A computer system may determine a target position of the electronic component. The computer system may also determine a current position of the electronic component. The computer system may compare the current position to the target to position to determine whether the electronic component is in the target position. If the electronic component is not in the target position, the computer system may use an electroactive polymer to adjust the position of the electronic component to move the electronic component into the target position.

The present application provides a localization system and method, and robot using the same. The localization system comprises: a storage device, configured to store the corresponding relationship between an image coordinate system and a physical space coordinate system; an image acquisition device, configured to capture image frames during movement of the robot; and a processing device, connected with the image acquisition device and the storage device, and configured to acquire positions of visual features in an image frame at the current time and positions of the corresponding visual features in an image frame at the previous time and to determine the position and pose of the robot according to the corresponding relationship and the positions. In the present application, the localization error of the robot can be effectively reduced.

An actuator control system includes: a transmission control unit configured to transmit final data, which is a final result of the computation by a sensor output computation unit, and to transmit intermediate data before transmitting the final data; and a command value computation unit configured to compute a command value for driving an actuator, based on the intermediate data and the final data transmitted by the transmission control unit.

The easy and quick detection of a contour shape of an object from three dimensional point group data, and control a robotic arm and a tool using it. An information processing method comprising: a step of acquiring three-dimensional point group data by a sensor from an object, a step of specifying a contour point group data that constitutes a contour of the object from the three-dimensional point group data, a step of acquiring tool control information including tool position information and tool posture information for specifying a tool trajectory of the tool connected to the arm of the working robot from the contour point group data, and a step of controlling the tool based on the tool control information.

A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for positions a wire contact. A sequence of images of a wire contact is generated while the wire contact moves from a first position to a second position. The sequence of images is generated by the camera system connected to the end effector and the wire contact is held by the end effector. Edges are detected in the sequence of images to form edge images. Background edges are removed from the edges in the edge images leaving contact edges in the edges for the wire contact to form a contact edge image. The wire contact is identified using the contact edges in the contact edge image. A pose of the wire contact is determined from the wire contact identified in the contact edge image.

A method and system for piece-picking or piece put-away within a logistics facility. The system includes a central server and at least one mobile manipulation robot. The central server is configured to communicate with the robots to send and receive piece-picking data which includes a unique identification for each piece to be picked, a location within the logistics facility of the pieces to be picked, and a route for the robot to take within the logistics facility. The robots can then autonomously navigate and position themselves within the logistics facility by recognition of landmarks by at least one of a plurality of sensors. The sensors also provide signals related to detection, identification, and location of a piece to be picked or put-away, and processors on the robots analyze the sensor information to generate movements of a unique articulated arm and end effector on the robot to pick or put-away the piece.

A robot includes a gripping member configured to move and pick up the object, a camera affixed to the gripping member such that movement of the gripping member causes movement of the camera, the camera configured to measure and store data related to intensity of light and direction of light rays within the environment, an image processing module configured to process the data to generate a probabilistic model defining a location of the object within the environment, and an operation module configured to move the gripping member to the location and pick up the object.

A method and system for piece-picking or piece put-away within a logistics facility. The system includes a central server and at least one mobile manipulation robot. The central server is configured to communicate with the robots to send and receive piece-picking data which includes a unique identification for each piece to be picked, a location within the logistics facility of the pieces to be picked, and a route for the robot to take within the logistics facility. The robots can then autonomously navigate and position themselves within the logistics facility by recognition of landmarks by at least one of a plurality of sensors. The sensors also provide signals related to detection, identification, and location of a piece to be picked or put-away, and processors on the robots analyze the sensor information to generate movements of a unique articulated arm and end effector on the robot to pick or put-away the piece.

Example embodiments may relate to methods and systems for selecting a grasp point on an object. In particular, a robotic manipulator may identify characteristics of a physical object within a physical environment. Based on the identified characteristics, the robotic manipulator may determine potential grasp points on the physical object corresponding to points at which a gripper attached to the robotic manipulator is operable to grip the physical object. Subsequently, the robotic manipulator may determine a motion path for the gripper to follow in order to move the physical object to a drop-off location for the physical object and then select a grasp point, from the potential grasp points, based on the determined motion path. After selecting the grasp point, the robotic manipulator may grip the physical object at the selected grasp point with the gripper and move the physical object through the determined motion path to the drop-off location.

Methods and systems for providing landmarks to facilitate robot localization and visual odometry are provided herein. At least one area of a physical environment in which a robotic device resides may be determined to include surfaces that lack sufficient discernable features to determine a location of the at least one area. Instructions may responsively be provided to the robotic device for the robotic device to provide a material in respective patterns onto one or more surfaces of the at least one area. Instructions can responsively be provided for the robotic device to provide the material in respective textures as well. The respective patterns or textures may include sufficient discernable features to determine a location of the at least one area, and the material may remain on the one or more surfaces for a predetermined period of time.