The present invention relates to a collision-free path generating method for a robot and an end effector quipped thereon to move. The method includes steps of configuring a virtual working environment, containing a plurality of virtual objects at least including the robot, the end effector and a target object consisting of a plurality of basic members and mapped from a working environment in a reality, in a robot simulator; selecting a level of detail and a pre-determined shape for a collider covering the plurality of virtual objects to determine boundaries for the plurality of objects; randomly sampling a combination of robot configurations; and based on the determine boundaries and the randomly sampled combination of robot configurations, performing a heuristic based pathfinding algorithm to compute a collision-free path for the robot and the end effector quipped thereon to move to the target object accordingly.

A simulation apparatus includes: a robot model arranging unit that arranges a robot model on a virtual space; a configuration information storage unit that stores configuration information of a robot system; a transport device arrangement position calculating unit that calculates a transport device arrangement position based on a follow-up operation reference coordinate system related to a follow-up operation of a robot, included in the configuration information; and a detection unit arrangement position calculating unit that calculates a detection unit arrangement position based on the follow-up operation reference coordinate system.

The invention disclosed herein describes a supervised autonomy system designed to precisely model, inspect and process the surfaces of complex three-dimensional objects. The current application context for this system is laser coating removal of aircraft, but this invention is suitable for use in a wide variety of applications that require close, precise positioning and maneuvering of an inspection or processing tool over the entire surface of a physical object. For example, this system, in addition to laser coating removal, could also apply new coatings, perform fine-grained or gross inspection tasks, deliver and/or use manufacturing process tools or instruments, and/or verify the results of other manufacturing processes such as but not limited to welding, riveting, or the placement of various surface markings or fixtures.

A synthetic representation of a robot tool for display on a user interface of a robotic system. The synthetic representation may be used to show the position of a view volume of an image capture device with respect to the robot. The synthetic representation may also be used to find a tool that is outside of the field of view, to display range of motion limits for a tool, to remotely communicate information about the robot, and to detect collisions.

In order to detect when a kinematic linkage (1) leaves workspaces (WS) and/or enters safe spaces (SS), using, little computing power, and therefore doing so more quickly, at least a part of the kinematic linkage (1) is modeled with a number of kinematic objects (K1, K2, K3, K4), and a monitoring space (S) is specified, The number of kinematic objects (K1, K2, K3, K4) is modeled in less than two dimensions D<2. For each modeled kinematic object (K1, K2, K3, K4), a geometric variable of a monitoring space (S) is modified by a distance (d1, d2, d3, d4). Each distance (d1, d2, d3, d4) is derived from at least one geometric parameter (P1, P2, P3) of the modeled kinematic object (K1, K2, K3, K4), The position of each of the number of kinematic objects (K1, K2, K3, K4) is checked in relation to the modified monitoring spaces (S1, S2, S3, S4).

A machine learning device that learns a control command for a machine by machine learning, including a machine learning unit that performs the machine learning to output the control command; a simulator that performs a simulation of a work operation of the machine based on the control command; and a first determination unit that determines the control command based on an execution result of the simulation by the simulator.

Described is system for tele-robotic operations over time-delayed communication links. Sensor data is acquired from at least one sensor for sensing surroundings of a robot having at least one robotic arm for manipulating an object. A three-dimensional model of the sensed surroundings is generated, and the sensor data is fit to the three-dimensional model. Using the three-dimensional model, a user demonstrates a movement path for the at least one robotic arm. A flow field representing the movement path is generated and combined with obstacle-repellent forces to provide force feedback to the user through a haptic device. The flow field comprises a set of parameters, and the set of parameters are transmitted to the robot to execute a movement of the at least one robotic arm for manipulating the object.

Provided are systems and methods for decomposing learned robotic activities into smaller sub-activities that can be used independently. In one example, a method may include storing simulation data comprising an activity of a robot during a training simulation performed via a robotic simulator, decompose the activity into a plurality of sub-activities that are performed by the robot during the training simulation based on changes in behavior of the robot identified within the simulation data, and generating and storing a plurality of programs for executing the plurality of sub-activities, respectively, in the storage.

A robotic surgical system for treating a patient includes a surgical robot with a moveable robot member, an actuator for moving the robot member to 6D poses in a surgical field and for driving the robot member to act in the surgical field, a robot sensor for providing robot sensor data, and a control device for controlling the actuator according to a control program and under feedback of the robot sensor data, a processing unit configured to provide the control program to the control device, and to include and utilize a virtual anatomical model, a virtual surgical robot simulating movement and driving of the robot member, a surgical simulator, a sensor simulator, and a machine learning unit to create the control program, the machine learning unit reading the sensor simulator, the virtual surgical robot, and the virtual surgical field and feeding the virtual surgical robot.

A synthetic representation of a tool for display on a user interface of a robotic system. The synthetic representation may be used to show force on the tool, an actual position of the tool, or to show the location of the tool when out of a field of view. A three-dimensional pointer is also provided for a viewer in the surgeon console of a telesurgical system.