Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for preparing a robotic system for surgery. In one aspect, the method includes a robotic arm, a sensor configured to generate information indicative of a location of the robotic arm, a processor, and at least one computer-readable memory in communication with the processor and having stored thereon computer-executable instructions. The instructions are configured to cause the processor to receive the information from the sensor, determine that the robotic arm is located at a first position in which a first axis associated with the robotic arm is not in alignment with a second axis associated with a port installed in a patient, and provide a command to move the robotic arm to a second position in which the first axis associated with the robotic arm is in alignment with the second axis.

Method for detecting a change in the environment near at least one portion of a hoisting, traction or boundary cable which conducts electricity. The change in the environment is linked to the relative movement of at least one person, animal or object with respect to the portion. The method includes the step of detecting a variation in the capacitance of the portion. The variation is representative of the movement.

A surgical robotic system senses position or orientation of an object, which may be a trocar that has a magnetic field. Magnetic field sensors are coupled to a surgical robotic arm. A machine learning model coupled to the magnetic field sensors is trained to output three-dimensional position and/or three-dimensional orientation of the trocar or other object. Other aspects are also described.

Systems and methods are described, and an example system includes a transport bin configured to carry a baggage item and having spatial reference frame marking detectable by electromagnetic scan and by machine vision. The system includes a robotic arm apparatus at an inspection area, and includes a switched path baggage conveyor that, responsive to electromagnetic scan detection of an object-of-interest (OOI) within the baggage item, conveys the transport bin to the inspection area. The electromagnetic scan generates OOI geometric position information indicating geometric position of the OOI relative to the spatial reference frame marking. The robotic arm apparatus, responsive to receiving the transport bin, uses machine vision to detect orientation of the spatial reference frame marking, then translates OOI geometric position information to local reference frame, for robotic opening of the baggage item, and robotic accessing and contact swab testing on the OOI.

Inspection robots with flexible wheel/motor positioning are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing having a first connector positioned on a first side of the housing, and a second connector positioned on a second side of the housing. A first drive module may include a wheel and a motor and be operatively coupled to the first connector. A second drive module may include a wheel and a second motor and be operatively coupled to the second connector, where the wheel may be interposed between the second connector and the second motor.

Systems for reprogrammable inspection robots are described. An example system may include an inspection robot having a housing, a payload interface, a drive module interface, and a tether interface. The system may further include a first electronic board having a primary functionality circuit communicatively coupled to a base station and a second electronic board operationally coupled to the payload interface, the second electronic board having a payload functionality circuit coupled to a selected payload through the payload interface. The example system may further include a third electronic board operationally coupled to the drive module interface, the third electronic board having a drive module functionality circuit communicatively coupled to a selected drive module through the drive module interface.

Inspection robots with center encoders are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing, and a drive module, where the drive module has a wheel and a motor and is operatively coupled to the housing., The example inspection robot may also have an encoder to provide a movement value, where the encoder is positioned within a footprint of the housing. The example inspection robot may also have a controller with an encoder conversion circuit to calculate a distance value in response to the movement value, a location circuit to determine at least one of a robot location value or a robot speed value, and a position command circuit to provide a position action command in response to the robot location value or the robot speed value. The drive module may be responsive to the position action command to move the inspection robot.

Inspection robots with removeable interface plates and method for configuring payload interfaces are described. An example robot may include a payload, with at least one sensor, mounted to a housing of the inspection robot. The housing may include a removeable interface plate coupled to the at least one sensor and to an electronic board, the electronic board positioned within the housing. The removeable interface plate may define an electrical coupling interface compatible with the payload, and the electronic board may include an electrical processing configuration compatible with the payload.

Inspection robots with a payload engagement device are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing, a drive module, having at least one wheel and a motor, where the drive module is operatively coupled to the housing. The example inspection robot may also have a payload coupled to the drive module, where the payload includes a sensor mounted to the payload, and a payload engagement device operationally coupled to the drive module and the payload, where the payload engagement device applies a selected downward force on the payload.

High temperature wheels for inspection robots are described. An example wheel may have a plurality of wheel enclosures with a plurality of inter-covers interposed between the plurality of wheel enclosures. The example wheel may have a magnetic hub including a high temperature magnet, the magnetic hub being interposed between a first wheel enclosure of the plurality of wheel enclosures and a second wheel enclosure of the plurality of wheel enclosures. Each of the plurality of inter-covers is structured to guide a magnetic field of the magnetic hub.