Abstract: An electrosurgical connection unit for a surgical robot arm to connect an electrosurgical instrument attached to the arm to an electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical connection unit includes an input port connectable to the electrosurgical generator, the input port configured to receive a driving electrosurgical signal and output one or more activation signals; an output port connectable to the electrosurgical instrument, the output port configured to output the driving electrosurgical signal received on the input port; one or more activation switch units, wherein activation of an activation switch unit causes an activation signal to be output from the input port indicating a driving electrosurgical signal with a desired waveform is to be activated; and a control unit configured to selectively activate one of the one or more activation switch units in response to a control signal.

Abstract: A dispensing unit for personal care products and personal protective equipment includes one or more dispensing assemblies contained within a single housing. The dispensing unit may contain dispensing assemblies that independently dispense two different types of products. Each dispensing assembly includes an actuator that mechanically injects a time delay between dispensings. Products are bundled together with support structures that are removed when the bundles are placed into a dispensing assembly.

Abstract: A method and system provide the ability to modify a three-dimensional (3D) model. The 3D model is obtained and arbitrary faces of the model are selected. Shape modification operations to be performed are prescribed. A deformation lattice is constructed by setting up a lattice structure with control points. A space of the 3D model is mapped to a space of the lattice structure. The deformation lattice is evaluated by deforming the lattice using a selected set of control points. The evaluated deformed model is then output.

Abstract: A transport system includes a main cable, a track assembly, and a conveyance assembly, wherein the track assembly is suspended from the main cable to allow unimpeded translational movement of the conveyance assembly along the track assembly. In another aspect according to the present invention, the track assembly has a track changing assembly that includes a track changing section rotatably coupled to a primary track section for selective alignment of the track changing section to any one of a plurality of exit track sections. A method of conveyance along a suspended track includes suspending a main cable between natural or artificial support structures, suspending a track assembly from the main cable, and mounting a conveyance assembly on the suspended track assembly to provide unimpeded translational movement of the conveyance assembly along the track assembly.

Abstract: An electrosurgical connection unit for a surgical robot arm to connect an electrosurgical instrument attached to the arm to an electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical connection unit includes an input port connectable to the electrosurgical generator, the input port configured to receive a driving electrosurgical signal and output one or more activation signals; an output port connectable to the electrosurgical instrument, the output port configured to output the driving electrosurgical signal received on the input port; one or more activation switch units, wherein activation of an activation switch unit causes an activation signal to be output from the input port indicating a driving electrosurgical signal with a desired waveform is to be activated; and a control unit configured to selectively activate one of the one or more activation switch units in response to a control signal.

Abstract: A master-slave system that includes a first manipulator supporting a first end effector; a second manipulator supporting a second end effector; an input device configured to concurrently receive from a hand of an operator a first movement command to effect a desired movement of the first end effector and a second movement command to effect a desired movement of the second end effector; and a processor configured to determine a desired movement of the first and the second end effectors in response to the first and second movement commands received from the input device respectively.

Abstract: A transport system includes a main cable, a track assembly, and a conveyance assembly, wherein the track assembly is suspended from the main cable to allow unimpeded translational movement of the conveyance assembly along the track assembly. In another aspect according to the present invention, the track assembly has a track changing assembly that includes a track changing section rotatably coupled to a primary track section for selective alignment of the track changing section to any one of a plurality of exit track sections. A method of conveyance along a suspended track includes suspending a main cable between natural or artificial support structures, suspending a track assembly from the main cable, and mounting a conveyance assembly on the suspended track assembly to provide unimpeded translational movement of the conveyance assembly along the track assembly.

Abstract: A method for autonomously parking or un-parking a motor vehicle includes receiving a map of a parking area having a first temporary obstruction zone, determining a starting location of the motor vehicle relative to the parking area, selecting a destination location within the parking area, setting the first temporary obstruction zone as operative or inoperative, generating a path from the starting location to the destination location, wherein the path does not enter the first temporary obstruction zone when operative, and driving the motor vehicle autonomously along the path from the starting location of the motor vehicle to the destination location.

Abstract: A method for controlling a mechanical system having a plurality of components interlinked by a plurality of driven joints, the method comprising: measuring torques or forces about or at the driven joints and forming a load signal representing the measured torques or forces; receiving a motion demand signal representing a desired state of the system; implementing an impedance control algorithm in dependence on the motion demand signal and the load signal to form a target signal indicating a target configuration for each of the driven joints; measuring the configuration of each of the driven joints and forming a state signal representing the measured configurations; and forming a set of drive signals for the joints by, for each joint, comparing the target configuration of that joint as indicated by the target signal to the measured configuration of that joint as indicated by the state signal.

Abstract: A transport system includes a main cable, a track assembly, and a conveyance assembly, wherein the track assembly is suspended from the main cable to allow unimpeded translational movement of the conveyance assembly along the track assembly. In another aspect according to the present invention, the track assembly has a track changing assembly that includes a track changing section rotatably coupled to a primary track section for selective alignment of the track changing section to any one of a plurality of exit track sections. A method of conveyance along a suspended track includes suspending a main cable between natural or artificial support structures, suspending a track assembly from the main cable, and mounting a conveyance assembly on the suspended track assembly to provide unimpeded translational movement of the conveyance assembly along the track assembly.

Abstract: A method for controlling a mechanical system having a plurality of components interlinked by a plurality of driven joints, the method comprising: measuring torques or forces about or at the driven joints and forming a load signal representing the measured torques or forces; receiving a motion demand signal representing a desired state of the system; implementing an impedance control algorithm in dependence on the motion demand signal and the load signal to form a target signal indicating a target configuration for each of the driven joints; measuring the configuration of each of the driven joints and forming a state signal representing the measured configurations; and forming a set of drive signals for the joints by, for each joint, comparing the target configuration of that joint as indicated by the target signal to the measured configuration of that joint as indicated by the state signal.

Abstract: A method and system provide the ability to modify a three-dimensional (3D) model. The 3D model is obtained and arbitrary faces of the model are selected. Shape modification operations to be performed are prescribed. A deformation lattice is constructed by setting up a lattice structure with control points. A space of the 3D model is mapped to a space of the lattice structure. The deformation lattice is evaluated by deforming the lattice using a selected set of control points. The evaluated deformed model is then output.

Abstract: A method for autonomously parking or un-parking a motor vehicle includes the steps of locating the motor vehicle within a parking area, setting a destination location within the parking area, generating and setting a path from the location of the motor vehicle to the destination location, and autonomously driving the motor vehicle along the path. The path is generated by (a) generating a first set of nodes from the location of the motor vehicle, (b) assigning a cost to each node in the first set of nodes, (c) selecting a lowest cost node from the first set of nodes, (d) generating another set of nodes from the selected node, (e) assigning a cost to each of the newly generated nodes, (f) selecting a lowest cost node from all of the nodes, and (g) repeating steps (d)-(f) until a lowest cost node is located at the destination location.

Abstract: A method and system provide the ability to modify a three-dimensional (3D) model in a shape editing system. The 3D model is obtained and faces of the model are selected as features (S). A subset (S?) of the model that are fixed are selected. Shape modification operations to be performed are prescribed. A deformation lattice is constructed by setting up a lattice structure with control points. Parametric space (u,v,w) is defined in terms of vertices of the lattice structure. Euclidean space (x,y,z) of the 3D model is mapped to the parametric space (u,v,w). The deformation lattice is evaluated by selecting control points, and either affine transformations are applied directly to the selected control points, or the deformation lattice is deformed based on a discrete fitting problem. The evaluated deformed model is then output.

Abstract: Concentrated surfactant compositions that include an alkyl alkoxylated sulfate surfactant and an alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine, and process for making such compositions. Detergent compositions made from such concentrated surfactant compositions, and process for making such detergent compositions.

Abstract: A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb (310) of the arm relative to another limb (311) of the arm about two non-parallel rotation axes (20, 21), the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier (28) attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear (33) disposed about the first rotation axis and fast with the carrier, whereby rotation of the carrier relative to the first limb about the first rotation axis can be driven; a second drive gear (37) disposed about the second rotation axis and fast with the second one of the limbs, whereby rotation of the second one of the limbs about the second rotation axis relative to the carrier can be driven; at least one of the first and second drive gears being a sector gear.

Abstract: A method for autonomously parking a motor vehicle in various types of parking spots includes the steps of receiving a map of a parking area, locating the motor vehicle within the parking area, selecting a parking spot within the parking area, generating a node tree from the location of the motor vehicle to the parking spot, selecting a path from the node tree, wherein the path connects the location of the motor vehicle to the parking spot, autonomously driving the motor vehicle along the path from the location of the motor vehicle to an intermediate location on the path, and performing a parking maneuver into the parking spot from the intermediate location. The parking maneuver may be a head-in, tail-in, or parallel parking maneuver.

Abstract: A transport system includes a main cable, a track assembly, and a conveyance assembly, wherein the track assembly is suspended from the main cable to allow unimpeded translational movement of the conveyance assembly along the track assembly. In another aspect according to the present invention, the track assembly has a track changing assembly that includes a track changing section rotatably coupled to a primary track section for selective alignment of the track changing section to any one of a plurality of exit track sections. A method of conveyance along a suspended track includes suspending a main cable between natural or artificial support structures, suspending a track assembly from the main cable, and mounting a conveyance assembly on the suspended track assembly to provide unimpeded translational movement of the conveyance assembly along the track assembly.

Abstract: A method for autonomously parking a motor vehicle in various types of parking spots includes the steps of receiving a map of a parking area, locating the motor vehicle within the parking area, selecting a parking spot within the parking area, generating a node tree from the location of the motor vehicle to the parking spot, selecting a path from the node tree, wherein the path connects the location of the motor vehicle to the parking spot, autonomously driving the motor vehicle along the path from the location of the motor vehicle to an intermediate location on the path, and performing a parking maneuver into the parking spot from the intermediate location. The parking maneuver may be a head-in, tail-in, or parallel parking maneuver.

Abstract: A method for autonomously parking or un-parking a motor vehicle includes the steps of locating the motor vehicle within a parking area, setting a destination location within the parking area, generating and setting a path from the location of the motor vehicle to the destination location, and autonomously driving the motor vehicle along the path. The path is generated by (a) generating a first set of nodes from the location of the motor vehicle, (b) assigning a cost to each node in the first set of nodes, (c) selecting a lowest cost node from the first set of nodes, (d) generating another set of nodes from the selected node, (e) assigning a cost to each of the newly generated nodes, (f) selecting a lowest cost node from all of the nodes, and (g) repeating steps (d)-(f) until a lowest cost node is located at the destination location.