Abstract: The invention is related to methods and apparatus that use a visual sensor and dead reckoning sensors to process Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). These techniques can be used in robot navigation. Advantageously, such visual techniques can be used to autonomously generate and update a map. Unlike with laser rangefinders, the visual techniques are economically practical in a wide range of applications and can be used in relatively dynamic environments, such as environments in which people move. One embodiment further advantageously uses multiple particles to maintain multiple hypotheses with respect to localization and mapping. Further advantageously, one embodiment maintains the particles in a relatively computationally-efficient manner, thereby permitting the SLAM processes to be performed in software using relatively inexpensive microprocessor-based computer systems.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a patient with a robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the control of the position of workpiece and tool with a robot in a production machine. The objective of the invention is to reduce non-productive secondary processing time during the processing or measuring of a workpiece with a robot. The invention consists of a process for the control of the position of workpiece and tool with a robot in a production machine in which the workpiece (10) is positioned relative to the tool (1), (2) and during a continuous movement of the workpiece (10) with a tool (1), (2) at the processing location of the workpiece (10) a process takes place, and the tool (1), (2) is moving during the process synchronously to and in the same direction like the workpiece (10) and during the continuous movement of the workpiece (10) the tool (1), (2) is moved to and positioned in another processing location.

Abstract: A human-type link system, such as a humanoid robot having a dynamically feasible motion of the link system that is generated when a reference joint acceleration that is only calculated from a kinematical constraint condition is determined not feasible by an evaluation of external force computed based on an inverse dynamics calculation, or is generated by calculating from a dynamic constraint condition and a kinematical constraint condition simultaneously, the dynamic constraint condition is formulated by using an actuation space inverse inertial matrix that represents the relation of force acting on the link system and the acceleration of the link system caused by the force.

Abstract: The invention is related to methods and apparatus that use a visual sensor and dead reckoning sensors to process Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). These techniques can be used in robot navigation. Advantageously, such visual techniques can be used to autonomously generate and update a map. Unlike with laser rangefinders, the visual techniques are economically practical in a wide range of applications and can be used in relatively dynamic environments, such as environments in which people move. One embodiment further advantageously uses multiple particles to maintain multiple hypotheses with respect to localization and mapping. Further advantageously, one embodiment maintains the particles in a relatively computationally-efficient manner, thereby permitting the SLAM processes to be performed in software using relatively inexpensive microprocessor-based computer systems.

Abstract: A robot controller for teaching a robot with high efficiency. The robot controller including command storage unit (21) where a movement command and a work command are stored, command identifying unit (24) for discriminating between the movement and work commands, unit (22) for making/editing a series of work programs or discrete work programs by a combination of the commands, work program storage units (23) where the work programs are stored so as to control the robot according to the stored program, further including a work section identifying unit (25) for identifying a work section of the work program by way of the command identification unit (24) and work section automatic stopping unit (27) for automatically stopping or suspending the execution of the work program at the work section in a standby state when the work section identifying unit (25) identifies the work section during the execution of the work program.

Abstract: A robot hand is moved at a moving speed in direct movement from a start position to an end position. When the robot hand passes through a setting position on a movement route from the start position to the end position, a setting position passing signal is outputted. At this time, a robot controller does not lower the moving speed of the robot hand before and after arrival at the setting position. Therefore, the reduction in the moving speed of the robot hand due to existence of the setting position can be prevented and the movement time of the robot hand can be prevented from undesired prolongation. By doing this, the cycle time can be shortened and the operability of the robot can be improved.

Abstract: An x-ray apparatus has a servo-supported C-arm that is movable with two degrees of freedom in a movement space by means of a drive device. The servo support of the C-arm deviates at a stop point within the movement space from the servo support in the surrounding movement space.

Abstract: The present invention provides a micro-robot for use inside the body during minimally-invasive surgery. The micro-robot includes an imaging devices, a manipulator, and in some embodiments a sensor.

Abstract: To improve the exchange of data between controls of machines, particularly robots, a method is provided for the exchange of such data, wherein a first control produces an instruction to be transmitted with data to be sent to a second control and with an identification representing the second control. The instruction to be transmitted is provided with an identification of the first control, wherein the first control sends the instruction to be transmitted to the second control, wherein the second control evaluates the data of the instruction and wherein the second control provides the first control with an acknowledgment.

Abstract: A model's ZMP (full-model's ZMP) is calculated using a dynamic model (inverse full-model) 100c2 that expresses a relationship between a robot movement and floor reaction, a ZMP-converted value of full model's corrected moment about a desired ZMP is calculated or determined based on a difference (full-model ZMP's error) between the calculated model's ZMP and the desired ZMP, whilst a corrected desired body position is calculated or determined. Since the robot posture is corrected by the calculated ZMP-converted value and the corrected desired body position, the corrected gait can satisfy the dynamic equilibrium condition accurately.

Abstract: A remotely controlled robot comprises a unit storing the layout plan of a building, a unit receiving a position remotely designated in the layout plan from a remote location and a unit controlling the travel of the robot to the designated position. A self-position identification method is implemented by a robot with a camera whose shooting direction can be changed. The robot takes in advance a panoramic picture of a room where the robot may travel, generates a reference picture by extracting a plurality of block pictures from the panoramic picture and identifies a room where the robot is located, by applying correlation and DP matching, using both a picture taken in the room where the robot is located and the reference picture.

Abstract: A configuration system for an intelligent assist system is provided. The intelligent assist system includes a module, and a computational node on the module. The configuration system includes a host computer system capable of executing a stored program. The host computer system is in communication with the computational node via a communication link. The system also includes a graphical user interface enabling a user to manipulate objects related to the module or the computational node, and a plurality of visual indicators corresponding to a status of the module, the computational node, or the communication link.

Abstract: While a biped walking mobile body is in a motion, including level-ground walking, the position of the center of gravity (G0) of the biped walking mobile body, the position of an ankle joint (12) of each leg (2), and the position of a metatarsophalangeal joint (13a) of a foot (13) are successively grasped, and the horizontal position of a floor reaction force acting point of the leg (2) in contact with the ground is estimated on the basis of the relative positional relationship among the aforesaid positions. Depending on whether the center of gravity (G0) is behind the ankle joint (12), between the ankle joint (12) and the metatarsophalangeal joint (13a), or before the metatarsophalangeal joint (13a) with respect to the advancing direction of the biped walking mobile body, the horizontal position of the ankle joint (12), the center of gravity (G0), or the metatarsophalangeal joint (13a) is defined as the horizontal position of a floor reaction force acting point.

Abstract: Methods for operating robotic devices (i.e., “robots”) that employ adaptive behavior relative to neighboring robots and external (e.g., environmental) conditions. Each robot is capable of receiving, processing, and acting on one or more multi-device primitive commands that describe a task the robot will perform in response to other robots and the external conditions. The commands facilitate a distributed command and control structure, relieving a central apparatus or operator from the need to monitor the progress of each robot. This virtually eliminates the corresponding constraint on the maximum number of robots that can be deployed to perform a task (e.g., data collection, mapping, searching). By increasing the number of robots, the efficiency in completing the task is also increased.

Abstract: The stability of attitude of a robot can be recovered by an ambulation control apparatus and an ambulation control method according to the invention if it is lost in the course of a gesture for which the upper limbs take a major role. The apparatus and the method obtain the pattern of movement of the entire body for walking by deriving the pattern of movement of the loins from an arbitrarily selected pattern of movement of the feet, the trajectory of the ZMP, the pattern of movement of the trunk and that of the upper limbs. Therefore, according to the invention, a robot can determine the gait of the lower limbs so as to realize a stable walk regardless if the robot is standing upright or walking. Particularly, if the robot is made to gesture, using the upper body half including the upper limbs and the trunk while standing upright, it can determine the gait of the lower limbs so as to make a stable walk in response to such a gait of the upper body half.

Abstract: A posture control system for a mobile robot. When an unexpected external force acts, the system is configured to control and stabilize the posture of the robot driving an arm link such that, in response to a first external force that is a component in a predetermined direction of an unexpected external force, a second external force acts on the arm link in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction. With this, when the mobile robot receives a reaction force, even if the posture becomes unstable or the robot receives an unexpected reaction force, it becomes possible to preserve the dynamic balance and to maintain a stable posture.

Abstract: A temporary operation path is set by connecting a plurality of welding points in a virtual space generated by a computer to investigate whether an end effector can be operated along the temporary operation path. If the operation cannot be operated, a path to avoid interference with a workpiece is set automatically while extracting a portion in which the workpiece exists in the internal space surrounded by the end effector in order to set a narrow-area operation path for withdrawing the end effector from a welding point. Next, in order to set a wide-area operation path for making movement between withdrawing points, a template operation is applied, in which the end effector is moved by a prescribed distance in a prescribed direction.

Abstract: In a holding arrangement (101) for a medical-optical instrument (103), an electric motor is provided in a rotational joint (111, 119) to compensate a load torque occurring in this rotational joint. This electric motor is supplied with current in correspondence to a detected position of the rotational joint (111, 119). A current control curve required for this purpose is stored in a memory. This current control curve can be determined in that the rotational joints are deflected with the electric motor into predetermined positions and the current demand needed therefor is detected.

Abstract: A teleoperator system with telepresence is shown which includes right and left hand controllers (72R and 72L) for control of right and left manipulators (24R and 24L) through use of a servomechanism that includes computer (42). Cameras (46R and 46L) view workspace (30) from different angles for production of stereoscopic signal outputs at lines (48R and 48L). In response to the camera outputs a 3-dimensional top-to-bottom inverted image (30I) is produced which, is reflected by mirror (66) toward the eyes of operator (18). A virtual image (30V) is produced adjacent control arms (76R and 76L) which is viewed by operator (18) looking in the direction of the control arms. Use of the teleoperator system for surgical procedures also is disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide a user the ability to select three-dimensional virtual objects in a three-dimensional modeling environment using two-dimensional representations of the objects. In broad overview, the invention involves a multidimensional degree of freedom haptic interface that controls a three-dimensional cursor. A user employs the cursor to select an arbitrary point on a three-dimensional virtual object of interest. Through the application of a mathematical transformation, the system displays the cursor at the location of the selected point on the object. The user can manipulate the object by operating the haptic interface. The systems and methods provide the user with the possibility of editing the selected virtual object. In one embodiment, editing includes sculpting the object. When the user releases the object after manipulation is completed, the cursor is relocated to the position the cursor would have had had the manipulations been applied to the cursor directly.

Abstract: A two-legged walking robot includes a pair of foot members a calf member provided above each foot member, a double-axis ankle joint provided between the foot member and the calf member to allow the foot member to rotate relative to the calf member in forward and backward directions and in right and left directions. The robot also includes a femoral member provided above each calf member, a single-axis knee joint provided between the calf member and the femoral member, a hip member provided above the femoral member, and a double-axis hip joint provided between the femoral member and the hip member to allow the femoral member to rotate relative to the hip member in the forward, backward, right, and left directions. Thus, the two-legged walking robot operates similar to a human ankle, knee and hip.

Abstract: A minute object manipulating apparatus includes a tool which manipulates a manipulation target object, an observation unit capable of changing the magnification for observating the manipulation target object and tool, a display unit which displays magnified images of the manipulation target object and tool, which are observed by the observation unit, a command input unit to cause the operator to input the manipulation command signal of the tool, and a gain arithmetic unit which decides the manipulation gain of the tool on the basis of the magnification of the observation unit and magnified image information or pixel information on the display unit. The tool is driven and controlled on the basis of the manipulation gain and manipulation command signal.

Abstract: A virtual electronic pet and a pet-type robot that changes emotional state and instinct state according to surrounding information and internal information. The electronic pet behaves according to the emotional state and the instinct state. Transmission/reception of the internal state of the electronic pet (pet characteristic information) is made possible among the virtual electronic pet, the pet-type robot, and a personal computer. Thus, the action of the electronic pet is implemented by each device in accordance with the internal state of the electronic pet affected by other equipment.

Abstract: A handheld device for use in a wireless environment to operate an apparatus is provided. The handheld device sends a request to an apparatus controller to initiate a maintenance sequence. The handheld device receives information from the apparatus controller to control the operation of the maintenance sequence. The handheld device sends a maintenance command to the apparatus controller. The handheld device then receives information regarding the state of the apparatus after the maintenance command is executed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus that provide a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) for a robot are disclosed. A HAL can reside as a software layer or as a firmware layer residing between robot control software and underlying robot hardware and/or an operating system for the hardware. The HAL provides a relatively uniform abstract for aggregates of underlying hardware such that the underlying robotic hardware is transparent to perception and control software, i.e., robot control software. This advantageously permits robot control software to be written in a robot-independent manner. Developers of robot control software are then freed from tedious lower level tasks. Portability is another advantage. For example, the HAL efficiently permits robot control software developed for one robot to be ported to another. In one example, the HAL permits the same navigation algorithm to be ported from a wheeled robot and used on a humanoid legged robot.

Abstract: A predetermined action sequence is generated by using basic motion units which include time-sequential motion of each joint and compound motion units in which basic motion units are combined. Motion natterns of a robot including walking are classified into motion units, each motion unit servins as a unit of motion, and one or more motion units are combined to generate various complex motions. Dynamic motion units are defined on the basis of basic dynamic attitudes, and a desired action sequence can be generated by using the dynamic motion units. This is a basic control method necessary for a robot to autonomously perform a continuous motion, a series of continuous motions, or motions which are chanaed in real-time by commands.

Abstract: In a mobile robot, the actuator characteristics are dynamically or statically controlled, during motions of an entire robot body in the course of falldown or descent, to realize stable highly efficient motions. In each stage of the falldown motions, the characteristics of each joint site taking part in controlling the stable area are set so that the low range gain is low, the quantity of phase lead is large and the viscous resistance of the motor is large, in such a manner that these joint sites may be positioned to high accuracy in a controller manner to increase orientation stability. This assures the positioning accuracy of the joints as main component for controlling the quantity ?S/?t as a reference in controlling the falldown motions of the robot body to increase the motion stability.

Abstract: A system and method are described that use impulse radio technology to enhance the capabilities of a robot. In one embodiment, a system, a robot and a method are provided that use the communication capabilities of impulse radio technology to help a control station better control the actions of the robot. In another embodiment, a system, a robot and a method are provided that use the communication, position and/or radar capabilities of impulse radio technology to help a control station better control the actions of a robot in order to, for example, monitor and control the environment within a building.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning a wafer is provided, which normally senses a flat zone of the wafer by sensors regardless of an external light so that the wafer is aligned in a set mode, in order to increase or maximize production yield. A body has all kinds of drivers. An orient chuck is provided to protrude to an upper portion of the body for rotating the wafer; a guide plate ascending and descending to slide a circumference surface of the wafer so that a center of the wafer is located on the orient chuck. A plurality of sensors sense a flat zone of the wafer being rotated on the orient chuck. A wafer carrier cassette is formed at an upper portion of the orient chuck in order to load the wafer aligned in one direction by the sensors and the orient chuck, and is supported by a plurality of frames formed at respective corners of the body.

Abstract: The robotic apparatus is designed to act in a wider variety of manners, which will motivate the user of the robotic apparatus to purchase more products to the robotic apparatus. More specifically, a robotic apparatus (1) which acts autonomously recognizes a bar code (BC) or the like appended to a canned juice (100a) and acts in a predetermined manner. This is only enabled under a predetermined contract made between a product manufacturer and robotic apparatus manufacturer. The contract coverage is that the product manufacturer shall append the bar code (BC) to a specific product while the robotic apparatus manufacturer shall provide a robotic apparatus (1) which can act in a predetermined manner when having recognized the bar code (BC).

Abstract: A receiving apparatus includes a receiving section for receiving image data output from an autonomously traveling robot at a predetermined output position and a storage section for storing the image data received from the robot at the receiving section.

Abstract: A method of controlling a biped walking robot to balance the robot based on a sensed ground reaction force. In the method, X and Y coordinates are assigned to positions of sensors attached to a sole of a leg of the robot and a corresponding Z coordinate is assigned for at least three of the sensors based on the sensed ground reaction force sensed by at the sensors, respectively. A ground reaction force plane is specified based on the sensed ground reaction force and a normal vector perpendicular to the ground reaction force plane is calculated. A roll angle about an X-axis and a pitch angle about a Y-axis are calculated and an actuator is driven in correspondence to the roll angle and the pitch angle to move a part of the robot to align the normal vector with a reference vector of the gravity direction.

Abstract: When a position/speed feedback changes while a control system for driving a feed axis uses an integration gain during a shaft stopping, the control system goes unstable to cause a torque instruction to vibrate or diverge. In addition, only a single, narrow-range feed speed can be accommodated to find an out-of-range speed to be insufficient or excessive in compensation effects. After detecting the movement reversal of a feed axis, a control loop is modeled, a virtual internal model computing unit (21) using a constant separate from a constant used in a control loop is configured, a virtual torque instruction (22) computed by this computing unit (21) is added to a torque instruction (16) for driving the feed axis, this adding is terminated when the virtual torque instruction (22) reaches a specified value, and a value (25) of an integrator in a virtual internal model at the adding termination is added to the integrator (14) corresponding to a position/speed feedback loop.

Abstract: There are provided a parameter storage part for storing monitor point information, a locus generation part for generating motions of the support, each joint point, and the like based on the movement command, a control point speed control part for obtaining speed of the control point such as the support, each joint point, and the like, a monitor point speed control part for obtaining speed of the monitor point generated from motion speed of the control point, and a motion command part for selecting the maximum speed among the speed of the control point and the speed of the monitor point to compare the maximum speed with the command speed and changing and controlling the speed of the control point to the command speed when the maximum speed exceeds the command speed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a micro-robot for use inside the body during minimally-invasive surgery. The micro-robot may include various sensors, imaging devices or manipulators.

Abstract: A tool changer comprising a master module and a tool module includes a rapid-connect communication bus between the master and tool modules. A unique tool identification number, along with other tool-related information, may be transmitted from the tool module to the master module within about 250 msec of the master and tool modules coupling together. The master module includes a robotic system communications network node connected to the rapid-connect communication bus, and operative to transmit data between the tool and the network via the communication bus. The need for a separate network node in the tool module is obviated, reducing cost and reducing the start-up time required to initialize such a network node upon connecting to a new tool. The rapid-connect communication bus may be a serial bus.

Abstract: A method for the synchronous control of several manipulators, such as several industrial robots, is characterized in that control units of specific manipulators exchange control information according to the data structures contained in a corresponding control program, through which control units to be synchronized and synchronization points in the control programs taking place there can be clearly identified, and in that on reaching and synchronization points the program sequence in the control units to be synchronized is continued according to the contents of the data structures in conjunction with the already exchanged control information or stopped until corresponding information arrives from other control units to be synchronized.

Abstract: A method and a sub-system, henceforth called method DKA, for the determination and control of the activities of an emotional system aS, belonging to the class of autonomous, motivated agents and robots, is described. The method DKA determines the current motivation of the system aS to carry out an activity. Said motivation is determined by stimulus patterns in situation models and the intensities of the satisfactions and the desires with regard to the needs of the system aS. Priorities for the activities of the aS are determined by motivations. DKA controls sub-activities which, at the request of the system aS, are carried out by other agents/robots. The method DKA can assess which objects, situations and activities are presently good and which are bad for the system aS. The applied internal representation of the world of the system aS can include very abstract situation models.

Abstract: Learning-type motion control is performed using a hierarchical recurrent neural network. A motion pattern provided through human teaching work is automatically time-serially segmented with the hierarchical recurrent neural network, and the motion control of a machine body is carried out with a combination of the segmented data, whereby various motion patterns can be produced. With the time-serial segmentation, local time-serial patterns and an overall pattern as a combination of the local time-serial patterns are produced. For those motion patterns, indices for static stability and dynamic stability of the machine body, e.g., ZMP stability criteria, are satisfied and hence control stability is ensured.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring and fixing the three-dimensional location of medical instrument that can be easily placed at a desired location by a user. In addition, a medical apparatus for measuring the three-dimensional locations of an apparatus fixed at an end portion of a cancer and an external apparatus and fixing the apparatus at an end portion of the cancer, which can be easily placed at a desired location by a user and carries out the location-fixing and measuring at the same time. The apparatus is applicable for various medical fields such as the measurement of the location and orientation of an external apparatus, the measurement of relative locations of a medical instrument contacted to an end-portion of a cancer and the object body, and the fixation of the instrument at a desired location.

Abstract: The invention is related to methods and apparatus that use a visual sensor and dead reckoning sensors to process Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). These techniques can be used in robot navigation. Advantageously, such visual techniques can be used to autonomously generate and update a map. Unlike with laser rangefinders, the visual techniques are economically practical in a wide range of applications and can be used in relatively dynamic environments, such as environments in which people move. One embodiment further advantageously uses multiple particles to maintain multiple hypotheses with respect to localization and mapping. Further advantageously, one embodiment maintains the particles in a relatively computationally-efficient manner, thereby permitting the SLAM processes to be performed in software using relatively inexpensive microprocessor-based computer system.

Abstract: A legged mobile robot possesses degrees of freedom which are provided at roll, pitch, and yaw axes at a trunk. By using these degrees of freedom which are provided at the trunk, the robot can smoothly get up from any fallen-down posture. In addition, by reducing the required torque and load on movable portions other than the trunk, and by spreading/averaging out the load between each of the movable portions, concentration of a load on a particular member is prevented from occurring. As a result, the robot is operated more reliably, and energy is used with greater efficiency during a getting-up operation. The invention makes it possible for the robot to independently, reliably, and smoothly get up from various fallen-down postures such as a lying-on-the-face posture, a lying-on-the-back posture, and a lying sideways posture.

Abstract: After a controller #1 has started giving an interpolating instruction, the length on an interpolation line is calculated by a first calculation means in synchronism with a clock signal from a clock synchronous circuit 45, and after having executed a first step for generating a synthetic locus-use frame 100 based upon the calculated value, the synthetic locus-use frame 100 is transmitted to controller #2 so that, after controller #2 has executed a second step for receiving a synthetic locus calculation-use frame from a receiving means, controllers #1, #2 execute a third step for calculating the position on the interpolation line based upon the synthetic locus-use frame 100 by using a second calculation means.

Abstract: 3-D models of various types of objects such as a robot body, and a peripheral equipment, a machine, a part (workpiece), of the robot, are stored in an object library in advance. Dimension line data of an edge line of which dimension can be changed, and constraint condition for constraining coordinate positions of apexes which can be changed are also stored in the object library. A model having the shape corresponding to the shape of the object to be used is selected from the object library, and the dimension of the shape is set. The dimension of the selected model is modified so that the shape of the model corresponds to the shape of the actual object. Using the model of which dimension was adjusted, animation motion of the robot is formed on a display screen. With the above arrangement, it is possible to easily set and change object 3-D models relating to a robot motion.

Abstract: A robot apparatus and a motion controlling method for the robot apparatus wherein a reflex motion or the like can be performed at a high speed while decreasing the calculation amount of and the concentrated calculation load to a control apparatus. The robot has a control configuration having a hierarchical structure including a higher order central calculation section corresponding to the brain, reflex system control sections corresponding to the vertebra, and servo control systems and actuators corresponding to the muscles. From restrictions to the power consumption and so forth, there is a limitation to increase of the speed of a control cycle of the higher order central calculation section. External force acting upon the machine body is a disturbance input of a high frequency band, and a very high speed control system is required.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for calibrating and teaching a robot to accurately work within a work environment. The present invention preferably provides one or more tactile sensor devices that may be operatively coupled with a robot or positioned at one or more desired locations within a work environment of the robot. In one aspect of the present invention a method comprises the steps of providing a touch sensitive surface in the work environment, causing the touch sensitive surface to contact an object, generating a signal indicative of the position of the contact with respect to the touch sensitive surface, and using information comprising the generated signal to teach the robot the location of the contact in the work environment.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a robotic manipulator, comprising at least one joint, each joint having a drive axis and at least one microelectromechanical system (MEMS) inertial sensor aligned with at least one drive axis providing sensing of a relative position of the drive axis. The robotic manipulator can include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) coupled to the robotic manipulator for determining the end effector position and orientation. A controller can be used, receiving a signal from at least one MEMS inertial sensor and controlling at least one joint drive axis in response to the signal to change the relative position of the joint drive axis. Rate information from MEMS sensors can be integrated to determine the position of their respective drive axes.

Abstract: In a foot of a legged mobile robot, deformation of the foot is absorbed by a first concavity and the position and shape of a ground-contact portion hardly change. Accordingly, variation in a resistive force against the moment about the yaw axis can be reduced and a spinning motion can be prevented. In addition, when the foot is placed on a bump or a step, a flexible portion deforms and receives it, and a frictional retaining force is generated between the flexible portion and the bump. Thus, the foot is flexibly adapted to the road surface, and sliding caused by the bump and excessively fast motion are prevented. Accordingly, the foot can be adapted to various kinds of road surfaces such as surfaces having bumps and depressions, and the attitude stability can be increased.