Abstract: Technologies for non-contact displacement control are disclosed. An additive manufacturing system may include a dispenser having a tip configured to deposit an additive material onto a substrate, a transducer coupled to the dispenser and configured to transmit an emitted signal from the dispenser to the substrate, and a sensor coupled to the dispenser and configured to detect a return signal from the substrate to the dispenser, where the return signal is indicative of a distance between the tip of the dispenser and the substrate.

Abstract: A system includes a tool for installing a cable material around a set of elongate members. The tool includes a housing; a cartridge detachably connected to the housing; and a jaw detachably connected to the housing. The cartridge has a length of cable material. The jaw is configured to extend around the set of elongate members to install the length of cable around the set of elongate members. A welding horn is detachably connected to the housing. At least one processor is configured to read a programmable chip. The programmable chip stores a set of parameters for at least one of the cartridge, the jaw, or the welding horn.

Abstract: An electric vehicle (EV) charging system that autonomously charges EV is provided. The method includes: capturing, by a control system and using an image capturing device, one or more first images, wherein the one or more first images indicates a position of an EV charging portal of the EV; maneuvering, by the control system, a robotic arm of the EV charging system based on the one or more first images; projecting, by the control system and using a fiducial marker device, one or more fiducial markers that are offset from the EV charging portal; capturing one or more second images using the image capturing device, wherein the one or more second images indicates a position of the one or more fiducial markers; and maneuvering, by the control system, the robotic arm of the EV charging system based on the one or more second images.

Abstract: An automated charging system for an electric vehicle is disclosed that includes a plug with a built-in camera assembly. The camera assembly captures images of a charging port of the electric vehicle, which are processed by one or more processors to estimate the location of the charging port relative to the plug. A control system generates signals for one or more actuators to move the plug relative to the charging port, thereby inserting the plug into the charging port to connect a power supply to the electric vehicle. The images may be processed via an image recognition algorithm and/or one or more machine learning algorithms. In an embodiment, the images are processed by a neural network to estimate the location of the charging port relative to the plug. The plug can also include a tapered structure to make fine adjustments to the position or orientation of the plug during connection.

Abstract: A feedback control system for use with ultrasonic welding. A weld energy set point and/or a reference power curve are used by a controller to provide a power supply voltage set point and a power supply frequency set point for the power that is to be drawn by an ultrasonic weld generator. Information regarding the actual voltage and/or frequency of the drawn electrical power, and/or the frequency and magnitude of an ultrasonic wave transmitted from the generator to an applicator tool used to weld an object can be utilized by an estimator to estimate the weld energy dissipated at the weld site and/or generate a power curve for the welding operation. Using information from the estimator, the controller can determine adjustments for variables for the current and/or future welding operations. Further, welding may not commence until a clamping force exerted on the object satisfies a clamping force set point.

Abstract: A feedback control system for use with ultrasonic welding. A weld energy set point and/or a reference power curve are used by a controller to provide a power supply voltage set point and a power supply frequency set point for the power that is to be drawn by an ultrasonic weld generator. Information regarding the actual voltage and/or frequency of the drawn electrical power, and/or the frequency and magnitude of an ultrasonic wave transmitted from the generator to an applicator tool used to weld an object can be utilized by an estimator to estimate the weld energy dissipated at the weld site and/or generate a power curve for the welding operation. Using information from the estimator, the controller can determine adjustments for variables for the current and/or future welding operations. Further, welding may not commence until a clamping force exerted on the object satisfies a clamping force set point.

Abstract: Electrically resistive devices, such as voltage dividers, and methods of making the same are disclosed. An illustrative voltage divider may include a substrate having an axis, an electrically resistive path applied to the substrate, and at least one terminal positioned around the substrate and in contact with the electrically resistive path. The electrically resistive path may include a primary resistor and a secondary resistor, with the primary resistor having a higher electrical resistance than the secondary resistor. An adjustable displacement of the at least one terminal along the axis of the substrate may allow adjustment of at least one electrical resistance associated with the at least one terminal. An adjustable tightness of the at least one terminal around the substrate may allow adjustment of the at least one electrical resistance associated with the at least one terminal.

Abstract: A charging device autonomously charges an electric vehicle. The charging device includes: a main body and an arm coupled to the main body. The main body is controllably moveable, and the arm is controllably extendable and retractable in a longitudinal direction. A charging plug is included at a distal end of the arm. The charging plug is controllably moveable and insertable into a charging portal of the electric vehicle. The arm comprises: a rigid chain, the rigid chain being compliant in a first direction from a neutral axis and resistant in an opposite second direction past the neutral axis, or at least one scissor arm.

Abstract: A system of additive manufacturing of an electronic component is provided. The system includes a deposition control computing device, the deposition control computing device including at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device. The at least one processor is programmed to generate control instructions of additive manufacturing of the electronic component, interpret the control instructions into controls of the system, and output the controls.

Abstract: A system of additive manufacturing of a high-voltage electronic component is provided. The system includes a dispenser and a height control assembly. The dispenser has a tip configured to deposit an additive material onto a surface of a substrate. The height control assembly is coupled to the dispenser and configured to detect a distance change of the tip of the dispenser from the surface of the substrate, wherein the height control assembly is further configured to adjust the dispenser based on the detected distance change.

Abstract: A system includes a tool for installing a cable material around a set of elongate members. The tool includes a housing; a cartridge detachably connected to the housing; and a jaw detachably connected to the housing. The cartridge has a length of cable material. The jaw is configured to extend around the set of elongate members to install the length of cable around the set of elongate members. A welding horn is detachably connected to the housing. At least one processor is configured to read a programmable chip. The programmable chip stores a set of parameters for at least one of the cartridge, the jaw, or the welding horn.

Abstract: A conduit seal that serves to connect conduits between different environments while providing sufficient insulation to mitigate condensation and molding issues. The conduit seal can also provide grounding continuity with an electrical conducting insert, thereby providing electrical continuity across a thermal barrier between the environments. The conduit seal can be used in a variety of applications including the food and beverage industry and the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract: A system includes a body having a pair of cable jaws. The pair of cable jaws further includes a dispensing track on an inner circumference of the pair of cable jaws to retain a segment of a thermoplastic cable material. The system includes a piston. The piston is configured to secure an overlapping segment of the thermoplastic cable material at the weld area. An induction coil is configured to apply an electromagnetic field. The system includes a power supply.

Abstract: The disclosed systems and methods provide a novel framework that provides mechanisms for a hands-free, autonomous electrical connection of an electric charger to an electric vehicle (EV), and subsequent charging. The disclosed framework utilizes an automated connection device (ACD) as an intermediary between the charger and the EV. The ACD is configured for automatically determining a precise location of the charging inlet on the EV and then automatically establishing an electrical connection with the EV so that the EV can receive a charge. The ACD performs the disclosed precise positional and directional navigation to the EV inlet based on deep neural network analysis of captured imagery of the inlet. In some embodiments, the images can be modified so as to highlight and/or assist the ACD's navigation towards to the inlet in order to maximize invariance.

Abstract: An automated charging system for an electric vehicle is disclosed that includes a plug with a built-in camera assembly. The camera assembly captures images of a charging port of the electric vehicle, which are processed by one or more processors to estimate the location of the charging port relative to the plug. A control system generates signals for one or more actuators to move the plug relative to the charging port, thereby inserting the plug into the charging port to connect a power supply to the electric vehicle. The images may be processed via an image recognition algorithm and/or one or more machine learning algorithms. In an embodiment, the images are processed by a neural network to estimate the location of the charging port relative to the plug. The plug can also include a tapered structure to make fine adjustments to the position or orientation of the plug during connection.

Abstract: An automated charging system for an electric vehicle is disclosed that includes a plug with a built-in camera assembly. The camera assembly captures images of a charging port of the electric vehicle, which are processed by one or more processors to estimate the location of the charging port relative to the plug. A multi-stage localization architecture is described that includes a gross localization procedure and a fine localization procedure. The gross localization procedure can implement a first convolutional neural network (CNN) to estimate a position of an object in the image. The fine localization procedure can implement a second CNN to estimate a position and orientation of the object. Actuators for moving the plug in a three-dimensional space can be controlled by the multi-stage localization architecture.

Abstract: A plug connection system that autonomously charges an electric vehicle (EV) is provided. The method includes: obtaining a trained machine learning (ML) model from a back-end server; capturing an image using an image capturing device of the charging system, wherein a portion of the image comprises the EV charging portal; inputting the image into the trained ML model to determine one or more regions of interest associated with the EV charging portal within the image; determining a location of the EV charging portal based on the one or more determined regions of interest and one or more image processing techniques; and providing information to maneuver the robotic arm of the charging system to a physical position based on the determined location of the EV charging portal.

Abstract: A sensor system for monitoring a device, the sensor system including a housing, a base configured to attach the sensor system to the device to be monitored, a sensor configured to obtain data related to at least one operating parameter of the device, and an integral energy harvesting device configured to provide at least a portion of the energy required to operate the sensor system.

Abstract: A system and method for forming electrical devices via additive manufacturing processes that utilize starting materials that are in a solid state at least prior to, as well as after, the formation of the electrical device. A first solid starting material can be configured to form one or more insulator layers of the electrical device, while another solid starting material can be applied to form one or more electrically conductive layers. The starting materials canbe applied layer-by-layer during formation of the electrical device such that the electrically conductive layers can become automatically embedded within the insulating layers, and vice versa. The additive manufacturing process(es) utilized to form the electrically conductive layers from solid starting materials can be different than the additive manufacturing process(es) utilized to form the insulator layers.

Abstract: Technologies for non-contact displacement control are disclosed. An additive manufacturing system may include a dispenser having a tip configured to deposit an additive material onto a substrate, a transducer coupled to the dispenser and configured to transmit an emitted signal from the dispenser to the substrate, and a sensor coupled to the dispenser and configured to detect a return signal from the substrate to the dispenser, where the return signal is indicative of a distance between the tip of the dispenser and the substrate.