A dynamic planning controller receives a maneuver for a robot and a current state of the robot and transforms the maneuver and the current state of the robot into a nonlinear optimization problem. The nonlinear optimization problem is configured to optimize an unknown force and an unknown position vector. At a first time instance, the controller linearizes the nonlinear optimization problem into a first linear optimization problem and determines a first solution to the first linear optimization problem using quadratic programming. At a second time instance, the controller linearizes the nonlinear optimization problem into a second linear optimization problem based on the first solution at the first time instance and determines a second solution to the second linear optimization problem based on the first solution using the quadratic programming. The controller also generates a joint command to control motion of the robot during the maneuver based on the second solution.

A safety control apparatus (100) for a tool changing device of a robotic arm is described, said apparatus being configured to allow the decoupling or the coupling between robotic arm (5) and tool (6) safely. The safety control apparatus comprises: a first module (101) associated with the robotic arm, a second module (102) associated with the tool, means (103) associated with a tool parking station (30) adapted to prevent or allow the creation of said safety signal in said second module, said second module being configured to wirelessly transmit said at least one safety signal to the first module, said first module being configured to allow the decoupling or the coupling between robotic arm and tool in response to the reception of said at least one safety signal. [FIG. 1]

The present invention relates to a computer program for producing a graphical user interface (100) of a manipulator program and to a method for navigation through a manipulator program, wherein the manipulator system (1) controlled by the manipulator program comprises at least one manipulator (30). The manipulator program comprises at least one set-down point (AP1 to AP5). The user interface (100) has a graphical program progress indicator (150) which indicates the current program progress of the manipulator program and the at least one set-down point (AP1 to AP5) of the manipulator program. The at least one set-down point (AP1 to AP5) indicated can be selected by a user, and the manipulator program is set up to control the manipulator system (1) in such a manner that the system assumes a system state assigned to the selected set-down point (AP1 to AP5) in response to the selection. The method comprises the steps of: providing a manipulator program; producing the graphical user interface; stopping the manipulator program; receiving a selection of a set-down point on the program progress indicator of the graphical user interface; and guiding the manipulator program to the selected set-down point, with the result that the manipulator program controls the manipulator system in such a manner that the system assumes the system state assigned to the selected set-down point. Such navigation may be advantageous, in particular, in the field of debugging, error correction and parameter correction or parameter optimization.

A remote control robot system includes a master arm, and a slave arm having a plurality of control modes of an automatic mode in which the slave arm operates based on a prestored task program and a manual mode in which the slave arm operates based on manipulation of an operator received by the master arm. The master arm includes one or more motors configured to drive joints of the master arm, and a motor actuator configured to generate a torque instruction value that operates the joints according to an external force applied to the master arm and gives drive current corresponding to the torque instruction value to the motor. The motor actuator generates, when the control mode is the manual mode, the torque instruction value so that the joints operate according to the external force while resisting a frictional force of the motor.

A remote-control manipulator system which includes a manipulator, a slave arm installed in a workspace and configured to perform a series of works comprised of a plurality of processes, a situation information acquisition device configured to acquire situation information indicating a situation of the slave arm, an environment reproducing device configured to reproduce, in a space where the manipulator is installed, environment information relating to an environment in the workspace, and a control device. The control device is configured to cause the environment reproducing device to reproduce the environment information corresponding to the situation information outputted from the situation information acquisition device.

A method of scaling a desired velocity of a tool of a surgical robot with a processing unit includes receiving an input signal, determining a position of the tool relative to a boundary of a surgical site, and scaling a desired velocity of movement of the tool when the tool is within a predetermined distance of the boundary of the surgical site. The input signal includes the desired velocity of movement of the tool.

Methods for characterizing living plants, wherein one or more beams of penetrating radiation such as x-rays are scanned across the plant under field conditions. Compton scatter is detected from the living plant and processed to derive characteristics of the living plant such as water content, root structure, branch structure, xylem size, fruit size, fruit shape, fruit aggregate volume, cluster size and shape, fruit maturity and an image of a part of the plant. Ground water content is measured using the same technique. Compton backscatter is used to guide a robotic gripper to grasp a portion of the plant such as for harvesting a fruit.

A motor control system including an input shaft connected to an output shaft of the motor and an output shaft connected to a load, the system including: a detection unit for detecting a rotation speed of the output shaft; a speed deviation generation unit generating a speed command position and calculates a speed deviation between the speed command and rotation speed of the output shaft; an angular transmission error compensation unit estimated between a rotation angle of the output shaft and of the speed reducer, and corrects the speed command, speed deviation, or rotation speed of the output shaft detected based on the event detected by the detection unit, based on the estimated angular transmission error; a current command generation unit generates a current command based on the speed deviation; and a current control unit controls a current supplied to the motor based on the current command.

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for driving axial motion of a shaft of a medical instrument using a drive device. A drive device configured to facilitate axial motion of an elongated shaft of a medical instrument can include a body comprising a channel configured to receive the elongated shaft of the medical instrument, a roller configured to engage with the elongated shaft such that, when rotated, the roller drives axial motion of the elongated shaft received in the channel, a first drive input coupled to the body, wherein the first drive input is operable by a robotic system to rotate the roller, a cover configured to selectively open or close the channel, and a second drive input coupled to the body, wherein the second drive input is operable to actuate the cover.

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for driving axial motion of a shaft of a medical instrument using a drive device. Axial motion can include insertion and/or retraction of the instrument. For example, a robotic medical system can include a medical instrument comprising an instrument base and a flexible shaft configured for insertion into a patient, and a first robotic arm attachable to the instrument base of the medical instrument. The system also includes a drive device configured to engage the flexible shaft, and a second robotic arm attachable to the drive device. The second robotic arm is configured to operate the drive device to drive axial motion of the flexible shaft, and the first robotic arm is configured to move in coordination with operation of the drive device.