Systems, methods, and apparatus for a detector and reflector for automation cell safety and identification are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, a method for machinery safety comprises transmitting, by an active transponder, at least one interrogation signal. The method further comprises receiving, by at least one passive transponder located on a user or on an item, the interrogation signal(s). Also, the method comprises generating, by a non-linear device of the passive transponder(s) in response to the interrogation signal(s), at least one response signal. In addition, the method comprises receiving, by the active transponder, the response signal(s). Additionally, the method comprises determining, by at least one processor, a location of the passive transponder(s) based on the response signal(s). Further, the method comprises determining, by the processor(s), whether the passive transponder(s) is located within a threshold distance away from machinery by using the location of the passive transponder(s).

A method, system, and one or more computer-readable storage media for controlling a robot in the presence of a moving object are provided herein. The method includes capturing a number of frames from a three-dimensional camera system and analyzing a frame to identify a connected object. The frame is compared to a previous frame to identify a moving connected object (MCO). If an unexpected MCO is in the frame a determination is made if the unexpected MCO is in an actionable region. If so, the robot is instructed to take an action.

A robot is disclosed which includes a dynamic safety zone feature capable of defining a space around the robot to be monitored to provide safe operating conditions for personnel or property. The dynamic safe zones can be a volume around one or more moving components of the robot. Such dynamic safe zones can be scaled depending on the nature of the operation (fast moving robot having a larger dynamic safety zone). Multiple different zones can be used in some embodiments. The zones can further be scaled depending on the nature of the sensors used in the operation of the robot. Multiple different moving components can have different dynamic safety zones.

A state machine controller to dynamically plan a robot's path. An industrial robot such as a multi-arm articulated robot operates in a workspace according to a program. A sensor or camera monitors the workspace and detects any object, such as a person, approaching or entering the workspace. The sensor provides input to the state machine controller, which includes states of; track current path, change speed, and replan path. When an object approaches or enters the workspace, the state machine determines if a transition to the change speed state is necessary. After reducing robot speed in the change speed state, the state machine can resume the original path and speed if the object has cleared the workspace, further reduce speed to zero if necessary to avoid a collision, or transition to the replan path state to compute a new path to the goal position which avoids the object in the workspace.

Systems and methods for collision detection and avoidance are provided. In one aspect, a robotic medical system including a first set of links, a second set of links, a console configured to receive input commanding motion of the first set of links and the second set of links, a processor, and at least one computer-readable memory in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to access the model of the first set of links and the second set of links, control movement of the first set of links and the second set of links based on the input received by the console, determine a distance between the first set of links and the second set of links based on the model, and prevent a collision between the first set of links and the second set of links based on the determined distance.

The present teaching relates to a method and system for path planning. A target is tracked via one or more sensors. Information of a desired pose of an end-effector with respect to the target and a current pose of the end-effector is obtained. Also, a minimum distance permitted between an arm including the end-effector and each of at least one obstacle identified between the current pose of the end-effector and the target is obtained. A weighting factor previously learned is retrieved and a cost based on a cost function is computed in accordance with a weighted smallest distance between the arm including the end-effector and the at least one obstacle, wherein the smallest distance is weighted by the weighting factor. A trajectory is computed from the current pose to the desired pose by minimizing the cost function.

Movable elements of a machine are moved by a control device of the machine by controlling drives of the machine. To monitor the movement of the movable elements for collision with each other or with a stationary element, two monitoring devices check, independently from each other, using a computer program, whether there is a risk of collision in the working space. Depending on whether the monitoring devices detect a risk of collision or not, they intervene, independently from each other, in a corrective manner, in the control of the drives or not, and/or independently emit an alarm message or not. The two computer programs are designed in a diverse manner. The two monitoring devices differ from one another. One monitoring device is identical to the control device, while the other monitoring device is embodied as an industrial PC with a data link to the control device.

Systems and methods for collision detection and avoidance are provided. In one aspect, a robotic medical system including a first set of links, a second set of links, a console configured to receive input commanding motion of the first set of links and the second set of links, a processor, and at least one computer-readable memory in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to access the model of the first set of links and the second set of links, control movement of the first set of links and the second set of links based on the input received by the console, determine a distance between the first set of links and the second set of links based on the model, and prevent a collision between the first set of links and the second set of links based on the determined distance.

Systems and methods for collision avoidance using object models are provided. In one aspect, a robotic medical system, includes a platform, one or more robotic arms coupled to the platform, a console configured to receive input commanding motion of the one or more robotic arms, a processor, and at least one computer-readable memory in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to control movement of the one or more robotic arms in a workspace based on the input received by the console, receive an indication of one or more objects are within reach of the one or more robotic arms, and update the model to include a representation of the one or more objects in the workspace.

An autonomous mobile robot includes a first arithmetic unit configured to calculate a course direction based on an own position, a moving-object position, and a moving-object velocity vector, the course direction being a direction in which the autonomous mobile robot should travel, a second arithmetic unit configured to input the own position, the moving-object position, the moving-object velocity vector, and the course direction into a trained model and thereby calculate an estimated position, the trained model being a model that has been trained, the estimated position being a position at which the autonomous mobile robot is estimated to arrive a predetermined time later without colliding with the moving object, a generating unit configured to generate a remaining route from the estimated position to a destination, and a movement control unit configured to control a movement to the destination based on the course direction and the remaining route.