Abstract: A customer engagement method comprises detecting a location and moving a suspended aerial robotic device to the customer's location, detecting one or more characterizing features of the customer and greeting the customer by the suspended aerial robotic device based on the detected characterizing features, presenting a menu of items to the customer and requesting the customer to identify items of interest receiving an order for identified items from the customer, retrieving the items corresponding to the placed order from a repository containing stock items, releasing the retrieved items to the suspended aerial robotic device, requesting touchless payment from the customer by the suspended aerial robotic device, and releasing the retrieved items by the suspended aerial robotic device to the customer on receipt of touchless payment by the customer.

Abstract: An aerial navigation system comprises four anchor points mounted on top of four upright members respectively at substantially same height from a ground, a carrier device coupled to a first set of four electric motors mounted at the four anchor points through a set of first wires. The set of first wires, the four upright members and the ground effectively define a volume. The carrier device is moveable in a bounded horizontal plane defined by the four anchor points. A robotic device is suspended from the carrier device using a second wire and moves vertically relative to the carrier device through activation of a fifth electric motor. A control unit is coupled to the first set of four electric motors and the fifth electric motor for controlling the three-dimensional movement of the robotic device to permit navigation from a current location to a target location inside the defined volume.

Abstract: An enhanced service system comprises a pair of first wires between a first position proximal to an entry point of a drive through facility and a second position proximal to a receiving window in the drive through facility, and an aerial host unit coupled to the pair of first wires using a pair of first and second host wires. The aerial host unit is longitudinally movable between the first position and the second position and includes an aerial host member moveably supported by the first and second host wires to move laterally between the pair of first wires to approach an incoming customer vehicle, facilitate the customer to place an order, receive payment from the customer, and direct the customer to the receiving window where the aerial host member retrieves the items corresponding to the placed order from the receiving window and transfers the retrieved items to the customer.

Abstract: A navigation control system for an aerial robotic device suspended from a carrier device in an aerial movement volume of an aerial module. The navigation control system is configured to detect one or more stationary obstacles located in corresponding Aerial Movement Volume, create a 3D map representing the Aerial Movement Volume together with one or more bounding boxes enclosing each stationary obstacle in the Aerial Movement Volume, use an optimisation algorithm to compute an optimal route for the aerial robotic device, determine control parameters for a plurality of electric stepper motors driving the carrier device and the aerial robotic device based on the computed optimal route for the aerial robotic device, and navigate the aerial robotic device in accordance with the computed optimal route to enable the aerial robotic device to reach the required destination while avoiding intervening stationary obstacles.

Abstract: A virtual management system comprises video cameras, and various other sensors that acquire event data indicative relating to the processing of stock. This data is passed to a local data collection device that aggregates the event data and passes it via a network to a number of remote data processing modules. The event data is allocated to each of the data processing modules based upon their assigned tasks by a virtual manager agent. A data processing module receives the aggregated event data from the local data collection device via a network and processes the event data according to a set of pre-defined rules. The data processing module generates an alert in response to the processing of the event data indicating that a predefined event has occurred, and transmits the alert to a remote device associated with an employee.

Abstract: A system for process shaping in a retail store environment comprises a video generation and processing component, a data source integration and aggregation component for aggregating and integrate information received from various sources, a process sensing component for generating one or more continuous processes, a process aggregator and weighing component for aggregating the one or more continuous processes into a merged weighted process, a proof of problem and value component for determining one or more process variations, a ripple effect analyser for sending one or more nudging messages to the retail store environment, and a gamified feedback algorithm component for communicating a nudging action corresponding to a nudging message, to one or more entities in the retail store environment.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to composition and methods to treat dermatological diseases and disorders and to composition useful for treating acne.

Abstract: A system for process shaping in a retail store environment comprises a video generation and processing component, a data source integration and aggregation component for aggregating and integrate information received from various sources, a process sensing component for generating one or more continuous processes, a process aggregator and weighing component for aggregating the one or more continuous processes into a merged weighted process, a proof of problem and value component for determining one or more process variations, a ripple effect analyser for sending one or more nudging messages to the retail store environment, and a gamified feedback algorithm component for communicating a nudging action corresponding to a nudging message, to one or more entities in the retail store environment.

Abstract: A system for performing automated auditing of goods includes an audit robot that includes a rotatable platform, and an overhead camera, a multi-tracking camera system, an audit controller configured to receive and process the one or more images to detect a delivery personnel and corresponding pallet of goods when the delivery personnel enters the warehousing environment, generate an alert to instruct the delivery personnel to keep the pallet on the platform of the audit robot, trigger the rotatable platform to rotate when the pallet is kept, trigger the overhead sensor and the multi-tracking camera system to generate image data of the pallet, while the platform is being rotated, process at least one of: image data, scanning data, order and supplier information, historical information, time, and identity of the delivery personnel to assess a risk level of the pallet, and automatically check-in the pallet when risk level is assessed as zero.

Abstract: A system for assigning a social attribute class to a human subject in a predefined closed environment includes an image capturing component, a pose detection component configured to perform pose detection and tracking of a human subject in real-time, an action detection component configured to detect an action of the human subject, an activity detection component configured to relate a sequence of actions to detect an activity of the human subject, and a social attribute classification component. The social attribute classification component is configured to determine an average speed (s) of the human subject as a first social attribute, an interaction time of the human subject (Tint) as a second social attribute, an analysis time (Tanal) as a third social attribute, and automatically assigns a social attribute class to the human subject based on the values of the first, second and third social attributes.

Abstract: Optically isolated micromachined (MEMS) switches and related methods are described. The optically isolated MEMS switches described herein may be used to provide isolation between electronic devices. For example, the optically isolated MEMS switches of the types described herein can enable the use of separate grounds between the receiving electronic device and the control circuitry. Isolation of high-voltage signals and high-voltage power supplies can be achieved by using an optical isolator and a MEMS switch, where the optical isolator controls the state of the MEMS switch. In some embodiments, utilizing optical isolators to provide high voltages, the need for electric high-voltage sources such as high-voltage power supplies and charge pumps may be removed, thus removing the cause of potential damage to the receiving electronic device. In one example, the optical isolator and the MEMS switch may be co-packaged on the same substrate.

Abstract: A warehouse management system is configured to include a biometric processing engine to authenticate a user though facial recognition of the user, a natural language processing engine to enables touchless interaction of the user with the system, a voice synthesizer to execute synthesized voice interrogative prompts and respond to responses received from the user, and a quantity detection engine for capturing images of transaction articles and feeding to an artificial image quantization engine (AIQE) for extracting quantities from the captured images and to an artificial image self-learning engine (AISLE) for self-learning of the AIQE.

Abstract: A goods receipt management system includes processors coupled to a non-transitory storage device and operable to execute routines that include a face recognition engine to use facial features of a user to recognize the user as an authorised person, a dialogue manager engine to obtain from the authorised person a stated number of goods items being delivered, a quantification engine to receive an image of the goods items and calculate the number of goods items appearing in the image, a comparison engine to compare the calculated number of goods items with the stated number of goods items, and in the event of a substantial match, to record the calculated number of goods items, and a performance improvement engine to use the image of the goods items to re-tune configuration variables, in the event of a mis-match between calculated number of goods items and stated number of goods items.

Abstract: Optically isolated micromachined (MEMS) switches and related methods are described. The optically isolated MEMS switches described herein may be used to provide isolation between electronic devices. For example, the optically isolated MEMS switches of the types described herein can enable the use of separate grounds between the receiving electronic device and the control circuitry. Isolation of high-voltage signals and high-voltage power supplies can be achieved by using an optical isolator and a MEMS switch, where the optical isolator controls the state of the MEMS switch. In some embodiments, utilizing optical isolators to provide high voltages, the need for electric high-voltage sources such as high-voltage power supplies and charge pumps may be removed, thus removing the cause of potential damage to the receiving electronic device. In one example, the optical isolator and the MEMS switch may be co-packaged on the same substrate.

Abstract: A system for anomaly monitoring in a pre-defined environment includes one or more image capturing devices configured to capture one or more images of the pre-defined environment in real-time, a process detecting component configured to detect one or more target processes based on captured image data, each target process representing a sequence of user activities in the pre-defined environment, a blockchain unit configured to store the one or more target processes and a reference process in form of a private distributed logbook, wherein each of the target processes and the reference process include a series of process transactions, wherein each process transaction is stored in an encrypted form in the blockchain unit, and an analysis unit communicatively coupled to the blockchain unit, and configured to analyse the private distributed logbook by comparing each target process with the reference process to determine one or more anomalies therein.

Abstract: A system for operating a plurality of self-checkout (SCO) terminals of an SCO surface area of a retail store includes a central camera to capture an overview image of the SCO surface area, and a central control unit. The central control unit includes a memory, and a central processing unit configured to identify a non-scan event at an SCO terminal, check if the number of other already locked SCO terminals is less than a first threshold, lock the SCO terminal if the number of other locked SCO terminals is less than the first threshold, check if a number of consecutive non-scan events at the SCO terminal has reached a second threshold, if the number of other locked SCO terminals has reached the first threshold, and lock the SCO terminal, if the number of consecutive non-scan events detected at the SCO terminal has reached the second threshold.

Abstract: Angular accelerometers are described, as are systems employing such accelerometers. The angular accelerometers may include a proof mass and rotational acceleration detection beams directed toward the center of the proof mass. The angular accelerometers may include sensing capabilities for angular acceleration about three orthogonal axes. The sensing regions for angular acceleration about one of the three axes may be positioned radially closer to the center of the proof mass than the sensing regions for angular acceleration about the other two axes. The proof mass may be connected to the substrate though one or more anchors.

Abstract: Occlusive plugs are provided which comprise a single elongate member that is insertable into and through a microcatheter and assumes a space-occupying shape when deployed into a vascular structure. The elongate member optionally includes one or more polymer fibers, one or more polymer sleeves to secure the polymer fibers to the elongate member, and/or a radiopaque marker band.

Abstract: A warehouse management system is configured to include a biometric processing engine to authenticate a user though facial recognition of the user, a natural language processing engine to enables touchless interaction of the user with the system, a voice synthesizer to execute synthesized voice interrogative prompts and respond to responses received from the user, and a quantity detection engine for capturing images of transaction articles and feeding to an artificial image quantization engine (AIQE) for extracting quantities from the captured images and to an artificial image self-learning engine (AISLE) for self-learning of the AIQE.