Abstract: Provided is a robot, including: a controller; a plurality of actuators mechanically coupled to an end-effector mount; a first set of end-effectors magnetically coupled to the end-effector mount; and a sensor adjacent an interface between at least some of the first set of end effectors and the end-effector mount, wherein: the end effectors are magnetically coupled to the end-effector mount with magnetic couplings that decouple in response to less than 200 Newtons of force being applied to distal portions of respective end effectors in a direction opposing movement of respective end effectors driven by at least some of the actuators, and the sensor is configured to output a signal indicative of a given end effector decoupling and indicate which end effector in the first decoupled.

Abstract: A movable cart includes a housing configured to move along a horizontal surface and a plurality of shelves supported by the housing Each shelf of the plurality of shelves is configured to move between a retracted in which the shelf is positioned within the housing and an extended position in which the shelf extends from the housing. The movable cart further includes a sensing system configured to determine whether each shelf of the plurality of shelves is in the retracted position and a type of item supported by the shelf. Other aspects of the movable cart are further disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, devices, and methods that employ a pump to assist or support blood flow. An apparatus for pumping blood may include a pump housing having an outer wall disposed about a longitudinal pump axis, and having an upstream end and a downstream end; a blood flow straightener having a plurality of fins and positioned in the upstream end of the pump housing and secured to the pump housing by the plurality of fins; a diffuser having a plurality of diffuser fins and positioned in the downstream end of the pump housing and secured to the pump housing by the plurality of diffuser fins; and an impeller positioned between the blood flow straightener and the diffuser, and including a plurality of impeller blades. The apparatus may further include a pump drive configured to impart a rotational motion to the impeller by applying a magnetic field.

Abstract: A facility for causing the refill of prescriptions is described. The facility conducts a conversational exchange with a person. From the exchange, the facility discerns (1) an intent of refilling a prescription, and (2) an identification of a prescription to be fulfilled. In response to this discerning, the facility causes a pharmacy refill order to be placed on behalf of the person for the identified prescription.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating, controlling, and directing a lift cord or lift chain of an architectural opening includes a body structure having first and second upper openings that are separated by an upper medial guide member that protrudes beyond the upper openings A rotatable wheel within a cavity of the body structure is configured to engage a lift cord or lift chain provided as a loop, wherein such engagement allows free passage of first and second segments of the loop through the cavity in opposing directions, while preventing free passage of the first and second segments through the cavity in the same direction. The apparatus may be coupled to a top end of a cord channel enclosure having a slider moveably engaged thereto to actuate the lift cord or lift chain, with a fixed length loop portion of lift cord or lift chain extending upward from the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating, controlling, and directing a lift cord or lift chain of an architectural opening includes a body structure having first and second upper openings that are separated by an upper medial guide member that protrudes beyond the upper openings A rotatable wheel within a cavity of the body structure is configured to engage a lift cord or lift chain provided as a loop, wherein such engagement allows free passage of first and second segments of the loop through the cavity in opposing directions, while preventing free passage of the first and second segments through the cavity in the same direction. The apparatus may be coupled to a top end of a cord channel enclosure having a slider moveably engaged thereto to actuate the lift cord or lift chain, with a fixed length loop portion of lift cord or lift chain extending upward from the apparatus.

Abstract: Provided is a device, comprising: a barrier configured to impeded or prevent particles shed by a robot in a first volume of space from entering a second volume of space in which the robot manipulates a workpiece; and a robot having three or more degrees of freedom, the robot comprising: a first portion disposed on a first side of the barrier in the first volume, the first portion comprising an actuator of the robot, the actuator being configured to drive movement of the robot to manipulate the workpiece; and a second portion disposed on a second side of the barrier in the second volume, the second portion comprising an end-effector of the robot by which the robot makes contact with the workpiece.

Abstract: Provided is a robot, including: a controller; a plurality of actuators mechanically coupled to an end-effector mount; a first set of end-effectors magnetically coupled to the end-effector mount; and a sensor adjacent an interface between at least some of the first set of end effectors and the end-effector mount, wherein: the end effectors are magnetically coupled to the end-effector mount with magnetic couplings that decouple in response to less than 200 Newtons of force being applied to distal portions of respective end effectors in a direction opposing movement of respective end effectors driven by at least some of the actuators, and the sensor is configured to output a signal indicative of a given end effector decoupling and indicate which end effector in the first decoupled.

Abstract: Provided is an alimentary-product assembling and dispensing device comprising: a plurality of alimentary-ingredient dispensers positioned to dispense respective ingredients in a plurality of different locations of a robotic work environment; a robot configured to receive an open-top vessel from an open-top-vessel dispenser and move the open-top vessel to the different locations to receive different ingredients from the plurality of alimentary-ingredient dispensers, wherein the robot comprises four or fewer degrees of freedom; and a vending aperture through which consumers retrieve vended alimentary products assembled by the robot from ingredients dispensed from the plurality of alimentary-ingredient dispensers.

Abstract: Provided is a device, comprising: a barrier configured to impeded or prevent particles shed by a robot in a first volume of space from entering a second volume of space in which the robot manipulates a workpiece; and a robot having three or more degrees of freedom, the robot comprising: a first portion disposed on a first side of the barrier in the first volume, the first portion comprising an actuator of the robot, the actuator being configured to drive movement of the robot to manipulate the workpiece; and a second portion disposed on a second side of the barrier in the second volume, the second portion comprising an end-effector of the robot by which the robot makes contact with the workpiece.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for utilizing different modulation coding schemes (MCSs) for different components of a video stream are disclosed. A system includes a transmitter sending a video stream over a wireless link to a receiver. The transmitter splits the video stream into low, medium, and high quality components, and then the transmitter modulates the different components using different MCS's. For example, the transmitter modulates the low quality component using a lower, robust MCS level to increase the likelihood that this component is received. Also, the medium quality component is modulated using a medium MCS level and the high frequency component is modulated using a higher MCS level. If only the low quality component is received by the receiver, then the receiver reconstructs and displays a low quality video frame from this component, which avoids a glitch in the display of the video stream.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing real-time, low-latency packetization protocols for live compressed video data are disclosed. A wireless transmitter includes at least a codec and a media access control (MAC) layer unit. In order for the codec to communicate with the MAC layer unit, the codec encodes the compression ratio in a header embedded inside the encoded video stream. The MAC layer unit extracts the compression ratio from the header and determines a modulation coding scheme (MCS) for transferring the video stream based on the compression ratio. The MAC layer unit and the codec also implement a feedback loop such that the MAC layer unit can command the codec to adjust the compression ratio. Since the changes to the video might not be implemented immediately, the MAC layer unit relies on the header to determine when the video data is coming in with the requested compression ratio.

Abstract: Various embodiments are provided for managing and interacting with a conversational agent in an internet of things (IoT) environment by a processor. One or more graph patterns may be extracted from a knowledge graph generated from a sensor list containing one or more IoT sensors. One or more conversation patterns and conversation dialogs may be learned from the sensor list and graph patterns. The conversational agent may be automatically configured with the one or more graph patterns, the one or more conversational patterns and conversation dialogs, sensor data and analytics from the one or more IoT sensors according to one or more queries to engage in a conversation dialog with a user.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing stereoscopic interleaved compression techniques are disclosed. A system includes a transmitter sending a video stream over a wireless link to a receiver. For each pair of frames, the transmitter encodes a left-half of a first frame of the pair with an amount of compression less than a first threshold and encodes a right-half of the first frame with an amount of compression greater than a second threshold. For a second frame of the pair, the transmitter encodes a right-half of the second frame with an amount of compression less than the first threshold and encodes a left-half of the second frame with an amount of compression greater than the second threshold. The transmitter conveys encoded half-frames and indications of an amount of compression used for each half-frame to a receiver. The receiver receives, decodes, and drives the encoded half-frames to a display.

Abstract: Provided is a process, including: engaging, with a first subset of end effectors of a robot, a first open-top vessel; engaging, while the first subset of end effectors are engaged with the first open-top vessel, with a second subset of end effectors of the robot, a second open-top vessel; concurrently transporting the first open-top vessel and the second open-top vessel with two or more actuators; disengaging the first open-top vessel at a first workstation of the robot, the first workstation being configured to dispense a first alimentary product into the first open-top vessel; and disengaging the second open-top vessel at a second workstation of the robot, the second workstation being configured to dispense a second alimentary product into the second open-top vessel.

Abstract: Various embodiments are provided for managing and interacting with a conversational agent in an internet of things (IoT) environment by a processor. One or more graph patterns may be extracted from a knowledge graph generated from a sensor list containing one or more IoT sensors. One or more conversation patterns and conversation dialogs may be learned from the sensor list and graph patterns. The conversational agent may be automatically configured with the one or more graph patterns, the one or more conversational patterns and conversation dialogs, sensor data and analytics from the one or more IoT sensors according to one or more queries to engage in a conversation dialog with a user.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing stereoscopic interleaved compression techniques are disclosed. A system includes a transmitter sending a video stream over a wireless link to a receiver. For each pair of frames, the transmitter encodes a left-half of a first frame of the pair with an amount of compression less than a first threshold and encodes a right-half of the first frame with an amount of compression greater than a second threshold. For a second frame of the pair, the transmitter encodes a right-half of the second frame with an amount of compression less than the first threshold and encodes a left-half of the second frame with an amount of compression greater than the second threshold. The transmitter conveys encoded half-frames and indications of an amount of compression used for each half-frame to a receiver. The receiver receives, decodes, and drives the encoded half-frames to a display.

Abstract: Provided is a device, comprising: a barrier configured to impeded or prevent particles shed by a robot in a first volume of space from entering a second volume of space in which the robot manipulates a workpiece; and a robot having three or more degrees of freedom, the robot comprising: a first portion disposed on a first side of the barrier in the first volume, the first portion comprising an actuator of the robot, the actuator being configured to drive movement of the robot to manipulate the workpiece; and a second portion disposed on a second side of the barrier in the second volume, the second portion comprising an end-effector of the robot by which the robot makes contact with the workpiece.

Abstract: Provided is an alimentary-product assembling and dispensing device comprising: a plurality of alimentary-ingredient dispensers positioned to dispense respective ingredients in a plurality of different locations of a robotic work environment; a robot configured to receive an open-top vessel from an open-top-vessel dispenser and move the open-top vessel to the different locations to receive different ingredients from the plurality of alimentary-ingredient dispensers, wherein the robot comprises four or fewer degrees of freedom; and a vending aperture through which consumers retrieve vended alimentary products assembled by the robot from ingredients dispensed from the plurality of alimentary-ingredient dispensers.