Systems and methods that employ an autonomous robotic vehicle (ARV) alone or in combination with a remote computing device during the installation of electronic shelf labels (ESLs) in a facility are discussed. The ARV may detect pre-existing product information from paper labels located on modular units prior to their removal and then detect the location of electronic shelf labels (ESLs) after installation. Pre-existing product information gleaned from the paper labels is associated with the corresponding ESLs. The ARV may also determine compliance or non-compliance of modular units to which an ESL is affixed with a planogram of the facility.

A modular robotic kitchen system is conveniently adaptable to perform a wide range of cooking applications. The modular robotic kitchen system can include a plurality of discrete modular units organized in a small footprint such that multiple types of cooking applications can be performed without a need to replace the modular units. Exemplary modular units include an ingredient module, robotic arm module, assembly and packaging module, and warming module. Optionally a transport unit or sled moves the modules into position. The modular kitchen system includes a central processor operable to carry out different cooking applications upon downloading software corresponding to the specific cooking application and without retooling the existing modules. Related methods are also described.

A robot apparatus includes a clamp mechanism; a transport mechanism; and a control unit. The clamp mechanism includes a first finger that has a first support surface and a housing portion and a second finger. The first support surface supports an aligned wire group that includes a plurality of wires, the housing portion includes a guide wall that is connected to the first support surface and regulates an amount of movement of the band member in a width direction. The second finger has a second support surface facing the first support surface and a facing portion being connected to the second support surface and facing the housing portion. The transport mechanism is capable of moving the clamp mechanism. The control unit controls a grip force of the clamp mechanism and a direction of movement of the clamp mechanism by the transport mechanism.

A method of operating a mobile cleaning robot can include receiving a privacy mode setting from a user interface, where the privacy mode setting is based on a user selection between at least two different privacy mode settings for determining whether to operate the mobile cleaning robot in an image-capture-restricted mode. An image stream of an image capture device of the mobile cleaning robot is permitted in an absence of a user-selection of a more restrictive one of the privacy settings. At least a portion of the image stream is restricted or disabled based at least in part on a user-selection of a more restrictive one of the privacy settings.

The present disclosure provides a bioprinting system (100) for printing a liquid directly onto a subject. The bioprinting system (100) comprises a bioprinting assembly (102). Optionally, a robotic arm (104) and a control system (150) are provided. The bioprinting assembly (102) may be coupled to the robotic arm (104) to be positionable relative to the subject. The bioprinting assembly (102) is configured to dispense the liquid onto the subject and comprises a reservoir (120) for holding the liquid and a loading mechanism (134) to prime the reservoir (120) with the liquid directly prior to printing. The loading mechanism (134) has a one way inlet to permit liquid to be loaded into the reservoir (120) and prevent fluid from exiting the reservoir via the one way inlet. There is also provided associated methods.

A master unit includes a welding DB in which prescribed motion data associated with an object to be welded is stored, a state sensor which measures, as welding state data, a situation of welding by a robot which executes welding in a real environment according to the prescribed motion data, a simulated environment which imitates the real environment and notifies a worker of the welding state data, and a motion control unit which receives, as an input, worker motion data indicating a motion of welding by the worker from the simulated environment, operates the robot in the real environment by using the worker motion data instead of the prescribed motion data, and records, as new prescribed motion data, the input worker motion data in the welding DB.

A multi-axis robot includes: a robot main body including a head and a movement mechanism that three-dimensionally moves the head; and a work tool attached to the head. The work tool includes: a first link pivotally supported on the head; a second link pivotally supported on a distal end of the first link; a first change mechanism that changes an angle of the first link to a central axis of the head; and a second change mechanism that changes an angle of the second link to the first link.

Disclosed are a cleaning apparatus and a control method thereof. A cleaning apparatus according to the present specification, comprising a cleaning module and a main body, comprises: a motor for suctioning air outside the cleaning apparatus; a sensor which is included in the cleaning module and detects a facing distance between the cleaning module and a facing surface while the motor is operating; and a processor which controls the output of the motor on the basis of the facing distance. Thus, even without an additional operation by the user, it is possible to pre-emptively protect a user from injury by a brush that rotates while externally exposed, on the basis of the distance between the cleaning module and the floor surface.

An automated system is provided. The system includes: a manipulator coupled to: an opening forming device configured to create an opening having a predefined geometry partially into a multilayer component at a selected location on a surface of the multilayer component, where the multilayer component includes a plurality of material layers including at least a substrate and a bond coat, and where the opening exposes each of the plurality of material layers; and an imaging device configured to create an image of the exposed plurality of material layers in the opening; and a processor configured to calculate at least a thickness of the bond coat of the exposed plurality of material layers from the image and based on the predefined geometry of the opening. Methods of using the system to analyze layer thickness of a multilayer component and repair a multilayer component are also provided.

The foodstuff assembly system can include: a robot arm, a frame, a set of foodstuff bins, a sensor suite, a set of food utensils, and a computing system. The system can optionally include: a container management system, a human machine interface (HMI). However, the foodstuff assembly system 100 can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The system functions to enable picking of foodstuff from a set of foodstuff bins and placement into a container (such as a bowl, tray, or other foodstuff receptacle). Additionally or alternatively, the system can function to facilitate transferal of bulk material (e.g., bulk foodstuff) into containers, such as containers moving along a conveyor line.