Abstract: Among other things, we describe techniques for estimating a speed profile for a proposed trajectory for a vehicle and operating the vehicle along the proposed trajectory according to the speed profile, including a method for: obtaining, by a planning circuit on a vehicle, a proposed trajectory for the vehicle in response to a driving scenario; obtaining, by the planning circuit, an estimated speed profile, and a confidence score, wherein the confidence score represents a similarity of the estimated speed profile to an actual speed profile that would be generated by a control circuit for the proposed trajectory; determining whether the confidence score meets a confidence threshold; and in accordance with a determination that the confidence score exceeds the confidence threshold, operating, by a control circuit on the vehicle, the vehicle along the proposed trajectory.

Abstract: A step determination device includes an operation amount sensor that detects an operation amount of a braking operation member, and a controller that determines a step by using the wheel speed and the operation amount. In the step determination device, the controller calculates an actual variable amount by using the wheel speed, calculates an estimated variable amount corresponding to the actual variable amount by using the operation amount, and executes the determination of the step by using the actual variable amount and the estimated variable amount. For example, the controller determines the presence of the step when the deviation between the actual variable amount and the estimated variable amount is not less than a predetermined value, and determines the absence of the step when the deviation is less than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A shock damper is disposed between a vehicle body side and a wheel side. A suspension control device calculates a damping force of the shock damper on the basis of vehicle height information and controls the damping force. A steering system includes an electric motor and a steering control device that controls the electric motor, and assists steering effort of the driver through the electric motor. The suspension control device calculates the vibration generated in a steering on the basis of a detected value of a vehicle height sensor and creates a signal for generating steering torque that reduces the generated vibration. The suspension control device outputs the created signal to the steering control device. Steering torque for cancelling steering vibration is accordingly outputted from the electric motor of the steering system.

Abstract: Provided is an obstacle avoidance apparatus that can specify a distance between a subject vehicle and an obstacle when making the subject vehicle avoid the obstacle. An obstacle avoidance apparatus includes: an obstacle movement predictor that predicts movement of the obstacle; and a constraint generator that establishes a constraint on a state quantity or a control input of the subject vehicle by determining whether to steer right or left around the obstacle and defining a no-entry zone for preventing the subject vehicle from colliding with the obstacle. The constraint generator incorporates, into the no-entry zone, an area to the left of the obstacle when determining to steer right around the obstacle, and incorporates, into the no-entry zone, an area to the right of the obstacle when determining to steer left around the obstacle.

Abstract: An unmanned vehicle management device includes an upper limit speed storage unit that stores an upper limit of a traveling speed of an unmanned vehicle on a downhill set based on an inclination angle of the downhill, an input speed acquisition unit that acquires an input value input by an input device, and an output control unit that causes an output device to output upper limit speed data indicating a relationship between the inclination angle and the upper limit, and input speed data generated based on the input value.

Abstract: A press working simulator according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a robot program storage section that stores a robot program that instructs a robot how to move; a press program storage section that stores a press program that instructs a press machine how to move; a profile data setting section that causes the press program storage section to store a press program according to profile data that records what position a die is in at each time point when the press machine is actually moved; a model placing section that places three-dimensional models of a workpiece, the robot, and the press machine in a virtual space; a press movement processing section that causes the three-dimensional model of the press machine to move according to the press program; and a robot movement processing section that causes the three-dimensional model of the robot to move according to the robot program.

Abstract: Provided is a method for computer-aided user assistance during the activation of a movement planner for a machine, in which: a user interface is provided and can be used by a user to specify parameterization data for the movement planner, wherein the parameterization data comprise a machine model and an environment model; the collision-free movement space and the collision-prone movement space of the machine in the configuration space are determined on the basis of parameterization data specified via the user interface; one or more features with respect to the collision-free and/or collision-prone movement space are determined; a predefined plausibility criterion is checked for a respective feature of at least some of the features, wherein, if the plausibility criterion has not been satisfied, an output in the form of a warning message is produced via the user interface.

Abstract: A method for measuring a slope angle of a vehicle includes, by a controller: determining whether or not a speed of the vehicle is 0 based on a speed signal received from a vehicle speed sensor of the vehicle; measuring an extremal value measured first, an extremal value measured second, and an extremal value measured third among extremal values of an output signal of an acceleration sensor detecting a signal corresponding to the slope angle of the vehicle when the speed of the vehicle is 0; verifying whether or not the measured three extremal values satisfy conditions of the extremal values based on reference conditions of each of the extremal values; estimating a steady state value of the output signal of the acceleration sensor, based on the extremal values measured first and second among the verified three extremal values and a dynamic characteristic parameter of the vehicle or based on the verified three extremal values; and converting the steady state value into the slope angle of the vehicle.

Abstract: A gripping method relates to a method for gripping an object using a multi-fingered hand provided with a plurality of fingers. The method includes measuring, using a three-dimensional measurement sensor, an area that contains the object, and obtaining three-dimensional information for each position within the area, and deciding positions of the plurality of fingers for gripping the object, by classifying the area, if the area includes a measured area for which the three-dimensional information could be obtained and an unmeasured area for which the three-dimensional information could not be obtained, into the measured area and the unmeasured area based on the distance-indicating information, the positions of the plurality of fingers being decided based on positions of the unmeasured area.

Abstract: Provided is a robot including: a wrist unit that has a tool attached to a distal end face thereof and that changes the orientation of the tool, the tool performing work on a work target device secured to an installation surface; and a movable unit that changes the three-dimensional position of the wrist unit. The movable unit includes an arm that has a longitudinal axis and the wrist unit is attached to the distal end thereof, and a visual sensor that has a field of view oriented in a direction intersecting the longitudinal axis of the arm is attached to the a position closer to the base end than the distal end face of the wrist unit is.

Abstract: A grounds maintenance system comprising: a robot tractor comprising; a robot body; a drive system including one or more motorized drive wheels to propel the robot body; a control system coupled to the drive system, the control system configurable to store a mow plan that specifies a set of paths to be traversed for a grounds maintenance operation and control the drive system to autonomously traverse the set of paths to implement the mow plan; a battery system comprising one or more batteries housed in the robot body; and a low-profile mowing deck coupled to the robot body, the mowing deck adapted to tilt and lift relative to the robot body, wherein the control system is configured to control tilting and lifting of the mowing deck and cutting by the mowing deck.

Abstract: A sensor abnormality determination device of a four-wheel drive vehicle including a drive source, main drive wheels and sub-drive wheels, a power transmitting member, a first connecting/disconnecting device, a second connecting/disconnecting device, a first sensor, and a rotation sensor, the sensor abnormality determination device comprises a first sensor abnormality determining portion determining that the first sensor is abnormal when the rotation sensor detects the rotation of the power transmitting member and it is presumed that the four-wheel drive vehicle is in the four-wheel drive state, when the first sensor detects that the first connecting/disconnecting device is in the disconnecting state, and when the rotation sensor detects the rotation of the power transmitting member after the second connecting/disconnecting device is switched to the disconnecting state.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving, by one or more non-real-time processors, data defining a light illumination pattern for a robotic device. Generating, by the one or more non-real-time processors and based on the data, a spline that represents the light illumination pattern, where a knot vector of the spline defines a timing profile of the light illumination pattern. Providing the spline to one or more real-time processors of the robotic system. Calculating, by the one or more real-time processors, an illumination value from the spline at each of a plurality of time steps. Controlling, by the one or more real-time processors, illumination of a lighting display of the robotic system in accordance with the illumination value of the spline at each respective time step.

Abstract: In some examples, one or more processors of a vehicle may receive location field-of-view (FOV) data for an upcoming location on a route traversed by the vehicle. For instance, the one or more processors may select, based on the location FOV data, one or more sensors to activate on the vehicle for performing sensing in a direction of a field of view indicated by the location FOV data. In addition, the one or more processors may cause the vehicle to traverse the upcoming location with the one or more sensors activated on the vehicle for performing sensing in the direction of the FOV indicated by the location FOV data.

Abstract: The disclosure is provided to shorten a total allowed cycle time of insertion or a press-fitting operation. A control device of a robot performing insertion or a press-fitting operation includes: a measuring part, measuring an elapsed time from a time point of starting a correcting operation in a case where the insertion or the press-fitting operation does not end normally; a calculating part, calculating a total remaining time of the correcting operation by subtracting a time from a start to an end of the correcting operation from a preset total allowed time of the correcting operation; a comparing part, comparing the remaining time with a required operation time which is an elapsed time from the start to the end of the correcting operation; and a control part, interrupting the correcting operation before the allowed time elapses in a case where the remaining time is less than the required operation time.

Abstract: The present application is directed to an Autonomous Vehicle Enhancement System (AVES) and method for monitoring and managing a virtual or existing fleet of autonomous vehicles in a transportation network and dispatching the autonomous vehicles to users. The AVES includes an AVES Central Operations Center (COC) that communicates with AVES vehicle equipment installed in the autonomous vehicles and AVES applications installed on computing devices accessible by the users. The AVES improves the operating efficiency of a transportation network by monitoring the condition of autonomous vehicles, optimizing the geographical distribution of the autonomous vehicles and optimizing assignment of the autonomous vehicles to users requesting services. The AVES COC monitors and controls the autonomous vehicles via the AVES vehicle equipment. The AVES vehicle equipment and the AVES applications installed on the computing devices communicate with each other to fulfill user request for services.

Abstract: A vehicle having an engine, a battery, and an electric machine configured to propel the vehicle and selectively coupled to the engine to start the engine includes a controller configured to prompt for input to activate a cold weather mode in response to an expected ambient temperature to be below a first temperature threshold for a time period during which a subsequent engine start is anticipated, and to operate the engine and electric machine to maintain a state of charge (SOC) of the battery above a first SOC threshold in response to activation of the cold weather mode, and a second SOC threshold lower than the first SOC threshold otherwise.

Abstract: A method for controlling a robotic device includes monitor an action of an operator of the robotic device. The method also includes inferring an intended target based on the monitored action. The method further includes determining an intended action for the intended target. The method still further includes controlling the robotic device to perform the intended action.

Abstract: A method of controlling a robot having a plurality of joints includes measuring load torque applied to a driving-force transmission system of each of the plurality of joints while moving a hand of the robot along a predetermined path, comparing a measurement value of the load torque and an allowable range of each of the joints, and controlling a rate of change in acceleration of the driving-force transmission system of each of the joints, depending on a comparison result, in a next operation in which the hand of the robot is moved along the predetermined path.

Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes one or more sensors. The sensors identify a predefined crash command from an environment about the unmanned aircraft. One or more processors, operable with the one or more sensors, then determine whether a source of the predefined crash command is authorized to crash the unmanned aircraft. Where the source of the predefined crash command is authorized to crash the unmanned aircraft, the one or more processors crash the unmanned aircraft. Where the source of the command requesting the unmanned aircraft to stop flying is unauthorized to crash the unmanned aircraft, the one or more processors can land the unmanned aircraft without crashing.