may include information that indicates a location of an object within a frame of the video content. The client may receive a selection of the object by a user, and determine positional data of the object across frames of the video content using at least one of object recognition or metadata. The client may display an enlarged and time-delayed version of the object within a PIP window across the frames of the video content. Alternatively or additionally, the location of the PIP window within each frame may be fixed or may be based on the location of the object within each frame.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control system capable of further reducing system cost in failure mitigation. The vehicle control device includes a master ECU and one or more client ECUs.

Abstract: A method and system for localization of an autonomous vehicle in real-time disclosed. A particle filter process is used to generate an estimate of a pose of the autonomous vehicle based on a three-dimensional point cloud, a two-dimensional (2D) feature map and odometry data. A location of the autonomous vehicle in the environment is generated comprising a final pose of the vehicle determined based on the estimate of the pose of the autonomous vehicle and the odometry data, an elevation of the autonomous vehicle generated based on the final pose of the autonomous vehicle and the 2D feature map, and an orientation of the autonomous vehicle generated based on the odometry data.

Abstract: A method of providing an indication of driving performance involves obtaining a forward acceleration and speed of a vehicle. A forward acceleration threshold value is identified for use in identifying excessive forward acceleration of the vehicle based on the determined speed of the vehicle. For any vehicle speed within a range of vehicle speeds, the acceleration threshold value is defined by a function based on the determined speed of the vehicle, wherein the forward acceleration threshold value according to the function varies continually with vehicle speed over the range of vehicle speeds. The determined forward acceleration of the vehicle is compared with the determined acceleration threshold value, and an indication of an excessive forward acceleration driving event is generated when the determined forward acceleration exceeds the determined acceleration threshold value.

Abstract: When workpiece (W) is brought into a non-gripping state after deflection compensation of robot arm (10) is performed in a gripping state of workpiece (W), the deflection compensation of robot arm (10) is performed in a non-gripping state of workpiece (W). Here, the deflection compensation of robot arm (10) in the non-gripping state of workpiece (W) is performed while a compensation amount is changed to gradually decrease, while hand (18) is moved from a first teaching point to a second teaching point.

Abstract: Techniques for simulating fast eye movement of a robot to mimic human eye saccade are divulged in cases of the robot eyes being moved by actuators that cannot move the eyes fast enough in real time to mimic saccade. Image capture timing is adjusted (i.e., slowed down) to track the speed of the actuators. Then, the resulting sequence of images is time-compressed back to video playback speed so that the video appears to show the robot eye undergoing saccade at human eye speeds.

Abstract: A motor vehicle motion control health monitoring system includes sensors and actuators disposed on the motor vehicle. The sensors measure real-time static and dynamic telemetry data about the motor vehicle, and the actuators alter static and dynamic behavior of the motor vehicle. A control module has a processor, a memory, and input/output (I/O) ports. The processor executes program code portions stored in the memory, the program code portions include: an offline portion that collects telemetry data from the motor vehicle, performs failure analysis on the telemetry data and allocates tasks based on the failure analysis; and an online portion that analyzes the telemetry data for failures within specific sensors, actuators, or functions that utilize systems of sensors and/or actuators. The online portion mitigates deviations in the telemetry data by sending a correction to the one or more sensors, actuators, and/or functions of a motor vehicle motion control system.

Abstract: Described herein is the automatic re-registration of a bumped reference marker, where the navigation system includes the reference marker, a bump detection sensor(s), and a computing device. The computing device can store positional relationships between the reference marker, the bump detection sensor(s), and the anatomy from an initial image registration and receive position data of the reference marker and bump detection sensor(s) at times during use. The computing device can determine a delta matrix based on the stored and received information and then determine if the reference marker has been bumped. If the reference marker has been bumped the computing device can determine if automatic re-registration is required and complete the automatic re-registration if needed to correct for the bump.

Abstract: An arm device includes a joint portion configured to be rotated to thereby change a position and/or a posture of a surgical tool, and an actuator configured to generate a driving force that rotates the joint portion, and to allow a rotation of the joint portion in accordance with an externally applied force. Moreover, the arm device is configured to estimate an external force applied to the surgical tool, to obtain a value of a driving force of the actuator based on a weight of the surgical tool and the external force, and to control the actuator based on a value of the driving force.

Abstract: Provided is a video display device wearable on the head of a user, wherein the video display device includes a video display unit capable of switching two or more display methods, a control unit for indicating a display method to the video display unit, a first detection unit for detecting the motion of the head of a user, a second detection unit for detecting the motion of the point of view of the user, and a motion determination unit for determining the motion state of the device user by using the output from the first detection unit and the output from the second detection unit. The control unit indicates a change of display methods to the video display unit in accordance with the determination result of the motion determination unit.

Abstract: A robot cleaner and a control method thereof are disclosed. A robot cleaner, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a tilt sensor module; a distance sensor module; and a light amount sensor module. Each piece of sensed information is transmitted to a lifting information calculation module. The lifting information calculation module calculates information on whether the robot cleaner is lifted, by using each piece of the transmitted information. If it is calculated that the robot cleaner is lifted off a floor, a power module is stopped. In addition, if it is calculated that the robot cleaner is not lifted off the floor, the power module is driven. Accordingly, when a user lifts the robot cleaner, injuries to the user caused by operation of a drive module can be prevented.

Abstract: In a joint movement device (100) for selective flexion and extension of a joint (20), a tendon (120) is disposed adjacent to the first and second joint members. A tendon securing device (112) is secured to the second joint member (12), the tendon (120) being secured to the tendon securing device (112). At least one phalange ring (110) is secured to a joint member and includes a tending routing mechanism (113) configured to route the tendon through the phalange ring (110). An actuator (140) is coupled to the tendon (120) and pulls the tendon (120) inwardly to cause the joint (20) to flex. An elastic member (130) is coupled to the phalange ring (110) and tendon securing device (112) and applies an extension force thereto, thereby causing the joint (20) to extend when the actuator (140) releases the tendon (120).

Abstract: A teleoperated manipulator system includes a manipulator assembly and a tool actuation assembly coupled to the manipulator assembly. The tool actuation assembly inserts a tool, such as a surgical instrument, along an insertion axis and also rotates the tool around the insertion axis. The manipulator assembly includes an arm that rotates with reference to a mounting base to rotate the tool around a yaw axis that intersects the insertion axis. A distal portion of the arm defines an arcuate pitch arc, and a center of the pitch arc is coincident with the intersection of the insertion axis and the yaw axis. The tool actuation assembly is driven along the pitch arc to pitch the tool. The manipulator system is optionally a telesurgical system, and the tool is optionally a therapeutic, diagnostic, or imaging surgical instrument.

Abstract: A traction module for a robot system and a robot system using the traction module having, an outer frame and a rotating frame rotatably mounted within the outer frame. A drive system is operatively coupled to the rotating frame and configured to drive a traction drive component to propel the robot. An actuator is operatively connected to the rotating frame to controllably rotate the rotating frame. During a first portion of a rotating movement of the rotating frame, the drive system moves between a flat mode position relative to the outer frame and a clearance mode position in which the drive system extends outwardly from the outer frame to a greater extent than in the first position. During a second portion of the rotating movement of the rotating frame, the drive system may be positioned in a desired orientation to propel the robot.

Abstract: An automatic torque control system and methods for automatically controlling a torque of a vehicle are disclosed. The method includes detecting when the vehicle engages a load. The method further includes automatically decreasing the torque when the vehicle engages the load and prior to one or more wheels of the vehicle slipping.