Provided is a sensing device including an elastomer, a magnetic device positioned within the elastomer and associated with a magnetic field, and a magnetometer configured to sense a change in the magnetic field of the magnetic device. A method and computer program product are also provided.

A proximity detection system includes a proximity sensor that is a capacitive sensor mounted on a mounting position on a robot, the proximity sensor being configured to detect proximity between the mounting position and an object; and a shield signal output unit configured to apply a shield signal for preventing the proximity sensor from detecting proximity of another position of the robot other than the mounting position.

A robotic transport system including a drive section connected to a frame. An articulated arm coupled to the drive section providing the arm with arm motion in a collaborative space, corresponding to the frame, from a first location, in which the arm has a first shape, to another different location of the arm in the collaborative space in which the arm has another different shape. An electromagnetic affection envelope borne by the arm so that the electromagnetic affection envelope is defined by the arm and is close coupled and substantially conformal to at least part of a dynamic contour of each different arm shape of the arm. A controller connected to the drive section and configured so that in response to detection of entry of a collaborative object into the electromagnetic affection envelope, the controller commands a change in at least one predetermined characteristic of the arm motion.

A robot with a noncontact sensor is configured to: perform the predetermined motion in a state where the moving object does not enter, and thereby store, for each of a plurality of measurement points set in a movable range of the robot, an output value of the noncontact sensor as a reference output value in advance, and stop the predetermined motion when the output value of the noncontact sensor changes from the reference output value at the measurement point closest to a current operating position of the robot by a first threshold value or larger when the robot is performing the predetermined motion in a state where the moving object could possibly enter and the current operating position of the robot is in a range in which it is necessary to determine an entering state of the moving object.

A first vacuum motor includes a first pivoting shaft member, a bearing that rotatably supports the first pivoting shaft member, a disk disposed to be rotatable together with the first pivoting shaft member and having slits, a first bracket that is made of a non-magnetic material and supports the bearing, a recess formed in the first bracket to be dented in the axial direction, and a sensor unit disposed to face the disk in the axial direction via a thin wall formed by the recess. By the thin wall, the space where the sensor unit is disposed under the atmospheric pressure is isolated from the space where the disk is disposed under a reduced pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure.

A 3D measurement model and the spatial calibration method based on a 1D displacement sensor are proposed. A 3D measurement system based on a fixed 1D displacement sensor is established; then a spatial measurement model based on the 1D displacement sensor is established; and then based on the high precision pose data of the measurement plane and sensor measurement data, spatial calibration constraint equation are established; a weighted iterative algorithms is employed to calculate the extrinsic parameters of the 1D sensor that meet the precision requirements, then the calibration process is completed. A high precision 3D measurement model is established; a 3D measurement model based on a 1D displacement sensor is established, and the calibration method of the measurement model is proposed, which will improve the precision of the 3D measurement model and solve the problem of inaccurate spatial measurement caused by the errors of the sensor extrinsic parameters.

Provided are a tool exchange device and a tool exchange system that enable management of a coupling state according to a tool to be fixed. A tool exchange device including a male member to be detachably attached to an apparatus side and a female member to be detachably attached to a tool side includes: a proximity sensor provided in the male member; and a target provided in the female member, the target corresponding to the proximity sensor, and the target is provided in the female member in such a manner that a distance between the target and the proximity sensor in a state in which the male member and the female member are coupled together is adjustable.

An airport baggage recording system. The airport baggage recording system comprises a telescopic robotic arm that loads airport baggage. The robotic arm has one end connected to an upright by a pivot and a second end connected to a disc. A radio frequency identification (RFID) reader is located in the disc that reads RFID tags on the airport baggage when the airport baggage is placed on the disc during loading. Another RFID reader is located on the pivot that reads the RFID tags on the airport baggage when the airport baggage is placed on the disc during loading. The RFID reader in the disc and the RFID reader on the pivot both read the RFID tags on the airport baggage to prevent errors in reading the RFID tags on the airport baggage during loading.

A two wheeled throwable robot comprises an elongate chassis with two ends, a motor at each end, drive wheels connected to the motors, and a tail extending from the elongate chassis. The throwable robot includes an enable/disable arrangement comprising a pair of magnets generating a magnetic field and a magnetic field sensor positioned in proximity to the pair of magnets. The sensor is activated upon the occurrence of a specific modification of the magnetic field. The throwable robot may include a key member formed of a material to modify the magnetic field to enable the robot.

An encoder unit includes a magnetic encoder having a main gear fixed to a rotation shaft, a plurality of auxiliary gears meshing with the main gear, magnets placed in the respective auxiliary gears, and a plurality of magnetic sensors on which magnetic fields of the corresponding magnets act, an optical encoder placed apart from the magnetic encoder in an axial direction of the rotation shaft and having an optical scale fixed to the rotation shaft and an optical sensor receiving light reflected by the optical scale, and a substrate placed between the magnets and the optical scale and having one surface with the magnetic sensors mounted thereon and another surface with the optical sensor mounted thereon.