A controller of a robot includes a first coupling section coupled to an object detecting device configured to detect an object. The controller is configured to control the robot in one of a first mode in which displacement speed of the robot does not exceed first speed and a second mode in which the displacement speed is second speed higher than the first speed, when the object detecting device is coupled to the first coupling section, switch the first mode and the second mode based on an output from the object detecting device, and control the robot in the first mode when the object detecting device is not coupled to the first coupling section.

A system for placing objects on a surface. The system may include a base, a robotic arm coupled, at an end thereof, to the base, an end effector coupled to the other end of the robotic arm. The end effector may be configured for releaseably coupling to an object to be placed on the surface. The system may further include one or more sensor units on a sensor frame. The one or more sensor units may be configured for sensing a two-dimensional profile data including at least two two-dimensional profiles together comprising at least three boundary portions of the object to be placed and at least three boundary portions of objects on the surface. At least two of the three boundary portions of the object to be placed may be from substantially non-parallel sides. At least two of the three boundary portions of the objects on the surface may be from substantially non-parallel sides. The system may further include a processor configured to determine at least three degrees of freedom of the object to be placed with respect to the sensor frame and six degrees of freedom of the sensor frame with respect to the objects on the surface in a three-dimensional space for determining a current pose of the object to be placed with respect to the objects on the surface based on the two-dimensional profile data. Further, the system may be configured to place the object based on differences between the current pose and a desired pose of the object to be placed determined from a model of objects on the surface in the three-dimensional space.

An appliance includes: at least one measurement electrode, for detecting at least one object in a detection zone, by detecting a signal with respect to a coupling capacitance between the object and said the at least one measurement electrode; at least one capacitive detection electronics, connected to the at least one measurement electrode, and an electric line, having at least one electric wire, in the detection zone;
the appliance also including a signal conditioner, applying to at least a portion of the electric line, an alternating electrical potential (V.sub.G), called guard potential, identical to the detection potential at the detection frequency. The appliance can be a robot, in particular a robotized arm, equipped with an electric line providing a power supply to a component part of the robot.

A mobile robot is configured for operation in a commercial or industrial setting, such as an office building or retail store. The mobile robot can have a motorized base and a robot body on the motorized base, the robot body including a rotatable ring that rotates horizontally around the robot body. A mechanical arm that can contract and extend relative to the robot body is coupled to the rotatable ring and performs a plurality of actions. A controller of the mobile robot provides instructions to the rotatable ring and the mechanical arm and can cause the mechanical arm to open a door, take an elevator to move to a different floor, and test whether a door is locked properly.

A wheel device includes: a plurality of wing members configured to rotate around a central axis, wherein each wing member of the plurality of wing members may include an outer circumferential surface and each wing member of the plurality of wing members is configured to be movable to a first position in which the respective outer circumferential surfaces combine to form a circle, and to a second position in which an end of each outer circumferential surface is rotated away from the central axis of the wheel device; a deforming device configured to move each wing member of the plurality of wing members to the first position or the second position; a plurality of rollers provided on the respective outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of wing members, wherein each roller of the plurality of rollers has a rotation axis that is not parallel to the central axis; and a braking device including a brake pad configured to contact one or more rollers of the plurality of rollers when the plurality of wing members are in the second position and to separate from the plurality of rollers when the plurality of wing members are in the first position.

A robot system is provided that includes movable parts, one or more object detecting sensors, and one or more processors, wherein the one or more object detecting sensors is dispose at or near the elbow, the wrist, or the position between the elbow and the wrist of the robot. Multiple embodiments are introduced for the implementation of the object detection of the robot system.

Provided is a manipulator including: a link; a joint unit configured to rotate the link; and a distance sensor configured to detect an obstacle entering in a monitoring space that is determined so as to include at least a rotating direction side of the link, the distance sensor being installed so that a sensing direction faces a direction parallel to a surface of the link. Further, provided is a moving robot including the aforementioned manipulator.

A mounting and demounting control system is used for installing a radioactive source in nuclear logging instruments. In this system, a tail end of a truss manipulator is fixedly provided with a worktable through a bolt, a left side of an upper surface of the worktable is provided with a source capsule mounting and demounting manipulator, a right side is provided with a compression screw mounting and demounting manipulator, and the upper surface of the worktable close to the inner side of the two manipulators is respectively provided with opposed photoelectric sensors through bolts; four corners of the truss manipulator are fixed to a support through bolts, a beam is fixed between two legs at the front side of the support through bolts; and a positioning device is placed near the front of the support, and an upper part of positioning device is fixedly provided with an instrument.

A capacitive detection device includes a set of several detection electrodes for each carrying out capacitive detection at a detection location. Each detection electrode is formed by at least a first measurement electrode and a second measurement electrode. The device also includes first detection electronics forming, with the first measurement electrodes, a first measurement channel, independent from a second measurement channel formed by second detection electronics with the second measurement electrodes.

Therefore, for each detection location, the detection device carries out at least two redundant and independent detection operations.

A wirelessly powered and controlled robotic apparatus enabling performance of tasks within a three-dimensional space includes a rail, a robotic unit, and a tool. The rail comprises negative and second paths to carry an electrical current. The robotic unit comprises a microcontroller having a drive motor and a transceiver engaged thereto and is engaged to and electrically coupled to the rail. A transfer unit is engaged to both the drive motor and the rail and thus can translate rotation of the drive motor to a force to motivate the robotic unit along the rail. The microcontroller selectively actuates the transfer unit to move the robotic unit along the rail to a location. The transceiver receives commands wirelessly from a control unit and transmits data thereto. The tool is engaged to the robotic unit and can perform a task at, or proximate to, the location.