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 robot includes a body on which is mounted a functional head also including a capacitive detector, including: at least one electrical insulator in order to electrically insulate the functional head; at least one apparatus for electrically polarizing the functional head at a first alternating electrical potential (V.sub.g), different from a ground potential; at least one guard polarized at an alternating guard potential (V.sub.G) identical to the first alternating electrical potential; and at least one electronics, called detection electronics, for measuring a signal relating to a coupling capacitance, called electrode-object capacitance, between the sensitive part and a surrounding object.

An operating device configured to operate in a work space, the operating device including: a robot arm, which includes a succession of arm elements mounted on one another in a rotatable way about respective axes of rotation and which carries an operating unit on its end; and at least one presence sensor prearranged for detecting the presence of an operator. The device includes a positioning system, including a support by which the at least one presence sensor is carried and which is mounted on an arm element of the robot arm, according to a pre-set orientation and in such a way as to be orientable with respect to the arm element, and wherein the positioning system further includes a positioning unit prearranged for rotating the support with respect to the arm element, as a result of a movement of the robot arm, so as to keep the pre-set orientation of the support unchanged.

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.

An electronic impedance measurement device: a branch, called measurement branch, including an impedance to be measured (Z.sub.m), and; at least one branch, called reference branch, including an impedance (Z.sub.r), called reference impedance; electronics, called detection electronics, configured to provide an error signal (V.sub.s) dependent on an algebraic sum of a current (I.sub.r) flowing in the at least one reference branch (104) and of a current (I.sub.m) flowing in the measurement branch; and at least one adjustment structure, changing the current (I.sub.r) in at least one of said reference branches in a manner inversely proportional to a control variable (k).

A robotic system includes a robotic manipulator having one or more contact pads. The contact pads have features therein that are detectable to determine or measure a degree to which they have worn down. Such features may include fluorescent materials, colorful materials, and/or RFID tags. A robotic environment may include one or more sensors to detect such features, and may be configured to generate a signal indicating that one or more contact pads are in need of maintenance.

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 fastener locating tool equipped with a sensor head having one or more probes and a method for operating such a tool for precisely locating a fastener that is hidden or buried under a thick coating applied on a surface of a structure. The fastener locating tool may be manually or automatically operated. The fastener locating tool includes a platform having a central opening, means for temporarily attaching the platform to a coated surface, and a sensor head that may be easily mechanically coupled to and then later decoupled from the platform. Optionally, the fastener locating tool also includes a multi-stage positioning system with X and Y stages which may be used to adjust the position of the sensor head. The sensor head includes at least one probe which generates electrical signals indicating the presence of a fastener beneath a coating when the probe is within a detection range.

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.

A sensor system includes a first member that extends along a rotational axis and has a surface disposed circumferentially about the rotational axis. A conductive element is disposed on the surface of the first member and disposed about the rotational axis. A second member extends along the rotational axis. A rotational position between the first member and the second member is adjustable. A target is mounted to and rotatable with the second member and is movable relative to the second member between first and second positions. The target is spaced apart from the conductive element in both the first and second positions and is spaced further from the conductive element in the second position compared to the first position. The conductive element detects a change in movement of the target from the first position to the second position for any rotational position between the first member and the second member.