Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for object manipulation via action sequence optimization. An example method disclosed herein includes determining an initial state of a scene, generating a first action phase sequence to transform the initial state of the scene to a solution state of the scene by selecting a plurality of action phases based on action phase probabilities, determining whether a first simulated outcome of executing the first action phase sequence satisfies an acceptability criterion and, when the first simulated outcome does not satisfy the acceptability criterion, calculating a first cost function output based on a difference between the first simulated outcome and the solution state of the scene, the first cost function output utilized to generate updated action phase probabilities.

A motion trajectory planning method for a robotic manipulator having a visual inspection system, includes: in response to a command instruction, obtaining environmental data collected by the visual inspection system; determining an initial DS model motion trajectory of the robotic manipulator according to the command instruction, the environmental data, and a preset teaching motion DS model library, wherein the teaching motion DS model library includes at least one DS model motion trajectory generated based on human teaching activities; and at least based on a result of determining whether there is an obstacle, whose pose is on the initial DS model motion trajectory, in a first object included in the environmental data, correcting the initial DS model motion trajectory to obtain a desired motion trajectory of the robotic manipulator.

Systems, devices, and methods for training and operating (semi-)autonomous robots to complete multiple different work objectives are described. A robot control system stores a library of reusable work primitives each corresponding to a respective basic sub-task or sub-action that the robot is operative to autonomously perform. A work objective is analyzed to determine a sequence (i.e., a combination and/or permutation) of reusable work primitives that, when executed by the robot, will complete the work objective. The robot executes the sequence of reusable work primitives to complete the work objective. The reusable work primitives may include one or more reusable grasp primitives that enable(s) a robot's end effector to grasp objects. Simulated instances of real physical robots may be trained in simulated environments to develop control instructions that, once uploaded to the real physical robots, enable such real physical robots to autonomously perform reusable work primitives.

A robot control device includes: a learned model created through learning work data composed of input and output data, the input data including states of a robot and the surroundings where humans operate the robot to perform a series of works, the output data including human operation corresponding to the case or movement of the robot caused thereby; a control data acquisition section that acquires control data by obtaining output data related to human operation or movement from the model, being presumed in response to and in accordance with the input data; a completion rate acquisition section acquiring a completion rate indicating to which progress level in the series of works the output data corresponds; and a certainty factor acquisition section that acquires a certainty factor indicating a probability of the presumption in a case where the model outputs the output data in response to the input data.

Provided is a robot system including: a robot including a hand; a unit job storage section configured to store a unit job; a linking job generation section configured to generate a linking job being a command to move the hand from an end position at which a first unit job has ended to a start position at which a second unit job to be executed subsequently after the first unit job is started; an action command generation section configured to generate an action command for the robot by connecting the unit jobs and the linking job in series, based on arrangement of a plurality of processing symbols; and a required time calculation section configured to calculate a required time of the action command by adding required times of the unit jobs and a required time of the linking job.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for object manipulation via action sequence optimization. An example method disclosed herein includes determining an initial state of a scene, generating a first action phase sequence to transform the initial state of the scene to a solution state of the scene by selecting a plurality of action phases based on action phase probabilities, determining whether a first simulated outcome of executing the first action phase sequence satisfies an acceptability criterion and, when the first simulated outcome does not satisfy the acceptability criterion, calculating a first cost function output based on a difference between the first simulated outcome and the solution state of the scene, the first cost function output utilized to generate updated action phase probabilities.

Systems, devices, and methods for training and operating (semi-)autonomous robots to complete multiple different work objectives are described. A robot control system stores a library of reusable work primitives each corresponding to a respective basic sub-task or sub-action that the robot is operative to autonomously perform. A work objective is analyzed to determine a sequence (i.e., a combination and/or permutation) of reusable work primitives that, when executed by the robot, will complete the work objective. The robot executes the sequence of reusable work primitives to complete the work objective. The reusable work primitives may include one or more reusable grasp primitives that enable(s) a robot's end effector to grasp objects. Simulated instances of real physical robots may be trained in simulated environments to develop control instructions that, once uploaded to the real physical robots, enable such real physical robots to autonomously perform reusable work primitives.

Implementations described herein relate to training and refining robotic control policies using imitation learning techniques. A robotic control policy can be initially trained based on human demonstrations of various robotic tasks. Further, the robotic control policy can be refined based on human interventions while a robot is performing a robotic task. In some implementations, the robotic control policy may determine whether the robot will fail in performance of the robotic task, and prompt a human to intervene in performance of the robotic task. In additional or alternative implementations, a representation of the sequence of actions can be visually rendered for presentation to the human can proactively intervene in performance of the robotic task.

A computer-implemented method for designing execution of a process by a robotic cell includes obtaining a process goal and one or more process constraints. The method includes accessing a library of constructs and a library of skills. Each construct includes a digital representation of a component of the robotic cell or a geometric transformation of the robotic cell. Each skill includes a functional description for using a robot of the robotic cell to interact with a physical environment to perform a skill objective. The method uses a simulation engine to simulate a multiplicity of designs, wherein each design is characterized by a combination of constructs and skills to achieve the process goal, and determine a set of feasible designs that meet the one or more process constraints. The method includes outputting recommended designs from the set of feasible designs.

Systems, devices, and methods for training and operating (semi-)autonomous robots to complete multiple different work objectives are described. A robot control system stores a library of reusable work primitives each corresponding to a respective basic sub-task or sub-action that the robot is operative to autonomously perform. A work objective is analyzed to determine a sequence (i.e., a combination and/or permutation) of reusable work primitives that, when executed by the robot, will complete the work objective. The robot executes the sequence of reusable work primitives to complete the work objective. The reusable work primitives may include one or more reusable grasp primitives that enable(s) a robot's end effector to grasp objects. Simulated instances of real physical robots may be trained in simulated environments to develop control instructions that, once uploaded to the real physical robots, enable such real physical robots to autonomously perform reusable work primitives.