Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by executing various shoe-manufacturing processes in an automated fashion. For example, information describing a shoe part may be determined, such as an identification, an orientation, a color, a surface topography, an alignment, a size, etc. Based on the information describing the shoe part, automated shoe-manufacturing apparatuses may be instructed to apply various shoe-manufacturing processes to the shoe part, such as a pickup and placement of the shoe part with a pickup tool.

Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by executing various shoe-manufacturing processes in an automated fashion. For example, information describing a shoe part may be determined, such as an identification, an orientation, a color, a surface topography, an alignment, a size, etc. Based on the information describing the shoe part, automated shoe-manufacturing apparatuses may be instructed to apply various shoe-manufacturing processes to the shoe part, such as a pickup and placement of the shoe part with a pickup tool.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems, methods, and apparatus for a vacuum tool having a switchable plate, such that a common vacuum tool may be adapted with different plates. A switchable plate may form the entirety of the vacuum tool's material contacting surface or a switchable plate may form a portion of the material contacting surface. The vacuum tool is effective for picking and placing one or more manufacturing parts utilizing a vacuum force.

Abstract: A controller applied to a primary side of an inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonant converter includes a common-mode voltage generation circuit and a control signal generation circuit. The common-mode voltage generation circuit is used for generating a common-mode voltage. The control signal generation circuit is used for generating an upper bridge switch control signal and a lower bridge switch control signal according to a compensation voltage corresponding to an output voltage of the LLC resonant converter, a sensing voltage corresponding to an input voltage of the LLC resonant converter, and the common-mode voltage, wherein the upper bridge switch control signal and the lower bridge switch control signal control an upper bridge switch and a lower bridge switch of the primary side of the LLC resonant converter, respectively.

Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe is enhanced by creating 3-D models of shoe parts. For example, a laser beam may be projected onto a shoe-part surface, such that a projected laser line appears on the shoe part. An image of the projected laser line may be analyzed to determine coordinate information, which may be converted into geometric coordinate values usable to create a 3-D model of the shoe part. Once a 3-D model is known and is converted to a coordinate system recognized by shoe-manufacturing tools, certain manufacturing steps may be automated.

Abstract: A tool path for treating a shoe upper may be generated to treat substantially only the surface of the shoe bounded by a bite line. The bite line may be defined to correspond to the junction of the shoe upper and a shoe bottom unit. Bite line data and three-dimensional profile data representing at least a portion of a surface of a shoe upper bounded by a bite line may be utilized in combination to generate a tool path for processing the surface of the upper, such as automated application of adhesive to the surface of a lasted upper bounded by a bite line.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging device includes an ultrasonic generating unit and an ultrasonic imaging processing unit. The ultrasonic generating unit repeatedly turns on N of M ultrasonic array elements of the ultrasonic probe multiple times as a group of array elements for linear scanning, and each scan is to emit an ultrasonic signal by each group of array elements and receive an echo signal of the ultrasonic signal. The ultrasonic imaging processing unit extracts a central echo signal from the echo signal in each scan to form a channel signal, and according to the arrival time of the echo signals, each central echo signal in the channel signal is delayed and summed to generate a modified channel signal. The modified channel signal is subjected to image synthesis process to obtain an ultrasonic image.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems, methods, and apparatus for a vacuum tool having a switchable plate, such that a common vacuum tool may be adapted with different plates. A switchable plate may form the entirety of the vacuum tool's material contacting surface or a switchable plate may form a portion of the material contacting surface. The vacuum tool is effective for picking and placing one or more manufacturing parts utilizing a vacuum force.

Abstract: A computer-assisted needle insertion system and a computer-assisted needle insertion method are provided. The computer-assisted needle insertion method includes: obtaining a first machine learning (ML) model and a second ML model; obtaining a computed tomography (CT) image and a needle insertion path, generating a suggested needle insertion path according to the first ML model, the CT image, and the needle insertion path, and instructing a needle to approach a needle insertion point on a skin of a target, wherein the needle insertion point is located on the suggested needle insertion path; obtaining a breath signal of the target, and estimating whether a future breath state of the target is normal according to the second ML model and the breath signal; and outputting a suggested needle insertion period according to the breath signal in response to determining that the future breath state is normal.

Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe is enhanced by creating 3-D models of shoe parts. For example, a laser beam may be projected onto a shoe-part surface, such that a projected laser line appears on the shoe part. An image of the projected laser line may be analyzed to determine coordinate information, which may be converted into geometric coordinate values usable to create a 3-D model of the shoe part. Once a 3-D model is known and is converted to a coordinate system recognized by shoe-manufacturing tools, certain manufacturing steps may be automated.

Abstract: A tool path for treating a shoe upper may be generated to treat substantially only the surface of the shoe bounded by a bite line. The bite line may be defined to correspond to the junction of the shoe upper and a shoe bottom unit. Bite line data and three-dimensional profile data representing at least a portion of a surface of a shoe upper bounded by a bite line may be utilized in combination to generate a tool path for processing the surface of the upper, such as automated application of adhesive to the surface of a lasted upper bounded by a bite line.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods of manufacturing an article using electroadhesion technology for the pick-up and release of materials, respectively.

Abstract: Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.

Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated in an automated manner.

Abstract: Aspects relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for a manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool is comprised of a vacuum tool and an ultrasonic welder as a unified manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool may be used to pick and position a manufacturing part that is then welded with the associated ultrasonic welder.

Abstract: Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods of manufacturing an article using electroadhesion technology, either as a sole modality of handling such materials or in concert with vacuum for the pick up and release of materials, respectively.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods of manufacturing an article using electroadhesion technology, either as a sole modality of handling such materials or in concert with at least one mechanically actuated modality for the pick-up and release of materials, respectively. The mechanically actuated modality in one embodiment is configured as a netting configured to be placed over a contact surface of an electroadhesive plate to facilitate the handling of an object.

Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by executing various shoe-manufacturing processes in an automated fashion. For example, information describing a shoe part may be determined, such as an identification, an orientation, a color, a surface topography, an alignment, a size, etc. Based on the information describing the shoe part, automated shoe-manufacturing apparatuses may be instructed to apply various shoe-manufacturing processes to the shoe part, such as a pickup and placement of the shoe part with a pickup tool.

Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by executing various shoe-manufacturing processes in an automated fashion. For example, information describing a shoe part may be determined, such as an identification, an orientation, a color, a surface topography, an alignment, a size, etc. Based on the information describing the shoe part, automated shoe-manufacturing apparatuses may be instructed to apply various shoe-manufacturing processes to the shoe part, such as a pickup and placement of the shoe part with a pickup tool.