Abstract: An apparatus for mass producing smokable products filled with cannabis, hemp, and/or other smokable materials includes a cone loading station that separates individual paper cones from stacks of cones, a cone weighing and filling station for dispensing precisely weighed amounts of powdered biomass into the cones, and a cone twisting station for twisting ends of the cones to complete the smokable products. A transport mechanism is provided to transfer the cones between stations and hold the cones during filling and twisting. The invention also provides a method of manufacturing smokable products that enables production steps to be performed simultaneously while also providing for capacity expansion within a limited production facility footprint.

Abstract: A projector for illuminating a target area is presented. The projector includes an array of emitters positioned on a substrate according to a distribution. Each emitter in the array of emitters has a non-circular emission area. Operation of at least a portion of the array of emitters is controlled based in part on emission instructions to emit light. The light from the projector is configured to illuminate the target area. The projector can be part of a depth camera assembly for depth sensing of a local area, or part of an eye tracker for determining a gaze direction for an eye.

Abstract: A harvester for removing cannabis flower from stalks includes a blade follower iris that adjusts the size of the flower-stripping opening to correspond to the diameter of the stalk. The size of the opening may be controlled by centrifugal and spring forces that cause the iris to open and close. In addition, an improved stalk-pulling belt drive conveyor system utilizes two relatively floating, releasably coupled belt systems to pinch and pull the stalk through the blade follower iris.

Abstract: The disclosed structured light projector may include (1) a light source having a light-emitting side that emits light, (2) a solid optical spacer element having a first side securely coupled to the light-emitting side of the light source, and (3) a diffractive optical element (DOE) stack including one or more DOEs, where the DOE stack includes (a) a light-receiving side securely coupled to a second side of the solid optical spacer element opposite the first side, and (b) a light-emitting side opposite the light-receiving side that emits structured light in response to the light received from the light-emitting side of the light source via the solid optical spacer element. Various other devices and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A depth camera assembly (DCA) for depth sensing of a local area includes a structured light generator, an imaging device, and a controller. The structured light generator illuminates the local area with a structured light pattern. The structured light generator includes a programmable diffractive optical element (PDOE) that generates diffracted scanning beams using optical beams. The PDOE functions as a dynamic diffraction grating that dynamically adjusts diffraction of the optical beams to generate the diffracted scanning beams of different patterns. The diffracted scanning beams are projected as the structured light pattern into the local area, wherein the structured light pattern is dynamically adjustable based on the PDOE. The imaging device captures image(s) of at least a portion of the structured light pattern reflected from object(s) in the local area. The controller determines depth information for the object(s) based on the captured image(s).

Abstract: A depth camera assembly for depth sensing of a local area includes a structured light generator, an imaging device, and a controller. The structured light generator illuminates a local area with structured light and includes an illumination source, a mounting element, and a diffractive optical element (DOE) mounted on the mounting element. The mounting element can have a plurality of adjustable positions relative to the illumination source based on emission instructions from the controller. The DOE generates, using light emitted from the illumination source, diffracted scanning beams that are projected as the structured light into the local area. A pattern of the structured light is dynamically adjustable and unique for each adjustable position of the mounting element. The imaging device captures image(s) of the structured light reflected from object(s) in the local area. The controller determines depth information for the object(s) based in part on the captured image(s).

Abstract: A power ground oily flower such as cannabis or hemp is loaded into a tapered paper cone by using a linear vibrator having an eccentric drive bearing to focus the forces in the direction the powder was traveling. A linear piston is driven by an eccentric drive mechanism to tap the bottom of the cone with programmable frequencies to achieve the desired pack rates at high speeds. Eccentric actuators are also used to drive the power from the storage hopper to a linear vibrating feeder to a vibration bowl feeder to a weigh station that is dumped into a vibrating funnel that moved up and down with a lineal actuator to align the funnel to a paper cone with a receiving tapered tube to fill a cone with power that is being vibrated by a cone vibrator to pack the cone during filling.

Abstract: A carousel magazine that hold stacked paper or hemp smokable cones. The carousel is indexed with a home position sensor to a set of actuators that is controlled by air or electric to open and close two different tapped holders. For example, the top and bottom gripping actuators can open and close to hand off one cone from a stack of one or more cone one at a time. The top actuator with a tapered cone split holder housing grips the top of the upper most stacked cones while the bottom gripper moves up using a second linear actuator the grab the bottom semi-hard filter assemble to pull the bottom cone from the stack with the top gripper applies presser or friction to the top cone allowing to hand off one cone at a time from top gripper to bottom gripper.

Abstract: A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) die package includes a bottom substrate comprising a bottom contact pad electrically contacting a bottom electrode on a bottom surface of a VCSEL die. The VCSEL die package includes a submount including a submount contact pad electrically contacting a first electrode on another surface of the VCSEL die. The submount contact pad overlaps a portion of the first electrode, wherein the VCSEL die is positioned between the submount and the bottom substrate.

Abstract: A mount includes an active area in which an optical element may be located. The mount is bonded to a neighboring mount using adhesives that are placed on a top side of a wall structure of the mount. Migration of the adhesives from the wall of the mount into the active area is prevented by use of groove-structures and micro-wall structures located in a buffer area of the mount that circumscribes the active area. In some embodiments, a diffuser is located in the buffer area of the mount to redirect the emitted light as desired for a particular application.

Abstract: A projector for illuminating a target area is presented. The projector includes an array of emitters positioned on a substrate according to a distribution. Each emitter in the array of emitters has a non-circular emission area. Operation of at least a portion of the array of emitters is controlled based in part on emission instructions to emit light. The light from the projector is configured to illuminate the target area. The projector can be part of a depth camera assembly for depth sensing of a local area, or part of an eye tracker for determining a gaze direction for an eye.

Abstract: A handheld assembly for dispensing a medicament to a subject is provided. The assembly includes a unit dose device, a shell, a plunger, a dispense button, a drive member and an escapement that is movable and capable of cycling the dispense assembly thru multiple states of a dispense cycle.

Abstract: The disclosed system may include (1) a diffractive optical element (DOE) stack including one or more DOEs, where the DOE stack generates, in response to incoming light received at a first side of the DOE stack, structured light from a second side of the DOE stack opposite the first side, (2) a primary light source that emits the incoming light toward the first side of the DOE stack, and (3) at least one photodetector that detects light emitted from an edge of each of at least one of the DOEs of the DOE stack, where the edge is located between the first side and the second side of the DOE stack. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: An imaging device for imaging of a local area surrounding the imaging device. The imaging device includes a lens assembly, a filtering element and a detector. The lens assembly is configured to receive light from a local area surrounding the imaging device and to direct at least a portion of the received light to the detector. The filtering element is placed in the imaging device within the lens assembly such that light is incident at a surface of the filtering element within a range of angles determined by a design range of angles at which the filtering element is designed to filter light. The detector is configured to capture image(s) of the local area including the filtered light. The imaging device can be integrated into a depth camera assembly for determining depth information of object(s) in the local area based on the captured image(s).

Abstract: A handheld assembly for dispensing a medicament to a subject is provided. The assembly includes a unit dose cartridge device, a shell, a plunger, a dispense button, a drive member and an escapement that is movable and capable of cycling the dispense assembly thru multiple states of a dispense cycle.

Abstract: A mount includes an active area in which an optical element may be located. The mount is bonded to a neighboring mount using adhesives that are placed on a top side of a wall structure of the mount. Migration of the adhesives from the wall of the mount into the active area is prevented by use of groove-structures and micro-wall structures located in a buffer area of the mount that circumscribes the active area. In some embodiments, a diffuser is located in the buffer area of the mount to redirect the emitted light as desired for a particular application.

Abstract: Systems for culturing mixotrophic microorganisms on a large scale in thermally stable open systems are disclosed. Embodiments of the system include features such as lit portions, dark portions, organic carbon delivery systems, gas delivery systems, submersible thrusters for mixing, and turning vanes for guiding fluid flow. Multi-functional embodiments of the turning vane provide guidance for fluid flow and other functions such as heat exchange, nutrient delivery, gas delivery, organic carbon delivery, delivery of light, and parameter measurement by sensors.

Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) system includes a projector system configured to emit a structured light (SL) pattern onto one or more objects in a local area, the projected SL pattern comprises at least a first SL pattern having a first field of view (FOV) corresponding to a first tileable boundary, and a second SL pattern having a second FOV corresponding to a second tileable boundary. Each of the projected SL patterns contains fiducials at predetermined locations within the SL pattern. An imaging device captures images of the local area including at least portions of the first SL pattern or the second SL patterns. The detected locations of the fiducials in the captured images is used to determine the boundary locations of the first and second SL patterns. Depth information of the local area is generated based upon the determined locations of the first and second SL patterns.

Abstract: An apparatus for mass producing smokable products filled with cannabis, hemp, and/or other smokable materials includes a cone loading station that separates individual paper cones from stacks of cones, a cone weighing and filling station for dispensing precisely weighed amounts of powdered biomass into the cones, and a cone twisting station for twisting ends of the cones to complete the smokable products. A transport mechanism is provided to transfer the cones between stations and hold the cones during filling and twisting. The invention also provides a method of manufacturing smokable products that enables production steps to be performed simultaneously while also providing for capacity expansion within a limited production facility footprint.

Abstract: Embodiments of a modular tubular bioreactor system for culturing an aqueous culture of microorganisms are described herein. The tubular bioreactor may comprise culture tubes configured in a vertically spaced and horizontally staggered arrangement to optimize the application of light to the culture in phototrophic and mixotrophic cultivation.