Abstract: Disclosed herein is a sliding door system including a motor, a driveshaft coupled to the motor, and a coupling mechanism fastened to the sliding door. The coupling mechanism is configured to convert rotation of the driveshaft into linear motion of the sliding door, such that movement of the coupling mechanism is directly correlated to movement of the sliding door. The sliding door system also includes a rotary encoder, a belt mechanically coupled to the coupling mechanism. The belt, as moved by the coupling mechanism, is configured to turn the rotary encoder as the sliding door moves, such that movement of the rotary encoder is directly correlated to movement of the sliding door and not directly correlated to movement of the motor and driveshaft.

Abstract: According to some illustrative embodiments, a system and method is provided that includes, e.g., means for continuously conveying an assembly of layered sheets including a first paper sheet, at least one expanded sheet and a second paper sheet in a conveying flow between, e.g., a rotary mandrel or member at an upstream position in a direction of conveyance and a rotary die crushing and cutting tool, with said rotary mandrel or member and said rotary die crushing and cutting tool maintaining the at least one expanded sheet in an expanded state, said rotary tool having a crushing component that crushes a portion of the at least one expanded sheet such as to form a flap forming region of an envelope and a cutting component that cuts the assembly of layered sheets such as to separate individual envelope units.

Abstract: Co-manipulation robotic systems are described herein that may be used for assisting with laparoscopic surgical procedures. The co-manipulation robotic systems allow a surgeon to use commercially-available surgical tools while providing benefits associated with surgical robotics. Advantageously, the surgical tools may be seamlessly coupled to the robot arms using a disposable coupler while the reusable portions of the robot arm remain in a sterile drape. Further, the co-manipulation robotic system may operate in multiple modes to enhance usability and safety, while allowing the surgeon to position the instrument directly with the instrument handle and further maintain the desired position of the instrument using the robot arm.

Abstract: A system for enabling in store routing of a user generated shopping list using existing store cameras and artificial intelligence and machine learning is provided. The system uses a pixelbuffer comparison of items imaged in real time to compared to a database of machine learned images. The system further provides item recognition and detection through machine learning so as to improve a shoppers experiences. The system and method further includes drone assistance means and radio signal item and biological detection so as to improve accuracy. Other features to improve guidance and accuracy include landmark navigation and masking to improve accuracy of item recognition and detection. The system may be a standalone kiosk.

Abstract: For each network resource request received at a server of a cloud-based service, a determination of whether that request originated from a second network resource is made. For each such request where the network resource originated from the second network resource, a referrer indication is logged that indicates the second network resource is a referrer to that network resource. A network resource relevance dataset is generated based on the referrer indications of the second network resources. A relevance metric is associated with each second network resource based on a total number of referrer indications. A search request is received from a client device. Based at least in part on the network resource relevance dataset, search results are determined. The search results are transmitted to the client device.

Abstract: A system for enabling in store routing of a user generated shopping list using existing store cameras and artificial intelligence and machine learning is provided. The system uses a pixelbuffer comparison of items imaged in real time to compared to a database of machine learned images. The system further provides item recognition and detection through machine learning so as to improve a shoppers experiences. The system and method further includes drone assistance means and radio signal item and biological detection so as to improve accuracy. Other features to improve guidance and accuracy include landmark navigation and masking to improve accuracy of item recognition and detection.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for path-based navigation of tubular networks. In one aspect, the method includes receiving location data from at least one of a set of location sensors and a set of robot command inputs, the location data being indicative of a location of an instrument configured to be driven through a luminal network. The method also includes determining a first estimate of the location of the instrument at a first time based on the location data, determining a second estimate of the location of the instrument at the first time based on the path, and determining the location of the instrument at the first time based on the first estimate and the second estimate.

Abstract: A tire pre-conditioning system includes a first mandrel, a second mandrel spaced apart from the first mandrel, and a controller in communication with the first mandrel and the second mandrel. The first mandrel is fixedly attached to a first shaft and including a first tapered sidewall. The second mandrel is fixedly attached to a second shaft and including a second tapered sidewall. The controller is operable to axially move the first mandrel and the second mandrel toward one another until the first and second tapered sidewalls are opposing respective beads of a tire, and supply pressurized fluid into an internal cavity of the tire to inflate the tire. The inflating causing the beads to move relative to mandrels while contacting the opposing respective tapered sidewalls to burnish the beads of the tire.

Abstract: A method of controlling an instrument involves measuring strain of one or more optical fibers associated with an elongate shaft of an instrument, determining a first shape estimation of the elongate shaft based on the measured strain, determining, based on the measured strain, a strain-indicated characteristic of the elongate shaft with respect to a mechanical condition of the elongate shaft, determining an expected range of the mechanical condition of the elongate shaft, determining that the strain-indicated characteristic is outside of the expected range of the mechanical condition, and in response to the determination that the strain-indicated characteristic is outside of the expected range, determining a second shape estimation of the elongate shaft, the second shape estimation being based to a lesser degree on the measured strain compared to the first shape estimation.

Abstract: Embodiments include a server system including logic of an edge computing device. A network includes a cloud platform able to receive utilization change events from a utilization module, and execution of the program logic results in process steps of a method that include transmitting a plurality of attributes from the cloud platform to the at least one edge computing device, where the plurality of attributes can be associated with a device of a distributed environment coupled to the network. Another step includes receiving from the utilization module, by the edge computing device, current utilization data of the device, and a further step includes performing a comparison based on a set of rules or mappings of the attributes, by the edge computing device, of the current utilization data. Finally, based on the comparison, the method includes sending, by the edge computing device, an update to a human-machine-interface module.

Abstract: Techniques for performing visual clustering with a hierarchical graph neural network framework including a joint linkage prediction and density estimation graph model are described. Embodiments herein recurrently run the joint linkage prediction and density estimation graph model to generate intermediate clusters in multiple iterations (e.g., until convergence) to obtain a final clustering result. In certain embodiments, for each iteration, the input graph contains nodes that are merged from nodes assigned to intermediate clusters from the previous iteration. By using a small and fixed bandwidth k in each iteration, embodiments herein alleviate the sensitivity to the k selection for different clustering applications. Certain embodiments herein remove the tuning of a different k (e.g., k-bandwidth) for k-nearest neighbor graph construction over different clustering applications.

Abstract: A disclosed data exchange cloud computer system includes a plurality of cloud servers. Each cloud server of the plurality of cloud-servers is operative to: provide an application programming interface operative to establish a plurality of links to a plurality of agency computer systems, where the links enable data exchange between the plurality of agency computer systems; and provide configurable state machines, operative to facilitate data exchange between the plurality of agency computer systems.

Abstract: In embodiments of an autonomous vehicle platform and safety architecture, safety managers of a safety-critical system monitor outputs of linked components of the safety-critical system. The linked components comprise at least three components, each of which is configured to produce output indicative of a same event independent from the other linked components by using different input information than the other linked components. The safety managers also compare the outputs of the linked components to determine whether each output indicates the occurrence of a same event. When the output of one linked component does not indicate the occurrence of an event that is indicated by the outputs of the other linked components, the safety managers identify the one linked component as having failed. Based on this, the outputs of the other linked components are used to carry out operations of the safety-critical system without using the output of the failed component.

Abstract: In the preferred embodiments, the present invention provides substantially improved slit sheet cushioning products by advantageously combining novel paper properties with novel slit patterns for improved features and characteristics. In some illustrative and non-limiting example embodiments, cushioning products of the present invention can include, e.g., a novel slit sheet material in combination with extensible paper employed as, e.g., a cushioning pad or as cushioning within an envelope product, wherein the cushioning product can be substantially more resilient, but, yet, e.g., thinner for better utilization of space.

Abstract: Co-manipulation robotic systems are described herein that may be used for assisting with laparoscopic surgical procedures. The co-manipulation robotic systems allow a surgeon to use commercially-available surgical tools while providing benefits associated with surgical robotics. Advantageously, the surgical tools may be seamlessly coupled to the robot arms using a disposable coupler while the reusable portions of the robot arm remain in a sterile drape. Further, the co-manipulation robotic system may operate in multiple modes to enhance usability and safety, while allowing the surgeon to position the instrument directly with the instrument handle and further maintain the desired position of the instrument using the robot arm.

Abstract: A system for medical device deployment includes an optical shape sensing (OSS) system (104) associated with a deployable medical device (102) or a deployment instrument (107). The OSS system is configured to measure shape, position or orientation of the deployable medical device and/or deployment instrument. A registration module (128) is configured to register OSS data with imaging data to permit placement of the deployable medical device. An image processing module (142) is configured to create a visual representation (102?) of the deployable medical device and to jointly display the deployable medical device with the imaging data.

Abstract: Co-manipulation robotic systems are described herein that may be used for assisting with laparoscopic surgical procedures. The co-manipulation robotic systems allow a surgeon to use commercially-available surgical tools while providing benefits associated with surgical robotics. Advantageously, the surgical tools may be seamlessly coupled to the robot arms using a disposable coupler while the reusable portions of the robot arm remain in a sterile drape. Further, the co-manipulation robotic system may operate in multiple modes to enhance usability and safety, while allowing the surgeon to position the instrument directly with the instrument handle and further maintain the desired position of the instrument using the robot arm.

Abstract: Co-manipulation robotic systems are described herein that may be used for assisting with laparoscopic surgical procedures. The co-manipulation robotic systems allow a surgeon to use commercially-available surgical tools while providing benefits associated with surgical robotics. Advantageously, the surgical tools may be seamlessly coupled to the robot arms using a disposable coupler while the reusable portions of the robot arm remain in a sterile drape. Further, the co-manipulation robotic system may operate in multiple modes to enhance usability and safety, while allowing the surgeon to position the instrument directly with the instrument handle and further maintain the desired position of the instrument using the robot arm.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for path-based navigation of tubular networks. In one aspect, the method includes receiving location data from at least one of a set of location sensors and a set of robot command inputs, the location data being indicative of a location of an instrument configured to be driven through a luminal network. The method also includes determining a first estimate of the location of the instrument at a first time based on the location data, determining a second estimate of the location of the instrument at the first time based on the path, and determining the location of the instrument at the first time based on the first estimate and the second estimate.

Abstract: Co-manipulation robotic systems are described herein that may be used for assisting with laparoscopic surgical procedures. The co-manipulation robotic systems allow a surgeon to use commercially-available surgical tools while providing benefits associated with surgical robotics. Advantageously, the surgical tools may be seamlessly coupled to the robot arms using a disposable coupler while the reusable portions of the robot arm remain in a sterile drape. Further, the co-manipulation robotic system may operate in multiple modes to enhance usability and safety, while allowing the surgeon to position the instrument directly with the instrument handle and further maintain the desired position of the instrument using the robot arm.