There is provided a method of controlling a robot within an environment comprising: i) receiving, from a 3D scanner, data relating to at least a portion of the environment for constructing a 3D point cloud representing at least a portion of the environment; ii) comparing the 3D point cloud to a virtual 3D model of the environment and, based upon the comparison, determining a position of the robot; then iii) determining a movement trajectory for the robot based upon the determined position of the robot. Also provided is a control apparatus and a robot control system.

A continuum robot includes a curvable first curvable portion, a curvable second curvable portion provided adjacent to the first curvable portion, a first wire connected to the first curvable portion, a second wire connected to the second curvable portion, and a control unit which controls curves of the first curvable portion and the second curvable portion by controlling driving of the first wire and the second wire. The control unit controls driving of the first wire and the second wire on the basis of a kinematic model in consideration of a curve of the second curvable portion accompanying driving the first wire and a curve of the first curvable portion accompanying driving of the second wire. Alternatively, the control unit controls driving of the first wire and the second wire so that a curve target value of the first curvable portion is achieved by the sum of curved amounts of the first curvable portion and the second curvable portion.

A wire-driven manipulator including a driver, a first deforming section including a first distal member, a plurality of first guide members, and a plurality of first wires, and a second deforming section provided between the first deforming section and the driver with the second deforming section including a second distal member, a plurality of second guide members, and a plurality of second wires. The plurality of first wires are fixed to the first distal member, and at least one of the plurality of first wires is further fixed to the plurality of first guide members and other wires of the plurality of the first wires are slidable with respect to the plurality of first guide members. The plurality of second wires are fixed to the second distal member, and at least one of the plurality of second wires is further fixed to the plurality of second guide members and the other wires of the plurality of the first wires are slidable with respect to the plurality of second guide members. In addition, the length of the first deforming section is shorter than the length of the second deforming section.

A robotic arm is inserted into a passage of a part to be examined. Operator instructions defining a tip motion for a tip of the robotic arm, sensor readings, and an environmental map are received. The operator instructions, the environmental map and sensor readings are applied to a previously trained machine learning model to produce control signals. The control signals to an actuator on the arm to control a movement of the robotic arm allowing the robotic arm to automatically gain traction in the passage and automatically move according to the movement.

An insertion tool with a flexible spine and a method for forming thereof are provided. A method includes placing a plurality of links, a flexible spine, and a line assembly into a channel of a fixturing assembly, pulling, via the line assembly, the plurality of links into a tensioned state in the channel, and affixing the flexible spine to each of the plurality of links while in the tensioned state. An insertion tool comprising a plurality of links arranged in a sequence, a flexible spine affixed to three or more links of the plurality of links, and a line assembly inserted through line guides in each of the plurality of links, the line assembly being configured to actuate the plurality of links from a free state to a tensioned state.

Approaches presented herein enable maneuvering collaborative robots to rescue persons in a hydrological disaster. A plurality of robots are dispersed in a body of water to spread out and seek victims using cooperative foraging techniques within resource constraints. A location of victims located by a robot using sensing techniques is communicated to other robots. A situational assessment is performed using victim location information to determine a number of robots to deploy to the location. The deployed robots are directed to perform coordinated maneuvers to create a connected floatation unit to support floatation of victims for rescue.

To provide a technology of reducing a difference with respect to a target position of a curvable portion of a continuum robot which is to move forward substantially along a trajectory including a branched trajectory and a space. A continuum robot includes a plurality of curvable portions separately driven by wires, and control units which control positions of a plurality of curvable portions in accordance with a kinematic model. A modification value for modifying the kinematic model based on a target position and a measured position about each of the cases in which the plurality of curvable portions take a plurality of positions having at least one intersection is calculated. Modification uses a modification result in at least one of the plurality of positions as an initial value to modify the kinematic model in another position, and synthesizes the plurality of modification values.

There is provided a continuum robot comprising a first end, a second end and an elongate body, a sensor arranged at the first end and a cooling jacket adjacent the sensor. The cooling jacket comprises a cavity containing a cooling medium for absorbing heat from the sensor.

A wire-driven manipulator including a driver, a first deforming section including a first distal member, a plurality of first guide members, and a plurality of first wires, and a second deforming section provided between the first deforming section and the driver with the second deforming section including a second distal member, a plurality of second guide members, and a plurality of second wires. The plurality of first wires are fixed to the first distal member, and at least one of the plurality of first wires is further fixed to the plurality of first guide members and other wires of the plurality of the first wires are slidable with respect to the plurality of first guide members. The plurality of second wires are fixed to the second distal member, and at least one of the plurality of second wires is further fixed to the plurality of second guide members and the other wires of the plurality of the first wires are slidable with respect to the plurality of second guide members. In addition, the length of the first deforming section is shorter than the length of the second deforming section.

A continuum robot having at least two independently manipulateable bendable section for advancing the robot through a passage, without contacting fragile elements within the passage, wherein the robot incorporates control algorithms that enable the continuum robot to operate and advance into the passage, as well as the systems and procedures associated with the continuum robot and said functionality.