A robot comprising a chopstick, configured for at least four degrees of freedom of movement, a stiff body of shape and proportions approximate to a pool cue; an electromagnetic actuator, comprising a motor, for each degree of freedom of movement coupled with the stiff body, wherein the functional mapping from each actuator's motor current to torque output along an axis of motion is stored, and used in concert with a calibrated model of the robot for effective impedance control; and a 6-axis force/torque sensor mounted inline between the actuators and each chopstick.

A system comprises a database; at least one hardware processor coupled with the database; and one or more software modules that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, receive at least one of sensory data from a robot and images from a camera, identify and build models of objects in an environment, wherein the model encompasses immutable properties of identified objects including mass and geometry, and wherein the geometry is assumed not to change, estimate the state including position, orientation, and velocity, of the identified objects, determine based on the state and model, potential configurations, or pre-grasp poses, for grasping the identified objects and return multiple grasping configurations per identified object, determine an object to be picked based on a quality metric, translate the pre-grasp poses into behaviors that define motor forces and torques, communicate the motor forces and torques to the robot in order to allow the robot to perform a complex behavior generated from the behaviors.

A storage system configured to house a plurality of containers housing inventory items includes support members, a first set of parallel rails to support a mobile, manipulator robot, and a fluid supply line having a plurality of valves disposed within the fluid supply line. Each of the valves having a closed condition in which the supply line is in fluid isolation from an outside environment and an open condition in which the supply line is in fluid communication with the environment such that the supply line is configured to supply fluid to a mobile, manipulator robot. Mobile, manipulator robots for retrieving inventory items stored within the containers and retrieval methods are also disclosed herein.

Provided is a technique of transporting an object to be transported to a machine tool more securely. A transport system includes a transport path, and a storage portion. The storage portion stores an object, and has a first reference shape. The transport system includes machine tools, and a transport device that moves on and the transport path and transports an object. The control unit executes a process of making a camera photograph the first reference shape to acquire a first image from the camera, and a process of correcting a control parameter to be used in transporting an object to be transported stored in the storage portion to the machine tool that is a transport destination on the basis of a position of the first reference shape in the first image.

A robotic system for use with a payload includes a robot, a passive compliance mechanism, position sensors, and an electronic control unit (ECU). Actuated joints of the robot provide the robotic system with actuated degrees of freedom (DOF). The compliance mechanism is connected to the robot and payload, and has unactuated joints providing the robotic system with unactuated DOF. The sensors measure joint positions of the joints. The ECU has a trajectory generator block which generates a payload trajectory signal in response to dynamic control inputs, and an impedance control unit (ICU) applying damping and stiffness parameters to the payload trajectory signal to generate an initial velocity command. A stiction compensation block allows the robotic system to generate a velocity offset, and applies the velocity offset to the initial velocity command to produce a final velocity command for the robot.

A system for verifying quality of a part using an arm robot includes an arm robot, which includes a camera to acquire image data of a part assembled in each manufacturing process of a vehicle, a carrier, which includes a sliding rail allowing the arm robot to be movable around the vehicle along the sliding rail to acquire the image data, and a server which receives the image data acquired by the camera, compares the image data with modeling data of the vehicle, which is stored in a database, and determines whether the assembled part satisfies a preset inspection item, to verify quality of the assembled part, verifying the quality of the part in each process before the vehicle is completely manufactured.

A fabrication assembly for automated metal fabrication on an elongate metal workpiece includes: a track; a set of rotator assemblies on one side of the track configured to rotate a received workpiece; at least one fabrication robot movable along the track and configured to perform metal fabrication on the workpiece received by the set of rotator assemblies within a fabrication operational range; a set of trolleys movable along the same track and configured to receive the workpiece thereon, the fabrication assembly being configured to transfer the workpiece between the set of trolleys and the set of rotator assemblies in a horizontal direction transverse to the track within a workpiece transfer range that overlaps with the fabrication operational range. To accommodate the overlap, the at least one fabrication robot may be movable to outside the workpiece transfer range, and the set of trolleys may be movable to outside the fabrication operational range.

A system and method for operating at least one stowable automated robotic pod in a workplace having a workpiece is disclosed. The pod includes a robot on a base that can also include one or both of a tool nest and process equipment. A door to subfloor storage allows the pod to raise its base vertical, placing the robot into the desired vertical position in the workspace. Once operations on the workpiece are complete, the pod withdraws back to the subfloor storage and the doors to the storage volume close.

Provided is a technique of transporting an object to be transported to a machine tool more securely. A transport system includes a transport path, and a storage portion. The storage portion stores an object, and has a first reference shape. The transport system includes machine tools, and a transport device that moves on and the transport path and transports an object. The control unit executes a process of making a camera photograph the first reference shape to acquire a first image from the camera, and a process of correcting a control parameter to be used in transporting an object to be transported stored in the storage portion to the machine tool that is a transport destination on the basis of a position of the first reference shape in the first image.