The invention concerns a method, arrangement and computer program product for distributing processing for a first robot in a cell among more than one processing entities. The arrangement includes a processing entity determining unit that obtains data about current limitations in the processing environment of a prospective processing entity intended to perform a processing task for the first robot, determines, based on the processing environment limitations, whether a performance requirement will be fulfilled or not if the task is performed in the prospective processing entity, and assigns the processing task for processing in the prospective processing entity or in at least one other processing entity based on the determining of whether the performance requirement is fulfilled or not.

A robot including a movable portion, a controller, and a storage unit that stores maintenance timing information regarding at least one of the movable portion and the controller. The controller performs predetermined notification processing based on a comparison between elapsed time information and the maintenance timing information. The movable portion and the control apparatus are placed in a predetermined work site on which a second robot is installed. The controller corrects the maintenance timing information or the elapsed time information using information received from the second robot.

A robot cluster scheduling system includes a user layer, an intermediate layer, an application layer, a plug-in layer and a data persistence layer. The intermediate layer includes a processor mapping module and a state acquisition module. The application layer includes a task scheduling module and a traffic scheduling module. The plug-in layer includes a task solving engine and a traffic planning engine. The task solving engine is configured to determine a target robot according to a parameter of a task and state data. The traffic planning engine is configured to determine a target route. The task solving engine and the traffic planning engine each provide an application programming interface (API).

The invention enables registration and configuration of field devices through a plant resource management system. A server receives device identity information corresponding to a plurality of field devices intended to be communicably coupled with the plant resource management system. For each field device, the device identity information includes a device identifier and device-class information. The server generates a configuration data record for each field device. Generating a configuration data record includes (i) identifying a device-class for a field device, (ii) retrieving configuration information for the device-class, (iii) associating the configuration information with the unique device identifier, and (iv) generating a data record comprising the configuration information and the unique device identifier. The field devices are thereafter communicably coupled with the plant resource management system and device configuration parameters within local memory of each field device are modified based on configuration information from the data record corresponding to such field device.

A method, computer system, and computer program product for optimizing a number of robots for operation of a process at a target system. The method may include providing a plurality of available robots to carry out tasks in the process at the target system. The method may monitor the target system by carrying out the process or part of the process with a varying number of robots to determine the processor utilization whilst the robots are executing a varying number of tasks. The method may balance process constraints of the execution of the process with physical system constraints of the target system by measuring a relationship between a number of tasks at a transactional level and the processor utilization. The method may output the optimized number of robots to be allocated for the process or part of the process.

Generally discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for clustering based on context triggered piecewise hashing (CTPH). A method can include determining a first index of a first CTPH string of the file. The first index can include contiguous bits of the CTPH string. The first index can be smaller than the CTPH string, such as to be a proper subset of the CTPH string. The method can include determining the first index matches a second index of a cluster of files and in response to determining the first index matches the second index of the cluster, associating the file with the cluster. The method can include determining that the file includes malware based on the cluster.

An approach for fully automating the use of robotic devices in a laboratory workflow includes defining sequences for automating tasks and equipment involved in such a workflow, and calculating a path for each sequence that resolves get, handoff, and placement procedures. The approach develops a schedule that executes resolved pathways in and between each device. The approach is provided with an easy-to-use interface, in which a user drags and drops devices to automatically configure them, defines operations to be performed by these devices, and then runs the laboratory workflow. The interface also provides the ability to monitor progress of the workflow, and make modifications and adjustments as needed.

A method of determining the resource efficiency of a plant for the production of drinks containers, wherein the plant has at least one resource-consuming part, wherein the part of the plant is operated at least for a time in a first operative state (B1) in which a product is produced and the part of the plant has a first resource consumption (V1) in this operative state (B1), and wherein the part of the plant is operated at least for a time in a second operative state (B2) and has a second resource consumption (V1) in this second operative state (B2), wherein at least one first resource consumption (V1) capable of being allocated to the first operative state (B1) and at least one second resource consumption (V2) capable of being allocated to the second operative state (B2) determined and the resource consumption (V1, V2) is allocated to the operative states (B1, B2). According to the invention a value characteristic of the resource efficiency of the part of the plant is determined while taking into consideration the first resource consumption (V1) and the second resource consumption (V2).

The technology provides for a robotic control system implemented on a distributed system, which may include at least one processor on a cloud computing system and at least one processor on a robot. For instance, configuration data for a plurality of controllers of the robot may be received and the plurality of controllers may be deployed on the distributed system. For example, a first controller may be deployed on the cloud while a second controller may be deployed on the robot. The system may include a cloud database and a robot database. Both databases may store configuration data and current states of the first controller and the second controller, and may be synchronized. Workload for the first controller and the second controller may both be controlled based on the configuration data and the current states of the first controller and the second controller.

A synchronization primitive provides robots with locks, monitors, semaphores, or other mechanisms for reserving temporary access to a shared limited set of resources required by the robots in performing different tasks. Through non-conflicting establishment of the synchronization primitives across the set of resources, robots can prioritize the order with which assigned tasks are completed and minimize wait times for resources needed to complete each of the assigned tasks, thereby maximizing the number of tasks simultaneously executed by the robots and optimizing task completion. The synchronization primitives and resulting resource allocation can be implemented with a centralized coordinator or with peer-to-peer robotic messaging, whereby private keys and blockchains secure the precedence and establishment of synchronization primitives by different robots. Moreover, synchronization primitives can be established with queues to further optimize the immediate and future allocation of resources to different robots.