A method controls a remote robotic avatar based on a description of a physical object. A message transmitter transmits a message to a remote robotic avatar instructing the remote robotic avatar to identify a physical object at a second location, where an appearance of the physical object is described in the message. One or more processors determine a first position at the first location relative to the first object, also determine a second position at the second location that correlates with the first position by being a scaled distance away from the second object relative to the remote robotic avatar. The message transmitter transmits a message directing the remote robotic avatar to reposition itself to the second position at the second location, and to initiate a teleoperative session between the first person in the first location and the remote robotic avatar at the second location.

A robot control system includes circuitry configured to: determine a necessity of assisting a robot to complete an automated work, based on environment information of the robot; select a remote operator from candidate remote operators based on stored operator data in response to determining that it is necessary to assist the robot to complete the automated work; transmit the environment information to the selected remote operator via a communication network; receive an operation instruction based on the environment information from the selected remote operator via the communication network; and control the robot to complete the automated work based on the operation instruction.

A robot system includes robot bodies, operation devices each configured to accept operation and generate operational information for causing the robot body to operate, motion controllers configured to control operation of the corresponding robot body in response to the operational information, operation target selectors configured to receive an operation for selecting any of the robot bodies and request a permission to operate the selected robot body based on the operational information from the corresponding operation device, and an operation permitting device having a determinator configured to receive the permission request from the operation target selector and determine whether a permission is to be granted for the permission request. When the permission request is received, and the operation of the robot body selected by the operation target selector based on the operational information from a different operation device is permitted, the determinator prohibits the permission to the permission request.

A display system for performing a predetermined operation with respect to a moving body is disclosed. The display system includes an operation reception unit configured to receive a switching operation to switch an operation mode between a manual operation mode and an autonomous movement mode, the manual operation mode being selected for moving the moving body by manual operation and the autonomous movement mode being selected for moving the moving body by autonomous movement; and a display controller configured to display notification information representing accuracy of the autonomous movement.

An intelligent system, such as an autonomous robot agent, includes systems and methods to learn various aspects about a task in response to instructions received from a human instructor, to apply the instructed knowledge immediately during task performance following the instruction, and to instruct other intelligent systems about the knowledge for performing the task. The learning is accomplished free of training the intelligent system. The instructions from the human instructor may be provided in a natural language format and may include deictic references. The instructions may be received while the intelligent system is online, and may be provided to the intelligent system in one shot, e.g., in a single encounter or transaction with the human instructor.

An intelligent system, such as an autonomous robot agent, includes systems and methods to learn various aspects about a task in response to instructions received from a human instructor, to apply the instructed knowledge immediately during task performance following the instruction, and to instruct other intelligent systems about the knowledge for performing the task. The learning is accomplished free of training the intelligent system. The instructions from the human instructor may be provided in a natural language format and may include deictic references. The instructions may be received while the intelligent system is online, and may be provided to the intelligent system in one shot, e.g., in a single encounter or transaction with the human instructor.

An autonomous moving body includes: a driven body including a carriage capable of moving autonomously; a battery; a first communication unit capable of communicating with a charging dock; and a first arithmetic processing unit for executing first arithmetic processing related to the drive of the driven body among arithmetic processings of the autonomous moving body. A charging dock includes: a charger for charging the battery; a second communication unit capable of communicating with the autonomous moving body; and a second arithmetic processing unit for executing second arithmetic processing other than the first arithmetic processing among the arithmetic processings of the autonomous moving body. The second communication unit is configured to be able to receive arithmetic data used for the second arithmetic processing from the first communication unit, and to transmit a processing result of the second arithmetic processing executed by the second arithmetic processing unit to the first communication unit.

Described herein is an inventory management system, and corresponding methods, in which robotic units are configured to execute at least a portion of a set of instructions in an automated manner. During execution of the set of instructions, robotic units may encounter tasks that they are unable to complete in an automated manner. The robotic units, upon encountering these tasks, may submit a request for manual operation to a control unit. In some embodiments, the request may be assigned to an available operator, which may take over control of the robotic unit using a remote manipulation device, to complete the task manually. Once the task has been completed manually, automated execution of the instructions may be resumed.

A robotic system includes a robot having a picking arm to grasp an inventory item and a shuttle. The shuttle includes a platform adapted to receive the inventory item from the picking arm of the robot. The platform is moveable in at least a two-dimensional horizontal plane between a pick-up location located substantially adjacent to the robot and an end location spaced a distance apart from the pick-up location. The system improves efficiency as transportation of the item from the pick-up location to the end location is divided between the robot and the shuttle.

A slave device, a control system, a communication method for response data and a recording medium, through which even when a high-urgency response request is obtained during communication of large-capacity data which requires a plurality of cyclic periods, response data corresponding to the high-urgency response request can be communicated quickly, are provided. The slave device includes a cyclic communication portion and a communication management portion. The cyclic communication portion communicates in accordance with pre-set cyclic periods. The communication management portion manages communication of response data corresponding to a response request from a control device. If a request of response data with high priority is received during communication of response data with low priority over a plurality of cyclic periods, the communication management portion temporarily interrupts the communication of the response data with low priority to communicate the response data with high priority.