A waste sorting robot can include a manipulator comprising a suction gripper for interacting with one or more waste objects to be sorted within a working area, and wherein the manipulator is moveable within the working area. There is a controller configured to send control instructions to the manipulator. At least one pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the suction gripper and configured to generate a pressure signal in dependence on a fluid pressure in the suction gripper. The controller is configured to receive the pressure signal and to determine manipulator instructions in dependence on the pressure signal.

A picking apparatus in an embodiment includes: a gripper, an arm, a detector, and a control unit. The gripper picks and grips an object to be conveyed. The arm moves the gripper and causes the gripper to convey the object to be conveyed. The detector is attached to the arm and senses a force applied to the gripper. The control unit controls an operation of the gripper and the arm. The control unit includes a calculator and a subtractor. The calculator calculates a gravitational force and an inertial force applied to the gripper when the gripper grips and moves the object to be conveyed using an arithmetic expression including a coefficient determined in accordance with a mass of the object to be conveyed. The subtractor subtracts the gravitational force and the inertial force calculated by the calculator from a force applied to the gripper sensed by the detector.

A teaching method for detecting external force applied to a robot arm, driving the robot arm with force control based on the external force, and teaching a position and a posture of the robot arm, the teaching method including gradually relaxing, according to an elapsed time from when operation of the robot arm is started or a movement amount of the robot arm from when the operation of the robot arm is started, a restrictive condition for restricting the driving of the robot arm.

A sensor positioning system, includes an actuation server for communicating with components of the sensor positioning system. The sensor positioning system additionally includes a first actuation system and a second actuation system, wherein each actuation system includes a pulley system for maneuvering an underwater sensor system. The sensor positioning system includes a dual point attachment bracket that connects through a first line to the first actuation system and connecting through a second line to the second actuation system. The underwater sensor system is affixed to the first pulley system, the second pulley system, and the dual attachment bracket through the first line and the second line.

A robot joint torque control system and a load compensation method therefor are provided, which relate to the technical field of robot joint motion control. A mathematical model of the robot joint torque control system is established first. Equivalent transformation is performed on a system functional block diagram thereof, and then it can be seen that load parameters have a great influence on joint torque output. A load compensation controller is designed to effectively eliminate the influence of the load parameters on an output torque of the joint. The system is equivalent to an inertial element on the basis of the compensation, and then a PD controller parameter is adjusted to increase an open-loop gain of the system, so as to increase a system bandwidth and increase a response speed of the joint torque control system, thereby improving performance of the joint torque control system.

Systems and methods for determining a location of a robot are provided. A method includes receiving, by a processor, a signal from a deformable sensor including data with respect to a deformation region in a deformable membrane of the deformable sensor resulting from contact with a first object. The data associated with contact with the first object is compared, by the processor, to details associated with contact with the first object to information associated with a plurality of objects stored in a database. The first object is identified, by the processor, as a first identified object of the plurality of objects stored in the database. The first identified object is an object of the plurality of objects stored in the database that is most similar to the first object. The location of the robot is determined, by the processor, based on a location of the first identified object.

A robotic system is disclosed to control multiple robots to cooperatively pick and place objects. In various embodiments, the robotic system includes a first robotic arm having a first end effector; a second robotic arm having a second end effector; and a control computer configured to use the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm to pick and place a plurality of objects, including by using the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm to work cooperatively to pick and place one or more of the objects.

A method and system for sensing using a soft robotic system. The method and system uses displacement and/or deformation of elastomeric components, fibers, or liquids in the soil robotic system to change a visual state which is recordable in images by a digital camera. The displacement or deformation, or force applied to the soft robotic system is measured by analyzing the images using machine vision.

An example method may include i) determining a first distance between a pair of feet of a robot at a first time, where the pair of feet is in contact with a ground surface; ii) determining a second distance between the pair of feet of the robot at a second time, where the pair of feet remains in contact with the ground surface from the first time to the second time; iii) comparing a difference between the determined first and second distances to a threshold difference; iv) determining that the difference between determined first and second distances exceeds the threshold difference; and v) based on the determination that the difference between the determined first and second distances exceeds the threshold difference, causing the robot to react.

A cleaning robot for underwater includes a main body including a magnetic speed detection mechanism and a magnetic collision buffer mechanism. The magnetic speed detection mechanism includes two speed detection wheel mechanisms mounted on the main body. The speed detection wheel mechanism includes a wheel bracket, an induction wheel rotationally disposed inside the wheel bracket, a magnet embedded on one side of the induction wheel, and a magnetic force sensor disposed inside the wheel bracket and located on one side of the magnet.