Abstract: It is recognized It is recognized herein that current approaches to robotic picking lack efficiency and capabilities. In particular, current approaches often do not properly or efficiently estimate the pose of bins, due to various technical challenges in doing so, which can impact grasp computations and overall performance of a given robot. The pose of the bin can be determined or estimated based on depth images. Such bin pose estimation can be performed during runtime of a given robot, such that grasping can be enhanced due to the bin pose estimations.

Abstract: A system controller for visual servoing includes a technology module with dedicated hardware acceleration for deep neural network that retrieves a desired configuration of a workpiece object being manipulated by a robotic device and receives visual feedback information from one or more sensors on or near the robotic device that includes a current configuration of the workpiece object. The hardware accelerator executes a machine learning model trained to process the visual feedback information and determine a configuration error based on a difference between the current configuration of the workpiece object and the desired configuration of the workpiece object. A servo control module adapts a servo control signal to the robotic device for manipulation of the workpiece object in response to the configuration error.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for failure classification of a surface treatment process includes receiving one or more process parameters that influence one or more failure modes of the surface treatment process and receiving sensor data pertaining to measurement of one or more process states pertaining to the surface treatment process. The method includes processing the received one or more process parameters and the sensor data by a machine learning model deployed on an edge computing device controlling the surface treatment process to generate an output indicating, in real-time, a probability of process failure via the one or more failure modes. The machine learning model is trained on a supervised learning regime based on process data and failure classification labels obtained from physics simulations of the surface treatment process in combination with historical data pertaining to the surface treatment process.

Abstract: An edge device can be configured to perform industrial control operations within a production environment that defines a physical location. The edge device can include a plurality of neural network layers that define a deep neural network. The edge device be configured to obtain data from one or more sensors at the physical location defined by the production environment. The edge device can be further configured to perform one or more matrix operations on the data using the plurality of neural network layers so as to generate a large scale matrix computation at the physical location defined by the production environment. In some examples, the edge device can send the large scale matrix computation to a digital twin simulation model associated with the production environment, so as to update the digital twin simulation model in real time.

Abstract: In an example aspect, a first object (e.g., an electronic component) is inserted by a robot into a second object (e.g., a PCB). An autonomous system can capture a first image of the first object within a physical environment. The first object can define a mounting interface configured to insert into the second object. Based on the first image, a robot can grasp the first object within the physical environment. While the robot grasps the first object, the system can capture a second image of the first object. The second image can include the mounting interface of the first object. Based on the second image of the first object, the system can determine a grasp offset associated with the first object. The grasp offset can indicate movement associated with the robot grasping the first object within the physical environment. The system can also capture an image of the second object. Based on the grasp offset and the image of the second object, the robot can insert the first object into the second object.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes operating a controllable physical device to perform a task. The method also includes miming forward simulations of the task by a physics engine based on one or more physics parameters. The physics engine communicates with a parameter data layer where each of the one or more physics parameters is modeled with a probability distribution. For each forward simulation run, a tuple of parameter values is sampled from the probability distribution of the one or more physics parameters and fed to the physics engine. The method includes obtaining an observation pertaining to the task from the physical environment and a corresponding forward simulation outcome associated with each sampled tuple of parameter values. The method then includes updating the probability distribution of the one or more physics parameters in the parameter data layer based on the observation from the physical environment and the corresponding forward simulation outcomes.

Abstract: It is recognized herein that robots or autonomous systems can lose time when computing grasp scores for empty bins. Further, when grasps are attempted on empty bins, for instance due to the related grasp score computations, the robot can lose additional time through being used unnecessarily to attempt the grasp. Such usage can wear on the robot, or damage the robot, in some cases. An autonomous system can classify or determine whether a bin contains an object or is empty, for example, such that a grasp computation is not performed when the bin is empty. In some examples, a system classifies a given bin at runtime before each grasp computation is performed. Thus, systems described herein can avoid performing unnecessary grasp computations, thereby conserving processing time and overheard, among addressing other technical problems.

Abstract: Robots might interact with planar objects (e.g., garments) for process automation, quality control, to perform sewing operations, or the like. It is recognized herein that robots interacting with such planar objects can pose particular problems, for instance problems related to detecting the planar object and estimating the pose of the detected planar object. A system can be configured to detect or segment planar objects, such as garments. The system can include a three-dimensional (3D) sensor positioned to detect a planar object along a transverse direction. The system can further include a first surface that supports the planar object. The first surface can be positioned such that the planar object is disposed between the first surface and the 3D sensor along the transverse direction. In various examples, the 3D sensor is configured to detect the planar object without detecting the first surface.

Abstract: Distributed neural network boosting is performed by a neural network system through operating at least one processor. A method comprises providing a boosting algorithm that distributes a model among a plurality of processing units each being a weak learner of multiple weak learners that can perform computations independent from one another yet process data concurrently. The method further comprises enabling a distributed ensemble learning which enables a programmable logic controller (PLC) to use more than one processing units of the plurality of processing units to scale an application and training the multiple weak learners using the boosting algorithm. The multiple weak learners are machine learning models that do not capture an entire data distribution and are purposefully designed to predict with a lower accuracy. The method further comprises using the multiple weak learners to vote for a final hypothesis based on a feed forward computation of neural networks.

Abstract: Computerized system and method are provided. A robotic manipulator (12) is arranged to grasp objects (20). A gripper (16) is attached to robotic manipulator (12), which includes an imaging sensor (14). During motion of robotic manipulator (12), imaging sensor (14) is arranged to capture images providing different views of objects in the environment of the robotic manipulator. A processor (18) is configured to find, based on the different views, candidate grasp locations and trajectories to perform a grasp of a respective object in the environment of the robotic manipulator. Processor (18) is configured to calculate respective values indicative of grasp quality for the candidate grasp locations, and, based on the calculated respective values indicative of grasp quality for the candidate grasp locations, processor (18) is configured to select a grasp location likely to result in a successful grasp of the respective object.

Abstract: Autonomous operations, such as robotic grasping and manipulation, in unknown or dynamic environments present various technical challenges. For example, three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of a given object often focuses on the geometry of the object without considering how the 3D model of the object is used in solving or performing a robot operation task. As described herein, in accordance with various embodiments, models are generated of objects and/or physical environments based on tasks that autonomous machines perform with the objects or within the physical environments. Thus, in some cases, a given object or environment may be modeled differently depending on the task that is performed using the model. Further, portions of an object or environment may be modeled with varying resolutions depending on the task associated with the model.

Abstract: A system for supporting artificial intelligence inference in an edge computing device associated with a physical process or plant includes a neural network training module, a neural network testing module and a digital twin of the physical process or plant. The neural network training module is configured to train a neural network model for deployment to the edge computing device based on data including baseline training data and field data received from the edge computing device. The neural network testing module configured to validate the trained neural network model prior to deployment to the edge computing device by leveraging the digital twin of the physical process or plant.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented includes creating a plurality of basic skill functions for a controllable physical device of an autonomous system. Each basic skill function includes a functional description for using the controllable physical device to interact with a physical environment to perform a defined objective. The method further includes selecting one or more basic skill functions to configure the controllable physical device to perform a defined task. The method also includes determining a decorator skill function specifying at least one constraint. The decorator skill function is configured to impose, at run-time, the at least one constraint, on the one or more basic skill functions. The method further includes generating executable code by applying the decorator skill function to the one or more basic skill functions, and actuating the controllable physical device using the executable code.

Abstract: In current applications of autonomous machines in industrial settings, the environment, in particular the devices and systems with which the machine interacts, is known such that the autonomous machine can operate in the particular environment successfully. Thus, current approaches to automating tasks within varying environments, for instance complex environments having uncertainties, lack capabilities and efficiencies. In an example aspect, a method for operating an autonomous machine within a physical environment includes detecting an object within the physical environment. The autonomous machine can determine and perform a principle of operation associated with a detected subcomponent of the object, so as to complete a task that requires that the autonomous machine interacts with the object. In some cases, the autonomous machine has not previously encountered the object.

Abstract: A method for automatically generating a bill of process in a manufacturing system comprising: receiving design information representative of a product to be produced; iteratively performing simulations of the manufacturing system; identifying manufacturing actions based on the simulations; optimizing the identified manufacturing actions to efficiently produce the product to be produced; generating, by the manufacturing system, a bill of process for producing the product. Simulations may be performed using a digital twin of the product being produced and a digital twin of the environment. System actions are optimized using a reinforcement learning technique to automatically produce a bill of process based on the design information of the product and task specifications.

Abstract: A system controller for visual servoing includes a technology module with dedicated hardware acceleration for deep neural network that retrieves a desired configuration of a workpiece object being manipulated by a robotic device and receives visual feedback information from one or more sensors on or near the robotic device that includes a current configuration of the workpiece object. The hardware accelerator executes a machine learning model trained to process the visual feedback information and determine a configuration error based on a difference between the current configuration of the workpiece object and the desired configuration of the workpiece object. A servo control module adapts a servo control signal to the robotic device for manipulation of the workpiece object in response to the configuration error.

Abstract: Robotics control system (10) and method for training said robotics control system are provided. Disclosed embodiments make a gracefully blended utilization of Reinforcement Learning (RL) with conventional control by way of a dynamically adaptive interaction between respective control signals (20, 24) generated by a conventional feedback controller (18) and an RL controller (22). Additionally, disclosed embodiments make use of an iterative approach for training a control policy by effective use of virtual sensor and actuator data (60) interleaved with real-world sensor and actuator data (54). This is effective to reducing a training sample size to fulfill a blended control policy for the conventional feedback controller and the reinforcement learning controller. Disclosed embodiments may be used in a variety of industrial automation applications.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for designing execution of a process by a robotic cell includes obtaining a process goal and one or more process constraints. The method includes accessing a library of constructs and a library of skills. Each construct includes a digital representation of a component of the robotic cell or a geometric transformation of the robotic cell. Each skill includes a functional description for using a robot of the robotic cell to interact with a physical environment to perform a skill objective. The method uses a simulation engine to simulate a multiplicity of designs, wherein each design is characterized by a combination of constructs and skills to achieve the process goal, and determine a set of feasible designs that meet the one or more process constraints. The method includes outputting recommended designs from the set of feasible designs.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for training a neural network on a hardware accelerator of an edge device includes dividing a trained neural network into a domain independent portion and a domain dependent portion. The domain independent portion of the neural network is deployed onto a dedicated neural network processing unit of the hardware accelerator of the edge device, and the domain dependent portion of the neural network is deployed onto one or more additional processors of the hardware accelerator of the edge device. The domain dependent portion on the additional processors of the hardware accelerator is retrained using data collected at the edge device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling robots including industrial robots. A method includes executing (402) a program (550) to control a robot (102) by the robot control system (120, 500). The method includes receiving (404) robot state information (554). The method includes receiving (406) force torque feedback (556) inputs from a sensor (554) on the robot (102). The method includes producing (410) a robot control command for the robot (102) based on the robot state information (554) and the force torque feedback (556) inputs. The method includes controlling (412) the robot (102) using the robot control command.