The controller includes a program storage that stores programs specifying a plurality of operations associated with at least one operable unit; a program executor that executes the programs; an operation executor that causes the operable unit to operate according to the programs; and an operable unit manager that manages control of the programs. When a program is called from one of the programs, the operable unit manager obtains control of a group associated with the operable unit and specified in the called program, and releases control of a group other than the group associated with the operable unit and specified in the called program.

A flexible inspection system includes a robot with a plurality of scanners and a robot controller. The robot controller is configured to receive a vehicle inspection protocol (VIP) for a vehicle being assembled on an assembly line. The VIP includes checkpoints to be scanned on the vehicle and the checkpoints correspond to components installed on the vehicle and connections between components installed on the vehicle. The robot controller commands the robot to move the plurality of scanners per the VIP such that the checkpoints are scanned. A characteristic of each checkpoint is recorded and compared to a reference characteristic such that a pass or no-pass determination of each checkpoint is provided. A vehicle inspection report with the pass/no-pass determinations is provided to an operator such that operator inspections and/or repairs of the checkpoints are made.

A first robot may include: a communication circuit configured to transmit and receive a signal; a sensor configured to detect a surrounding environment; a driving device configured to implement movement of the first robot; and a processor configured to control the first robot. The processor may determine a second voice recognition range of a second robot on the basis of a confirmation signal transmitted from the second robot. When a user is positioned outside the determined second voice recognition range, the processor may control the driving device so that the first robot follows the user.

Examples provide a system and method for autonomously placing items into non-rigid containers. An image analysis component analyzes image data generated by one or more cameras associated with picked items ready for bagging and/or a non-rigid container, such as, but not limited to, a bag. The image analysis component generates dynamic placement data identifying how much space is available inside the bag, bag tension, and/or contents of the bag. A dynamic placement component generates a per-item assigned placement for a selected item ready for bagging based on a per-bag placement sequence and the dynamic placement data. Instructions, including the per-item assigned placement designating a location within the interior of the non-rigid container to the selected item and an orientation for the selected item after bagging, is sent to at least one robotic device. The robotic device places the selected item into the non-rigid container in accordance with the instructions.

A method for automatically processing a structure-reinforcing member of an aircraft, including: (S1) acquiring, by a handheld laser scanner, data of an area to be reinforced of the aircraft; (S2) controlling a robotic arm to automatically grab the reinforcing member for automatic scanning; (S3) setting a cutting path in a computer aided design (CAD) digital model followed by registration with real data to obtain an actual cutting path, and cutting the reinforcing member; (S4) controlling the robotic arm to guide a cut reinforcing member to a scanning area for automatic scanning; and (S5) subjecting point cloud data of the cut reinforcing member and the area to be reinforced to virtual assembly and calculating a machining allowance to determine whether an accuracy requirement is met; if yes, ending a task; otherwise, grinding the reinforcing member automatically, and repeating steps (S4)-(S5).

A robotic fleet management platform includes a resources data store that maintains a fleet resource inventory indicating fleet resources that can be assigned to a robotic fleet and, for each fleet resource, maintenance history, predicted maintenance need, and a preventive maintenance schedule. The platform includes a maintenance management library of fleet resource maintenance requirements for determining maintenance workflows, service actions, and service parts for at least one fleet resource in the fleet resource inventory. The platform calculates predicted maintenance need of a fleet resource based on anticipated component wear and anticipated component failure of the at least one fleet resource according to machine learning-based analysis of the maintenance status data. The platform monitors a health state of the fleet resource based on sensor data. The platform initiates a service action of the at least one item of maintenance for the fleet resource based on the fleet resource maintenance requirements.

A prewashing system includes a dish recognizing unit that recognizes a dish that is an object of prewashing executed prior to main washing, a first prewashing unit that performs prewashing of the dish that is the object of prewashing by a flow of water, a second prewashing unit that performs prewashing of the dish that is the object of prewashing by a washing tool, a prewashing method deciding unit that decides a prewashing method using at least one of the first prewashing unit and the second prewashing unit, on the basis of a form of the dish that is the object of prewashing, which is recognized by the dish recognizing unit, and a prewashing executing unit that executes prewashing of the dish that is the object of prewashing, by the prewashing method decided by the prewashing method deciding unit.

One variation of a method for monitoring growth of plants within a facility includes: aggregating global ambient data recorded by a suite of fixed sensors, arranged proximal a grow area within the facility, at a first frequency during a grow period; extracting interim outcomes of a set of plants, occupying a module in the grow area, from module-level images recorded by a mover at a second frequency less than the first frequency while interfacing with the module during the period of time; dispatching the mover to autonomously deliver the module to a transfer station; extracting interim outcomes of the set of plants from plant-level images recorded by the transfer station while sequentially transferring plants out of the module at the conclusion of the grow period; and deriving relationships between ambient conditions, interim outcomes, and final outcomes from a corpus of plant records associated with plants grown in the facility.

A protection system and method for cargos in a compartment and a robotic equipment thereof, applied in the field of robotics, are disclosed. The system includes an inflatable mechanism and an airbag. The airbag is used for filling the space between the cargos and/or between the cargos and an inner wall of the compartment. The airbag includes an inlet. The inflatable mechanism is defined on a robot for inflating or deflating the airbag via the inlet. The protection system and method for cargos in a compartment and a robotic equipment thereof can improve the stability of the stacked cargos during the process of the loading and unloading of the cargos, and the stability of the cargos during transportation.

A method of inspecting a surface of a component, e.g. a turbine or compressor blade of a gas turbine engine. The method comprises (a) providing a probe for inspecting the component surface; (b) defining a reference surface that is offset from the component surface; (c) moving the probe so as to contact a plurality of discrete spaced apart inspection points on the component surface, each contact of the probe with an inspection point comprising a first movement of the probe from the reference surface to the inspection point; (d) retracting the probe from the component surface after each contact with an inspection point; and (e) inspecting the component surface each time the probe contacts an inspection point.