In one embodiment, a method includes by a robotic system: sending, by an automatic tuning controller, driving commands to actuators of the robotic system, performing, for each of the actuators, one or more measurements of an actual pose of the respective actuator in response to the driving commands, generating, for each of the actuators, one or more configuration parameters for the respective actuator based on the one or more measurements, and storing the configuration parameters for the actuators in a data store of the robotic system.

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 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.

Systems and methods for an electronic skin based robotic system including a robotic interface and a human subject are provided. An e-skin may be applied to the robotic interface. The e-skin applied to the robotic interface may include a plurality of physicochemical sensors. An e-skin may also be applied to the human subject. The e-skin may include electrodes for sensing muscular contractions associated with hand and arm movements as well as electrodes for stimulation. Machine learning techniques may enable decoding of signals to control the robotic hand and arm. The robotic hand and arm may be controlled to approach unknown compounds that may be hazardous. The sensors making up the physicochemical sensors on the e-skin on the robotic hand and arm may include tactile, pressure, temperature, and chemical sensors, as well as other useful sensors. These sensors may enable detection of explosives, organophosphates, pathogenic proteins, and other hazardous compounds.

A piled grain surface management robot comprises an auger-based drive system, a memory, and a processor coupled with the memory. The processor is configured to control movement of the robot via the auger-based drive system. The processor is also configured to direct a traversal of a surface of piled grain in a bulk store, wherein a crust layer of the surface is broken up by auger rotation of the auger-based drive system during the traversal.

A module type home robot is provided. The module type home robot includes a device module coupling unit coupled to a device module, an input unit receiving a user input, an output unit outputting voice and images, a sensing unit sensing a user, and a control unit sensing a trigger signal, activating the device module or the output unit according to the sensed trigger signal, and controlling the module type home robot to perform an operation mapped to the sensed trigger signal. The trigger signal is a user proximity signal, a user voice signal, a user movement signal, a specific time sensing signal or an environment change sensing signal.

A user console for a surgical robotic system has a seat having an armrest and an electromagnetic (EM) transmitter coupled to the armrest to generate an EM field in an EM tracking space around the armrest. A user input device having a handheld housing is to be positioned within the EM tracking by an operator who is seated in the seat, during a surgical procedure. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

A deterioration determination apparatus according to one or more embodiments may include: an information obtainment unit configured to obtain information on deformation of a suction portion that is configured to hold an object by suction with negative pressure and elastically deforms by the negative pressure; and a deterioration determination unit configured to determine whether or not the suction portion has deteriorated, depending on the deformation of the suction portion occurring when the suction portion holds the object by suction.

Inspection robots with configurable interface plates are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing with at least three removable interface plates, each removable interface plate having a coupling interface for an electronic component on a first side, and coupled to at least one of a plurality of electronic boards on a second side. The example inspection robot may further include a drive module configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates, and a payload configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates. The example inspection robot may further include a means for operating the inspection robot in response to the drive module coupled to one of the removable interface plates, and the payload coupled to any other one of the removable interface plates.

Systems and methods for gas detection within vehicles are disclosed herein. An example method includes monitoring background gas concentrations in a vehicle using a robot having a gas module having a non-selective sensor and a selective sensor, determining a concern index based on output of the gas module, determining when the concern index exceeds a threshold which indicates presence of a non-atmospheric gas, causing the robot to traverse an operating area when the concern index exceeds the threshold to search for a source of the non-atmospheric gas by measuring gas concentration gradients, classifying the non-atmospheric gas using the selective sensor of the gas module and identifying a location of the source of the non-atmospheric gas in the vehicle based on the gas concentration gradients.