A method of teaching a robot including providing a pin at a location within a work station, and the robot in an area adjacent to the station. The robot having an arm and an end effector that pivots. The end effector has a through-beam sensor including a light emitter and a light receiver to sense when an object is present therebetween. The robot is moved to perform sensing operations in which the sensor senses the pin, such operations are performed while a position and/or an orientation of the end effector are varied to gather sensed position and orientation data. The sensing operations are performed such that the pin is located at different distances between the emitter and the receiver as the robot moves the sensor across the pin. Calculations are performed on the data to determine the location of the pin with respect to a coordinate system of the robot.

A robotic system includes a controller configured to obtain image data from one or more optical sensors and to determine one or more of a location and/or pose of a vehicle component based on the image data. The controller also is configured to determine a model of an external environment of the robotic system based on the image data and to determine tasks to be performed by components of the robotic system to perform maintenance on the vehicle component. The controller also is configured to assign the tasks to the components of the robotic system and to communicate control signals to the components of the robotic system to autonomously control the robotic system to perform the maintenance on the vehicle component.

An example method is carried out in a warehouse environment having a plurality of inventory items located therein, each having a corresponding on-item identifier. The method involves determining a target inventory item having a target on-item identifier. The method also involves determining that a first inventory item having a first on-item identifier is loaded onto a first robotic device. The method further involves transmitting a request to verify the first on-item identifier. The method still further involves receiving data captured by a sensor of the second robotic device. The method yet further involves (i) analyzing the received data to determine the first on-item identifier, (ii) comparing the first on-item identifier and the target on-item identifier, and (iii) responsive to comparing the first on-item identifier and the target on-item identifier, performing an action.

Techniques for retracting an instrument into an entry guide include receiving a retraction command for the instrument, the retraction command commanding movement of the instrument into the entry guide; causing, in response to the retraction command and using an instrument manipulator, movement of a rotational joint of the instrument that is external to the entry guide toward a distal end of the entry guide; actuating, after the rotational joint reaches a minimum distance from the distal end of the entry guide, the rotational joint to orient a link of the instrument so that the link can be retracted into the entry guide, the link being adjacent to and distal to the rotational joint; and causing, after the link is oriented so that the link can be retracted into the entry guide and using the instrument manipulator, further movement of the rotational joint toward the distal end of the entry guide.

A computer-assisted medical device including a first joint set on an articulated arm, a second joint set on the articulated arm, and a control unit coupled to the first joint set and second joint set. The control unit determines a disturbance to the first joint set caused by a release of one or more brakes and compensates for the disturbance using the second joint set to reduce motion to a position of a point of interest. In some embodiments, the control unit compensates for the disturbance by determining an initial position for the point of interest with respect to a reference point, determining a predicted motion for the point of interest based on the disturbance to the first joint set, and sending a drive command to the second joint set to move the point of interest in a direction opposite to the predicted motion.

Control for pixelated electrostatic adhesion can be provided by a voltage converter configured to increase an input voltage to an output voltage; a first gripping circuit, configured to selectively provide the output voltage at a first polarity to a first subset of electrodes of a plurality of electrodes; a second gripping circuit, configured to selectively provide the output voltage at a second polarity opposite to the first polarity to a second subset of electrodes of a plurality of electrodes that are associated with and different from the first subset of electrodes; a first release circuit, configured to selectively reverse the output voltage provided to the first subset of electrodes to the second polarity; and a second release circuit, configured to selectively reverse the output voltage provided to the second subset of electrodes to the first polarity.

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, that provide for training, implementing, or updated machine learning logic, such as an artificial neural network, to model a manufacturing process performed in a manufacturing robot environment. For example, the machine learning logic may be trained and implemented to learn from or make adjustments based on one or more operational characteristics associated with the manufacturing robot environment. As another example, the machine learning logic, such as a trained neural network, may be implemented in a semi-autonomous or autonomous manufacturing robot environment to model a manufacturing process and to generate a manufacturing result. As another example, the machine learning logic, such as the trained neural network, may be updated based on data that is captured and associated with a manufacturing result. Other aspects and features are also claimed and described.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to an apparatus and method of performing a robot calibration process within a substrate processing system. In one embodiment, a calibration device is used to calibrate a robot having an end effector. The calibration device includes a body, a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. The calibration device further includes a sensor disposed on the second side of the body. In some embodiments, the sensor covers the entire second side of the body. In this configuration, because the sensor covers the entire second side of the body of the calibration device, the calibration device can be utilized to sense the contact between the sensor and various differently configured chamber components found in different types of processing chambers or stations disposed within a processing system during a calibration process performed in each of the different processing chambers or stations.

A method and apparatus for dispensing and retrieving products is provided. A system may include: a grasping head; first and second grasping members, each grasping member comprising: a top member; a post member; and first and second grasping fingers, where the first and second grasping fingers extend from the post member and are spaced apart from the top member by a predetermined distance, where the first and second grasping members are connected to the grasping head, where at least one of the first and second grasping members is movably connected to the grasping head, where the at least one of the first and second grasping members is movable relative to the other of the first and second grasping members.

A robot having joint shaft that includes: a first-link member and a second-link that are coupled about a rotation axis; a reducer that has an input-shaft fixed to the first-link and an output-shaft fixed to the second-link; a motor that generates a driving force to be input to the reducer; and an input-side encoder and an output-side encoder. The motor is away from the rotation axis, and a power transmission mechanism is provided between the motor and the reducer. The reducer includes a hollow-part and a tubular-member. The tubular-member passes through the hollow-part, one end of which is fixed to the input-shaft or the output-shaft, and the other end of which protrudes from the input-shaft or the output-shaft. The output-side encoder includes a scale and a sensor. The scale is fixed to the tubular-member; and the sensor is fixed to the input-shaft or the output-shaft.