A self-propelled device is disclosed to recognize objects, possess objects, and transport objects to a new location. A method is disclosed to use the device to transport objects in environments dangerous to humans. Other example embodiments are described and claimed.

An intelligent cleaning robot comprises a housing, an optical module, a pickup module, a central processing module, and a drive module. The housing defines light transmission holes for the optical module, which comprise an infrared light source, a complex light source, a structure light lens to receive reflected infrared light through the holes to form a three-dimensional image, and a color lens to receive reflected light through the holes to form a color image. The central processing module can receive the three-dimensional image and the color image and form an image of an environment. The pickup module can be controlled to pick up garbage and objects in the environment according to the image of an environment, and the robot can be controlled to move on land or in water.

Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously sorting dirty laundry articles into batched loads for washing are described. For example, an autonomous sorting device includes an enclosed channel including a plurality of sequential work volumes and a stationary floor extending between an inlet end and an outlet end of the channel, a plurality of arms disposed in series along the enclosed channel for rotating, tilting, extending, and retracting a terminal gripper of each arm into an associated work volume for grabbing at least one of a plurality of deformable dirty laundry articles and passing the at least one deformable laundry article to an adjacent work volume for grasping and hoisting by an adjacent arm. The device includes an inlet orifice for receiving the dirty laundry articles into the enclosed channel and an outlet orifice adjacent the outlet end through which each separated deformable article exits the enclosed channel into sorting bins.

The invention relates to a device for securing a safety area around at least one automatically operating machine (3), comprising an illuminating marking (4; 5) of the safety area and/or a boundary of the safety area, a sensor-based monitoring device for detecting a breach of the safety area, and a control device (1) for controlling the machine (3), for defining the safety area, for controlling a shape, structure and/or a location of the illuminating marking, and for changing the operating state of the machine (3) or the light source (6, 7) in a manner which is dependent on a detection of a breach of the safety area by way of the monitoring device. The device is characterised in that a multiplicity of light sources (6, 7) which can be actuated in a spatially resolved manner and in each case comprise an inactive and at least one active operating mode are arranged on or in the surface (2) which delimits the safety area, wherein the operating mode of the light sources (6, 7) can be controlled by way of the control device (1), and the illuminating marking (4; 5) is configured as at least one of the light sources (6, 7) in an active operating mode.

A system includes first and second manipulating means, and a means for detecting mounting of an imaging means to the first manipulating means, a means for determining a first reference frame for the imaging means while the imaging means is mounted to the first manipulating means, a means for controlling a tool means relative to the first reference frame by maintaining a position and orientation of a distal portion of the tool means relative to the imaging means in the first reference frame based on a position and orientation of an input means relative to a display means, a means for detecting mounting of the imaging means to the second manipulating means, a means for determining a second reference frame for the imaging means while the imaging means is mounted to the second manipulating means, and a means for controlling the tool means relative to the second reference frame.

A robot manipulating system includes a game terminal having a game computer, a game controller, and a display configured to display a virtual space, a robot configured to perform a work in a real space based on robot control data, and an information processing device configured to mediate between the game terminal and the robot. The information processing device supplies game data associated with a content of work to the game terminal, acquires game manipulation data including a history of an input of manipulation accepted by the game controller while a game program to which the game data is reflected is executed, converts the game manipulation data into the robot control data based on a given conversion rule, and supplies the robot control data to the robot.

A method includes receiving a first depth map that includes a plurality of first pixel depths and a second depth map that includes a plurality of second pixel depths. The first depth map corresponds to a reference depth scale and the second depth map corresponds to a relative depth scale. The method includes aligning the second pixel depths with the first pixel depths. The method includes transforming the aligned region of the second pixel depths such that transformed second edge pixel depths of the aligned region are coextensive with first edge pixel depths surrounding the corresponding region of the first pixel depths. The method includes generating a third depth map. The third depth map includes a first region corresponding to the first pixel depths and a second region corresponding to the transformed and aligned region of the second pixel depths.

A deformable sensor for detecting a pose and force associated with an object is provided. The deformable sensor includes a housing, a deformable membrane coupled to an upper portion of the housing, an enclosure defined by the housing and the deformable membrane and configured to be filled with a medium, a time-of-flight receiver positioned within the enclosure and a plurality of time-of-flight emitters arranged around the time-of-flight receiver within the enclosure. The plurality of time-of-flight emitters are configured to emit signals toward the deformable membrane at different times. The time-of-flight receiver is configured to receive signals reflected from the deformable membrane.

A moving robot comprises a floor sensing unit comprised of a plurality of transmitters, for which different sensing distances are set, and a single receiver, and, since a floor state is sensed using a plurality of sensors, it is possible to sense a normal floor states, an obstacle or a cliff present on a floor, and a long-distance state at a distance farther than the normal floor state, thereby preventing wrong sensing of a cliff due to an obstacle, and, since whether to keep traveling is set depending on the obstacle and a traveling speed is controlled, even an area previously not allowed to enter due to the wrong sensing may be cleaned and therefore a cleaning area may be increased.

A control apparatus includes determination unit that determines whether a related element is included in environmental information on the basis of a position and a shape of the related element, and an environmental information control unit that controls a mode of acquisition or use of the environmental information on the basis of determination performed by the determination unit.