Abstract: A system and method for adjusting the position and orientation of a feed arm associated with a wafer handling robot. In one embodiment, the system includes a positioning plate detachably carried by the feed arm and insertable therewith into a wafer carrier. The positioning plate includes graphic alignment indicia. An alignment apparatus is provided configured for insertion into wafer-holding slots in the wafer carrier. The apparatus includes at least one digital image sensor. With the positioning plate and alignment apparatus located in the wafer carrier, an image of the alignment indicia is displayed on a video monitor by the image sensor for comparison to a reference mark superimposed on the monitor for determining the relative position and orientation of the feed arm with respect to the wafer carrier. Some embodiments of the apparatus further include a distance detection device to measure the distance to the plate.

Abstract: Provided are a robot and a robot control method in which highly accurate positioning of a link is enabled without losing flexibility of a joint.

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, a third arm rotatably connected to the second arm around a third rotating axis, a first angular velocity sensor provided in the first arm and having a first angular velocity detection axis parallel to the first rotating axis, a second angular velocity sensor provided in the second arm and having a second angular velocity detection axis parallel to the second rotating axis, and a third angular velocity sensor provided in the third arm and having a third angular velocity detection axis parallel to the third rotating axis.

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, an angular velocity sensor provided in the first arm, and an acceleration sensor provided in the third arm.

Abstract: The present invention discloses electric vehicles and methods to operate such vehicles, comprising an electric drive capable of moving the vehicles, together with a non-battery operative feature to enhance the performance of the vehicle, such as extending the range or increasing the power. The non-electrical enhanced feature is independent and not integrated with the electric drive, to enable the return of the vehicle design to pure electrical power with minimum modification.

Abstract: A robot cleaner includes a main body, a light transmitting unit, an image sensor, a base, a rotation drive unit, and an elevation drive unit. The light transmitting unit emits light. The light reflected or scattered by an obstacle is sensed by the image sensor. The base supports the light transmitting unit and the image sensor and is rotatably and vertically movably disposed in the main body. The rotation drive unit rotates the base. The elevation drive unit allows the base to retract or protract from the main body.

Abstract: A traveling vehicle system includes a track network including tracks, a plurality of traveling vehicles, and a traveling vehicle controller. The controller is programmed and configured to include an abnormality detecting unit configured to detect an abnormality in a track on the downstream side of a diverging section including at least the track; and an entry determining unit configured to, in a case that a traveling vehicle that has just passed through the diverging section enters the track and a traveling vehicle that has immediately thereafter passed through the diverging section is about to consecutively enter the track, when the abnormality detecting unit has detected no abnormality, skip determination of whether the traveling vehicle is allowed to enter the track and, when the abnormality detecting unit has detected an abnormality, determine whether the traveling vehicle is allowed to enter the track.

Abstract: A production apparatus ensures wireless communication without interference. An antenna portion 310 at a robotic arm includes a transmitting antenna portion 311 having a plurality of transmitting antennas 321 to 328 and a receiving antenna portion 312 having a plurality of receiving antennas 331 to 338. A transmitting side switcher circuit 361 changes over a transmitting antenna to be connected to a transmitter 351 among the plurality of transmitting antennas 321 to 328 in conjunction with an attitude information of the robotic arm, and changes an effective direction of a directional characteristic of the transmitting antenna portion 311. A receiving side switcher circuit 362 changes over a receiving antenna to be connected to a receiver 352 among the plurality of receiving antennas 331 to 338 in conjunction with the attitude information of the robotic arm and changes the effective direction of the directional characteristic of the receiving antenna portion 312.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for suppression of steering wheel vibrations generated by periodic disturbances in a vehicle steering system. An exemplary method reducing steering wheel vibrations caused by periodic disturbances involves determining a gross torque attributable to the periodic disturbances in the steering system, identifying a desired amount of suppression of the vibrations at the steering wheel, determining an offset torque based on the gross torque and the desired amount of suppression, and generating a motor command signal in a manner that is influenced by the offset torque. The motor drive command signal is provided to an electric motor coupled the steering wheel and/or the vehicle tires, and the motor drive command signal influences the torque applied by the motor to assist steering of the vehicle tires by the steering wheel in a manner that attenuates the vibrations communicated to the steering wheel by the desired amount.

Abstract: A power device 1 has a speed reducer 3 and a spring member 4 provided in a power transmission system between an actuator 2 and a driven element 5, an operation target of the actuator 2 is determined according to a linear combination of values that are obtained by passing through low-pass filters, a deviation ??12 between an estimated value ?1—e of a velocity of an input unit 4a of the spring member 4 and an estimated value ?2—e of a velocity of the driven element 5, and a deviation ??def between a value ?def—s of a deviation between the input unit 4a of the spring member 4 and the driven element 5, and a target value ?def_cmd of the displacement difference corresponding to a target driving force ?ref of the driven element 5.

Abstract: A mobile robot includes a processor connected to a memory and a wireless network circuit, for executing routines stored in the memory and commands generated by the routines and received via the wireless network circuit. The processor drives the mobile robot to a multiplicity of accessible two dimensional locations within a household, and commands an end effector, including at least one motorized actuator, to perform mechanical work in the household. A plurality of routines include a first routine which monitors a wireless local network and detects a presence of a network entity on the wireless local network, a second routine which receives a signal from a sensor detecting an action state of one of the network entities, the action state changeable between waiting and active, and a third routine which commands the end effector to change state of performing mechanical work based on the presence and on the action state.

Abstract: A method of providing assistance to an internal combustion engine for a vehicle using an electric motor coupled to the engine is provided. The method comprises predicting a driving range based on historical driving range data. The historical driving range data includes one or more distances that the vehicle was driven during one or more previous driving cycles. The method further comprises selectively operating the motor to provide assistance to the engine at predetermined operating conditions of the engine. The assistance provided to the engine at one or more of the predetermined operating conditions is determined based at least in part on the predicted driving range.

Abstract: A neuromuscular model-based controller for a robotic limb having at least one joint includes a neuromuscular model having a muscle model, muscle geometry and reflex feedback loop to determine at least one torque or impedance command to be sent to the robotic limb. One or more parameters that determine relation between feedback data and activation of the muscle model are adjusted consequent to sensory data from at least one of an intrinsic sensor and an extrinsic sensor. A controller in communication with the neuromuscular model is configured to receive the at least one torque or impedance command and controls at least one of position, torque and impedance of the robotic limb joint.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for carpet drift estimation are disclosed. In certain implementations, a robotic device includes an actuator system to move the body across a surface. A first set of sensors can sense an actuation characteristic of the actuator system. For example, the first set of sensors can include odometry sensors for sensing wheel rotations of the actuator system. A second set of sensors can sense a motion characteristic of the body. The first set of sensors may be a different type of sensor than the second set of sensors. A controller can estimate carpet drift based at least on the actuation characteristic sensed by the first set of sensors and the motion characteristic sensed by the second set of sensors.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for identifying an activity of a user based on a chronological order of detected movements of a computing device. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the method may include detecting movements of a computing device. The method also includes determining a chronological order of the detected movements. Further, the method includes identifying an activity of a user of the computing device based on the detected movements and chronological order. The method also includes determining a geographic location associated with at least one of the movements. Further, the method includes presenting identification of the activity and the geographic location.

Abstract: Configurations are provided for vehicular robots or other vehicles to provide shifting of their centers of gravity for enhanced obstacle navigation. A robot chassis with pivotable driven flippers has a pivotable neck and sensor head mounted toward the front of the chassis. The neck is pivoted forward to shift the vehicle combined center of gravity (combined CG) forward for various climbing and navigation tasks. The flippers may also be selectively moved to reposition the center of gravity. Various weight distributions allow different CG shifting capabilities.

Abstract: The embodiments described herein relate to control apparatuses for hybrid vehicles which permit starting of an engine and a shift-down action of a transmission, while assuring a reduction of heat generated by a clutch and an improvement of a response of the hybrid vehicle to a vehicle operator's desire for high drivability. In one embodiment, the control apparatus controls the hybrid vehicle such that, when the transmission is required to be shifted down while the hybrid vehicle is switched from the motor drive mode to the engine drive mode, a rate of change of the input speed of said transmission is lower than when only the shift-down action is required to be performed, such that the rate of change of the input speed is relatively low when the input speed of the transmission to be established upon completion of the shift-down action is relatively high.

Abstract: A method includes detecting a fault of a component of a vehicle. The method also includes providing a plurality of modes of operation for the vehicle including an engine only mode, an electric only mode, a hybrid mode, a partial engine only mode, a partial electric only mode and a partial hybrid mode. At least two of the plurality of modes of operation that avoid use of the faulty component are displayed on a display screen, and a selection of one of the at least two of the plurality of modes of operation that are displayed on the display screen is received. The method includes activating at least one electric, mechanical or software isolator to isolate or disengage at least one component associated with electric propulsion of the vehicle or at least one component associated with combustion engine propulsion of the vehicle that includes the faulty component.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle. A determination is made as to whether the vehicle requires a service. A determination is also made as to whether the vehicle is proximate a location at which the service can be performed. A notification is provided that the vehicle requires the service and is proximate the location.

Abstract: The subject of the present invention is a method for processing alerts by an avionic system FWS that makes it possible to optimize the processing of these alerts without unnecessarily consuming “processor time”. The method according to the invention is characterized in that it consists in having processed, on each processing cycle of the processor of the FWS, only the operations relating to alerts for which the result has been modified since the preceding processing cycle.