Abstract: In accordance with various embodiments, a user interface embedded into a robot facilitates robot training via direct and intuitive physical interactions. In some embodiments, the user interface includes a wrist cuff that, when grasped by the user, switches the robot into zero-force gravity-compensated mode.

Abstract: Robots may manipulate objects based on sensor input about the objects and/or the environment in conjunction with data structures representing primitive tasks and, in some embodiments, objects and/or locations associated therewith. The data structures may be created by instantiating respective prototypes during training by a human trainer.

Abstract: Robots may manipulate objects based on sensor input about the objects and/or the environment in conjunction with data structures representing primitive tasks and, in some embodiments, objects and/or locations associated therewith. The data structures may be created by instantiating respective prototypes during training by a human trainer.

Abstract: Sensors associated with a robot or sub-system thereof (e.g., a series elastic actuator associated with a robot joint) may be monitored for mutual consistency using one or more constraints that relate physical quantities measured by the sensors to each other. The constraints may be based on a physical model of the robot or sub-system.

Abstract: In various embodiments, safe collaboration between a robot and humans is achieved by operating the robot continuously at or below a first threshold speed at which any collisions with a person's arms do not cause harm, and, upon detection of the person's torso or head within a danger zone around the robot, reducing the speed to or below a second threshold at which any collisions with the person's torso or head do not cause harm.

Abstract: Systems and methods that facilitate cables to pass through moving, space-constrained joints and conveying power and/or signals to various robotic joint-associated elements utilize a unitary and flat laminated cable slack within the joint to accommodate the relative motion between mechanical elements of the joints. In various embodiments, the cable has multiple insulated sub-cables; each sub-cable is insulated and physically separable from all other sub-cables. Some of the sub-cables are separated from the cable and electrically connected to joint-associated components for conveying signals and power thereto without mechanically interfering with relative motion between mechanical elements of the joint.

Abstract: Robots may manipulate objects based on sensor input about the objects and/or the environment in conjunction with data structures representing primitive tasks and, in some embodiments, objects and/or locations associated therewith. The data structures may be created by instantiating respective prototypes during training by a human trainer.

Abstract: In accordance with various embodiments, a user interface embedded into a robot facilitates robot training via direct and intuitive physical interactions. In some embodiments, the user interface includes a wrist cuff that, when grasped by the user, switches the robot into zero-force gravity-compensated mode.

Abstract: Robots may manipulate objects based on sensor input about the objects and/or the environment in conjunction with data structures representing primitive tasks and, in some embodiments, objects and/or locations associated therewith. The data structures may be created by instantiating respective prototypes during training by a human trainer.

Abstract: Functional characteristics of an ultrasonic element are self-tested by, in various embodiments, causing the ultrasonic element to emit an ultrasonic signal; detecting the emitted ultrasonic signal substantially simultaneously with its emission; and verifying proper operation of the ultrasonic element based on comparison between a detected ultrasonic signal parameter and a reference parameter.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic detection system utilizing multiple ultrasound transducers capable of both transmitting and receiving detection signals, the transducers are selectively operated to achieve immunity to ringdown delays or to optimize the detection of distant objects. For example, in one embodiment, object detection is performed within the field of a particular transducer channel by suppressing rather than activating that transducer; instead, the adjacent transducers on either side of the selected channel are driven simultaneously, and the selected channel's transducer is used only to receive.

Abstract: Representative embodiments of a system for braking a cyclically rotating motor upon a power failure include (i) charge-storage circuitry for storing charge and converting the stored charge to an output voltage upon power failure; (ii) one or more passive electrical elements for conducting current induced by motor rotations; and (iii) voltage-actuated circuitry connected to the passive electrical element and the charge-storage circuitry for braking the motor during each half-cycle of motor rotation. The circuitry is inactive until actuated by the charge-storage circuitry upon power failure.

Abstract: Synthesis of long chain molecules such as DNA is carried out rapidly and efficiently to produce relatively large quantities of the desired product. The synthesis of an entire gene or multiple genes formed of many hundreds or thousands of base pairs can be accomplished rapidly and, if desired, in a fully automated process requiring minimal operator intervention, and in a matter of hours, a day or a few days rather than many days or weeks. Production of a desired gene or set of genes having a specified base pair sequence is initiated by analyzing the specified target sequence and determining an optimal set of subsequences of base pairs that can be assembled to form the desired final target sequence. The set of oligonucleotides are then synthesized utilizing automated oligonucleotide synthesis techniques. The synthesized oligonucleotides are subsequently selectively released from the substrate and used in a sequential assembly process.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the direct synthesis of double stranded DNA molecules of a variety of sizes and with any desired sequence. The DNA molecule to be synthesis is logically broken up into smaller overlapping DNA segments. A maskless microarray synthesizer is used to make a DNA microarray on a substrate in which each element or feature of the array is populated by DNA of a one of the overlapping DNA segments. The DNA segments are released from the substrate and held under conditions favoring hybridization of DNA, under which conditions the segments will spontaneously hybridize together to form the desired DNA construct. This method makes possible the remote assembly of DNA sequence, through a process analogous to facsimile transmission of documents, since the information on DNA to be made can be transmitted remotely to an instrument which can then synthesize any needed DNA sequence from the information.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the direct synthesis of double stranded DNA molecules of a variety of sizes and with any desired sequence. The DNA molecule to be synthesis is logically broken up into smaller overlapping DNA segments. A maskless microarray synthesizer is used to make a DNA microarray on a substrate in which each element or feature of the array is populated by DNA of a one of the overlapping DNA segments. The complement of each segment is also made in the microarray. The DNA segments are released from the substrate and held under conditions favoring hybridization of DNA, under which conditions the segments will hybridize to form duplexes. The duplexes are then separated using a DNA binding agent which binds to improperly formed DNA helixes to remove errors from the set of DNA molecules. The segments can then be hybridized to each other to assemble the larger target DNA sequence.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of calibrating sensors within a gas detector (36) having a housing containing a gas inlet whereby gas can diffuse from the inlet to the sensors. The gas inlet in the housing is held against part (34) of the calibration apparatus to form a sealed gas interface between the apparatus and the detector; a source (10) of pressurized calibration gas is connected to the apparatus, and a predetermined dose of calibration gas is delivered to the interface between the detector (36) and the calibration apparatus (34) at a predetermined pressure. The source (10) of pressurized calibration gas may contain single or multiple calibration doses and, if the former, the calibration apparatus includes a dosing system such as cylinder (14) for metering individual doses of calibration gas.

Abstract: A bi-directional fiber optic jumper that connects two fiber optic system common wavelength fibers is disclosed. The retraction of the jumper exposes fiber connections and enables a system reconfiguration such as adding or dropping of common wavelengths into open fiber connections. A magnet is provided in the chassis of the jumper to engage a magneto-resistive device, such as a Hall effect sensor feature, that is contained on an optical add/drop device product chassis. The Hall effect sensor facilitates monitoring of insertion or withdrawal of the fiber channel jumper from the optical add/drop device.

Abstract: A method for washing and drying a surface that contains a salt and hybridized DNA or RNA molecules is disclosed. The method involves exposing the surface to a volatile buffer that does not denature a specific DNA/DNA, DNA/RNA or RNA/RNA hybridization on the surface, removing the volatile buffer, and evaporating residue volatile buffer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of calibrating sensors within a gas detector (36) having a housing containing a gas inlet whereby gas can diffuse from the inlet to the sensors. The gas inlet in the housing is held against part (34) of the calibration apparatus to form a sealed gas interface between the apparatus and the detector; a source (10) of pressurised calibration gas is connected to the apparatus, and a predetermined dose of calibration gas is delivered to the interface between the detector (36) and the calibration apparatus (34) at a predetermined pressure. The source (10) of pressurised calibration gas may contain single or multiple calibration doses and, if the former, the calibration apparatus includes a dosing system such as cylinder (14) for metering individual doses of calibration gas.

Abstract: An optical performance monitoring device and corresponding diffraction grating are disclosed for utilization within a fiber optic communications network. The diffraction grating includes a substrate and reflective material adjacent the substrate, wherein the diffraction grating is substantially polarization insensitive over a wavelength range of approximately 30 nm.