Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously sorting dirty laundry articles into batched loads for washing are described. For example, an autonomous sorting system includes an enclosed channel including a stationary floor extending between an inlet end and an outlet end of the channel, a plurality of arms disposed in series along the enclosed channel for selectively grasping at least one of the plurality of deformable articles in sequence. The system includes an outlet orifice adjacent the outlet end through which each separated deformable article exits the enclosed channel upon release by the terminal gripper of the one of the plurality of arms, and one or more conveyors disposed adjacent the outlet end configured for receiving thereon a plurality of bins for collecting for washing together two or more articles of the plurality of deformable articles released through the outlet orifice having a common sensor-detected one or more characteristics.

A robotic arm control system including a robotic arm configured to deploy one or more tools in an operating space, one or more sensors, and a control system operably configured to: scan the operating space with the one or more sensors, identify a surface of the operating space based at least in part upon information sensed by the one or more sensors, establish a virtual barrier offset from the surface, and limit movement of the robotic arm based at least in part upon the virtual barrier.

Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously sorting dirty laundry articles into batched loads for washing are described. For example, an autonomous sorting device includes an enclosed channel including a plurality of sequential work volumes and a stationary floor extending between an inlet end and an outlet end of the channel, a plurality of arms disposed in series along the enclosed channel for rotating, tilting, extending, and retracting a terminal gripper of each arm into an associated work volume for grabbing at least one of a plurality of deformable dirty laundry articles and passing the at least one deformable laundry article to an adjacent work volume for grasping and hoisting by an adjacent arm. The device includes an inlet orifice for receiving the dirty laundry articles into the enclosed channel and an outlet orifice adjacent the outlet end through which each separated deformable article exits the enclosed channel into sorting bins.

A robotic arm control system including a robotic arm configured to deploy one or more tools in an operating space, one or more sensors, and a control system operably configured to: scan the operating space with the one or more sensors, identify a surface of the operating space based at least in part upon information sensed by the one or more sensors, establish a virtual barrier offset from the surface, and limit movement of the robotic arm based at least in part upon the virtual barrier.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for a robotic manipulator arm deployment and control system. The system comprises at least a vertical mast, a mast deployment system comprising at least two cams, an elbow, an arm wherein the arm is operable to deploy tools, and one or more sensors including a non-contact sensor and a dynamic measurement unit. The cams cause the vertical mast and the arm to remain vertical during deployment into an operating space. The non-contact sensor may be used for measuring range and bearing to objects in the operating space in polar coordinates. The dynamic measurement unit comprises accelerometers and rate sensors and is configured as a six degree of freedom three axis sensor operating in a Cartesian coordinate system. The system further comprises a controller operable to receive the polar and Cartesian coordinates from the sensors and convert them to a Cartesian coordinate system.

A purpose is to prevent a first connection piece string from colliding against a second connection piece string in a robot arm mechanism including a linear extension and retraction joint. In the robot arm mechanism having the linear extension and retraction joint, the linear extension and retraction joint includes an arm section, and an ejection section for supporting the arm section, the arm section includes a first connection piece string 21 made by a plurality of first connection pieces, and a second connection piece string made by a plurality of second connection pieces, the second connection piece string is sent out forward from the ejection section together with the first connection piece string in a state where the second connection piece string is joined to the first connection piece string, and a flexible guide rail for separating the first connection piece string from the second connection piece string and guiding the second connection piece string to the ejection section is interposed between the first connection piece string and the second connection piece string behind the ejection section.

Disclosed embodiments include a robotic arm for moving one or more objects fixed to the robotic arm. The robotic arm may have a telescoping arm the extends out from and contracts into a base platform and two joints for precisely moving an attachment platform. In various embodiments, a camera is mounted to the robotic arm and a computer included in the robotic arm may execute a control path to move the camera within a scene. The robotic arm may include one or more motors for automatically moving components of the robotic arm. The robotic arm may be synchronized with a camera to perform an automated photoshoot that captures various perspectives and angles of a scene.

A robotic arm control system including a robotic arm configured to deploy one or more tools in an operating space, one or more sensors, and a control system operably configured to: scan the operating space with the one or more sensors, identify a surface of the operating space based at least in part upon information sensed by the one or more sensors, establish a virtual barrier offset from the surface, and limit movement of the robotic arm based at least in part upon the virtual barrier.

A system for non-destructive evaluation of an object uses a spherical coordinate system to control two robotic arms. In some examples, the system includes a radiation source coupled to one robotic arm, a radiation detector coupled to the other robotic arm; and a control unit configured to determine, based on input, a first position located on a first surface of a first sphere within the spherical coordinate system; determine, based on the input, a second position located on a second surface of a second sphere within the spherical coordinate system, wherein the second position is located opposite a midpoint of the spherical coordinate system from the first position; and control a motion of the source robotic arm and the detector robotic arm such that the radiation source and the radiation detector move to different ones of the first position and the second position.

Devices, systems, and methods for repositioning a deformable laundry article are described. For example, a robotic device includes a conveyor configured to transfer the deformable laundry article outside of a work volume, two or more lifters including grippers individually anchored about the perimeter of the work volume, two or more sensors disposed at fixed locations about the work volume, and a memory storing data indicative of repositioned deformable laundry articles. A controller is in operative communication with the memory, the two or more sensors, and the two or more lifters. The controller is configured to receive a signal from the sensors, identify grip points on the deformable laundry article suspended above the conveyor, instruct a lifter to grip and lift an identified grip point to the suspension height, determine whether the deformable laundry article is repositioned, and instruct the lifters to lower the repositioned deformable laundry article onto the conveyor.