Abstract: A system for performing interactions within a physical environment including a robot having a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment, a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon for performing said interactions, a tracking system that measures a robot position indicative of a position of at least part of the robot relative to the environment, and a control system that determines the robot position; and, controls the robot arm in accordance with the robot position. The tracking system measures the position with a frequency that is at least 10 Hz and measures the position with an accuracy that is at least better than 10 mm, whilst the control system operates with a frequency that is at least 10 Hz.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system for performing interactions within a physical environment, the system including: (a) a robot base; (b) a robot base actuator that moves the robot base relative to the environment; (c) a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon; (d) a tracking system that measures at least one of (i) a robot base position indicative of a position of the robot base relative to the environment; and, (ii) a robot base movement indicative of a movement of the robot base relative to the environment; (e) an active damping system that actively damps movement of the robot base relative to the environment; and, (f) a control system that: (i) determines a movement correction in accordance with signals from the tracking system; and, (ii) controls the active damping system at least partially in accordance with the movement correction.

Abstract: A block for automated building construction has a cuboid body including an opposed top and bottom, a pair of opposed ends, and a pair of opposed sides. The block is dividable lengthwise into block portions. Between each pair of adjacent block portions is a dividing slot(s) extending between the top and the bottom and transversely across the block, the dividing slot(s) separated from the opposed sides or an adjacent dividing slot by slender webs which bridge and connect the adjacent block portions. Each block portion includes holes extending between the top and the bottom. The holes include a larger hole, and smaller holes spaced apart around the larger hole. Each portion at opposing ends of the block includes a protruding tongue extending between the top and the bottom of the block, which is transversely offset with respect to a protruding tongue at the opposite end of the block.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an adhesive cartridge for an automated brick laying machine, the adhesive cartridge comprising a bladder for the adhesive, a shell for the bladder, the shell comprising an aperture therethrough, and at least one valve assembly for controlling adhesive flow, the valve assembly comprising a valve body, at least a portion of which extends through the aperture and into the shell. Also disclosed is a method for assembling the adhesive cartridge, a method of filling the adhesive cartridge and an automated bricklaying machine having a bricklaying and adhesive applying head incorporating the adhesive cartridge.

Abstract: A system for performing interactions within a physical environment, the system including: a robot having a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment and a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon; a communications system including a fieldbus network; a tracking system including a tracking base positioned in the environment and connected to the fieldbus network, and a tracking target mounted to a component of the robot, wherein the tracking base is configured to detect the tracking target to allow a position and/or orientation of the tracking target relative to the tracking base to be determined; and a control system that communicates with the tracking system via the fieldbus network to determine the relative position and/or orientation of the tracking target and controls the robot arm in accordance with the relative position and/or orientation of the tracking target.

Abstract: A system for performing interactions within a physical environment including: a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment; a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon; a first tracking system that measures a robot base position; a second tracking system that measures movement of the robot base; and, a control system that uses a robot base position to at least partially control the robot arm to move the end effector along an end effector path, wherein the control system: determines the robot base position at least in part using signals from the first tracking system; and, in the event of failure of the first tracking system: determines a robot base position using signals from the second tracking system; and, controls the robot arm to move the end effector along the end effector path at a reduced end effector speed.

Abstract: A system for performing interactions within a physical environment including a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment, a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon and a tracking system that measures a robot base position indicative of a position of the robot base relative to the environment. A control system acquires an indication of an end effector destination, determines a reference robot base position, calculates an end effector path extending to the end effector destination and repeatedly determines a current robot base position using signals from the tracking system, calculates robot arm kinematics using the current robot base position and the end effector path and controls the robot arm to cause the end effector to be moved towards the end effector destination.

Abstract: A system for performing interactions within a physical environment including a robot base, a robot base actuator that moves the robot base relative to the environment, a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon and a tracking system that measures a tracking target position indicative of a position of a target mounted on the robot base. A control system acquires an indication of an end effector destination, determines a tracking target position at least in part using signals from the tracking system, determines a virtual robot base position offset from the robot base and calculates a robot base path extending from the virtual robot base position to the end effector destination, using this to control the robot base actuator to cause the robot base to be moved along the robot base path.

Abstract: A system for performing interactions within a physical environment including a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment, a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon and a tracking system that measures a robot base position indicative of a position of the robot base relative to the environment. A control system acquires an indication of an end effector destination, determines a reference robot base position, calculates an end effector path extending to the end effector destination and repeatedly determines a current robot base position using signals from the tracking system, calculates a correction based on the current robot base position, the correction being indicative of a path modification, and controls the robot arm in accordance with the correction to move the end effector towards the end effector destination.

Abstract: A system for performing interactions within a physical environment including a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment, a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon and a tracking system that measures a robot base position indicative of a position of the robot base relative to the environment. A control system acquires an indication of an end effector destination, and repeatedly determines a robot base position using signals from the tracking system, calculates an end effector path extending to the end effector destination at least in part using the robot base position, generates robot control signals based on the end effector path and applies the robot control signals to the robot arm to cause the end effector to be moved along the end effector path towards the destination.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the building industry and in particular to a block for use in automated building construction. In one aspect, the block comprises a generally cuboid body having a top and a base, a length extending between a pair of opposed ends, and a width extending between a pair of opposed sides; the body including a plurality of hollow cores extending from said top to said base, and arranged in a row between said opposed ends; wherein each core has a rectilinear cross-sectional shape; and wherein the thickness of the block between each pair of adjacent cores is at least double the thickness of the block on all other sides of each core, so that the block is divisible into a plurality of substantially identical block portions, each portion including four walls of substantially uniform wall thickness about its core.

Abstract: A system for performing interactions within a physical environment, the system including: a robot having a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment and a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon; a communications system including a fieldbus network; a tracking system including a tracking base positioned in the environment and connected to the fieldbus network, and a tracking target mounted to a component of the robot, wherein the tracking base is configured to detect the tracking target to allow a position and/or orientation of the tracking target relative to the tracking base to be determined; and a control system that communicates with the tracking system via the fieldbus network to determine the relative position and/or orientation of the tracking target and controls the robot arm in accordance with the relative position and/or orientation of the tracking target.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tracking system for tracking a position and orientation of an object, the tracking system including: a tracking base provided in an environment, the tracking base including: a tracking head support; and, at least three tracking heads mounted to the tracking head support, a target system including at least three targets mounted to the object, each target including a reflector that reflects a radiation beam to the base sensor of a respective tracking head; and, a control system that: causes each tracking head to track a respective target as it moves throughout the environment; determines a position of each target with respect to a respective tracking head; determines an orientation of the target system using at least in part the determined position of each target; and, determines the position and orientation of the object using at least in part the position and orientation of the target system.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a gripping apparatus mounted to a robot arm for controllably placing an object on a surface. A gripper assembly supports a pair of gripping clamps which are configured to grip and release the object. The gripper assembly is mounted to the robot arm via a connector body. A sensor is configured to either measure a relative movement between the gripper assembly and the connector body, or to measure a force between the gripper assembly and the connector body. A controller is configured to stop the robot arm when the sensor indicates the measured relative movement or measured force exceeds a predefined threshold.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the building industry and in particular to a block for use in automated building construction. In one aspect, the block comprises a generally cuboid body having a top and a base, a length extending between a pair of opposed ends, and a width extending between a pair of opposed sides; the body including a plurality of hollow cores extending from said top to said base, and arranged in a row between said opposed ends; wherein each core has a rectilinear cross-sectional shape; and wherein the thickness of the block between each pair of adjacent cores is at least double the thickness of the block on all other sides of each core, so that the block is divisible into a plurality of substantially identical block portions, each portion including four walls of substantially uniform wall thickness about its core.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tracking system for tracking the position and orientation of an object in an environment, the tracking system including: (a) a tracking base positioned in the environment; (b) a tracking target mountable to the object, wherein in use the tracking base is linked to the tracking target by: (i) a bidirectional light beam transmitted therebetween; and, (ii) a unidirectional light beam transmitted therebetween, said unidirectional light beam parallel to the bidirectional light beam; and, (c) at least one controller configured to determine a roll angle of the tracking target relative to the tracking base, the roll angle determined at least in part by signals received from a sensor housed in at least one of the tracking base and the tracking target that detects the unidirectional light beam.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the building industry and in particular to a block for use in automated building construction. In one aspect, the block comprises a generally cuboid body having a top and a base, a length extending between a pair of opposed ends, and a width extending between a pair of opposed sides; the body including a plurality of hollow cores extending from said top to said base, and arranged in a row between said opposed ends; wherein each core has a rectilinear cross-sectional shape; and wherein the thickness of the block between each pair of adjacent cores is at least double the thickness of the block on all other sides of each core, so that the block is divisible into a plurality of substantially identical block portions, each portion including four walls of substantially uniform wall thickness about its core.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tracking system for tracking the position and/or orientation of an object in an environment, the tracking system including: at least one camera mounted to the object; a plurality of spaced apart targets, at least some of said targets viewable by the at least one camera; and, one or more electronic processing devices configured to: determine target position data indicative of the relative spatial position of the targets; receive image data indicative of an image from the at least one camera, said image including at least some of the targets; process the image data to: identify one or more targets in the image; determine pixel array coordinates corresponding to a position of the one or more targets in the image; and, use the processed image data to determine the position and/or orientation of the object by triangulation.

Abstract: A machine for conveying objects, including: a base; a turret mounted to the base for rotation about an axis, the turret including a turret mounted track, and a turret shuttle with a gripper to grip an object, the turret shuttle mounted on the turret mounted track; a boom mounted to the turret, whereby turret rotation sweeps the boom radially about the axis, the boom including: a boom mounted track extending therealong, a boom shuttle with a gripper to grip an object, the boom shuttle mounted to the boom mounted track, and a carousel located proximal to the base extending around the turret and rotatable about the axis, the carousel having a plurality of object bays, the carousel being controllably rotatable about the axis to locate any of the object bays proximal to the turret mounted track for transfer of an object between the object bay and the turret shuttle.