Abstract: Described are systems, devices and methods that use vestibular stimulation to control and improve sleep. The systems, devices and methods described herein are the first to use either one or more than one method of vestibular stimulation from a plurality of different vestibular stimulations (e.g., electrical, thermal, acoustic, optical or tactile) to create illusory motions for affecting sleep. The described systems and methods are the first to utilize an algorithm to determine which stimulation technique to use, when to use a particular stimulation technique, and the unique characteristics to include in the stimulation technique.

Abstract: A robot manipulator controller for a flexible manipulator arm having plural bodies connected at respective movable hinges and flexible in plural deformation modes corresponding to respective modal spatial influence vectors relating deformations of plural spaced nodes of respective bodies to the plural deformation modes, operates by computing articulated body quantities for each of the bodies from respective modal spatial influence vectors, obtaining specified body forces for each of the bodies, and computing modal deformation accelerations of the nodes and hinge accelerations of the hinges from the specified body forces, from the articulated body quantities and from the modal spatial influence vectors. In one embodiment of the invention, the controller further operates by comparing the accelerations thus computed to desired manipulator motion to determine a motion discrepancy, and correcting the specified body forces so as to reduce the motion discrepancy.

Abstract: This invention is a robot control system based on a high level language implementing a spatial operator algebra. There are two high level languages included within the system. At the highest level, applications programs can be written in a robot-oriented applications language including broad operators such as MOVE and GRASP. The robot-oriented applications language statements are translated into statements in the spatial operator algebra language. Programming can also take place using the spatial operator algebra language. The statements in the spatial operator algebra language from either source are then translated into machine language statements for execution by a digital control computer. The system also includes the capability of executing the control code sequences in a simulation mode before actual execution to assure proper action at execution time. The robot's environment is checked as part of the process and dynamic reconfiguration is also possible.

Abstract: The invention controls an under-actuated robot manipulator by first obtaining predetermined active joint accelerations of the active joints and the passive joint friction forces of the passive joints, then computing articulated body quantities for each of the joints from the current positions of the links, and finally computing from the articulated body quantities and from the active joint accelerations and the passive joint forces, active joint forces of the active joints. Ultimately, the invention transmits servo commands corresponding to the active joint forces thus computed to respective ones of the joint servos.The computation of the active joint forces is accomplished using a recursive dynamics algorithm.

Abstract: This invention is a robot control system based on a high level language implementing a spatial operator algebra. There are two high level languages included within the system. At the highest level, applications programs can be written in a robot-oriented applications language including broad operators such as MOVE and GRASP. The robot-oriented applications language statements are translated into statements in the spatial operator algebra language. Programming can also take place using the spatial operator algebra language. The statements in the spatial operator algebra language from either source are then translated into machine language statements for execution by a digital control computer. The system also includes the capability of executing the control code sequences in a simulation mode before actual execution to assure proper action at execution time. The robot's environment is checked as part of the process and dynamic reconfiguration is also possible.