Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

Rios Intelligent Machines, Inc.

The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Bay Systems Consulting, Inc.

Sri International

Rioa Intelligent Machines, Inc.

Clinton J Smith

David Eric Schwartz

Christopher A Paulson

Christopher Lalau Keraly

Matthew E Shaffer

Bernard D Casse

Yong Zhang

Gabriel Iftime

Eric Cocker

Vedasri Vedharathinam

Meyya Meyyappan

Junhua Wei

Rahul Pandey

Jianer Bao

Beomseok Kim

Nicholas L Choi

Leo Keselman

Laura Stelzner

Daniel H Greene

Scott Alan Elrod

Victor Alfred Beck

George Daniel

Bhaskar Saha

Laura L Sullivan

Kent A Evans

Anthony Canalungo

Disclosed are methods and systems of providing carbon nanotubes decorated with polymer coated metal nanoparticles. Then, annealing the metal coated carbon nanotubes to reduce a quantity of hydrophilic components of the polymer coating.

Annealed metal nano-particle decorated nanotubes

A work cell and method for automatically separating objects disposed in 3D clusters includes dispensing the objects onto a horizontal conveying surface to form a 2D array, reforming the 2D array into a 1D stream in which the objects move in single-file in a predefined moving direction, utilizing a vision-based or other stationary sensing system to identify a selected target object in the 1D stream as the target object passes through an image capture (sensing) region, calculating trajectory data defining the target object's time-based position in the 1D stream, and then utilizing the trajectory data to control a robot arm or other object removal mechanism such that only the selected object is forcibly removed (e.g., swiped or picked-up) from the horizontal conveying surface. A continuous-loop-type conveying mechanism includes two parallel conveyor-belt-type conveying structures and associated belt-switching structures. An AI-powered vision system identifies new object shapes during preliminary learning phases.

Automatically individually separating bulk objects

A human-like tactile perception apparatus for providing enhanced tactile information (feedback data) from an end-effector/gripper to the control circuit of an arm-type robotic system. The apparatus's base structure is attached to the gripper's finger and includes a flat/planar support plate that presses a pressure sensor array against a target object during operable interactions. The pressure sensor array generates pressure sensor data that indicates portions of the array contacted by surface features of the target object. A sensor data processing circuit generates tactile information in response to the pressure sensor data, and then transmits the tactile information to the robotic system's control circuit. An optional mezzanine connector extends through an opening in the support plate to pass pressure sensor data to the processing circuit. An encapsulating layer covers the pressure sensor array and transmits pressure waves generated by slipping objects to enhance the tactile information.

Tactile perception apparatus for robotic systems

A gas monitor apparatus includes a sorbent material that adsorbs a target gas based on a concentration of the target gas in a monitored environment and a reference material that does not respond to the target gas. The gas monitor also includes a first thermistor disposed within the sorbent material and a second thermistor disposed within the reference material, the first thermistor to provide a first indication of a first temperature of the sorbent material and the second thermistor to provide a second indication of a second temperature of the reference material. A processing device determines a concentration of the target gas based at least in part on a differential measurement between the first temperature and the second temperature.

Sorbent based gas concentration monitor

Disclosed herein are methods of producing metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes. The methods include forming a reaction mixture by combining a first solution with a second solution, wherein the first solution comprises polymer-coated metal nanoparticles comprising metallic nanoparticles coated with a polymer, and wherein the second solution comprises carbon nanotubes. The methods also include heating the reaction mixture to a temperature greater than a glass transition temperature of the polymer for a time sufficient to cause the polymer-coated metal nanoparticles to bind to the carbon nanotubes forming the metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes.

Metal nanoparticle-decorated nanotubes for gas sensing

An automated food production work cell includes a robotic system that utilizes a food-grade robotic gripper to transfer individual food items. The robotic gripper is constructed using food-grade materials and includes finger structures that are linearly movably connected by linear bearings to parallel guide rods and are independently driven by a non-contact actuating system to grasp targeted food items disposed on a first work surface, to hold the targeted food items while the robotic system moves the gripper to a second work surface, and to release the targeted food items onto the second work surface. Encoding and external sensing systems facilitate fully automated food transfer processes. Optional sensor arrays are disposed on tip portions of the finger structures to provide feedback data (e.g., grasping force/pressure). Two or more pairs of independently controlled finger structures are provided to facilitate the transfer of multiple food items during each transfer process.

Food-grade robotic gripper for automated production work cell

A robotic gripper (end effector) for an arm-type robotic system includes a hierarchical sensor architecture that utilizes a central data processing circuit to generate rich sensory tactile data in response to pressure, temperature, vibration and/or proximity sensor data generated by finger-mounted sensor groups in response to interactions between the robotic gripper and a target object during robotic system operations. The rich sensory tactile data is used to generate feedback signals that directly control finger actuators and/or tactile information that is supplied to the robotic system's control circuit. Sensor data processing circuits are configured to receive single-sensor data signals in parallel from the sensor groups, and to transmit corresponding finger-level sensor data signal on a serial bus/signal line to the central data processing circuit. Each sensor group and an associated sensor data processing circuit are disposed on a PCB structure and mounted on a contact portion of an associated gripper finger.

Robotic gripper with integrated tactile sensor arrays

A flex-rigid sensor apparatus for providing sensor data from sensors disposed on an end-effector/gripper to the control circuit of an arm-type robotic system. The apparatus includes piezo-type pressure sensors sandwiched between lower and upper PCB stack-up structures respectively fabricated using rigid PCB (e.g., FR-4) and flexible PCB (e.g., polyimide) manufacturing processes. Additional (e.g., temperature and proximity) sensors are mounted on the upper/flexible stack-up structure. A spacer structure is disposed between the two stack-up structures and includes an insulating material layer defining openings that accommodate the pressure sensors. Copper film layers are configured to provide Faraday cages around each pressure sensor. The pressure sensors, additional sensors and Faraday cages are connected to sensor data processing and control circuitry (e.g., analog-to-digital converter circuits) by way of signal traces formed in the lower and upper stack-up structures and in the spacer structure. An encapsulation layer is formed on the upper PCB stack-up structure.

Flex-rigid sensor array structure for robotic systems

A robotic network includes multiple work cells that communicate with a cloud server using a network bus (e.g., the Internet). Each work cell includes an interface computer and a robotic system including a robot mechanism and a control circuit. Each robot mechanism includes an end effector/gripper having integral multimodal sensor arrays that measure physical parameter values (sensor data) during interactions between the end effector/gripper and target objects. The cloud server collects and correlates sensor data from all of the work cells to facilitate efficient diagnosis of problematic robotic operations (e.g., accidents/failures), and then automatically updates each work cell with improved operating system versions or AI models (e.g., including indicator parameter value sets and associated secondary robot control signals that may be used by each robot system to detect potential imminent robot accidents/failures during subsequent robot operations.

Robotic work cell and network

Disclosed herein are embodiments of compositions for gas sensing and sensors utilizing the same. In one embodiment, a composition comprises carbon nanotubes and polymer-coated metal nanoparticles bound to the carbon nanotubes.

A multimodal sensing architecture utilizes an array of single sensor or multi-sensor groups (superpixels) to facilitate advanced object-manipulation and recognition tasks performed by mechanical end effectors in robotic systems. The single-sensors/superpixels are spatially arrayed over contact surfaces of the end effector fingers and include, e.g., pressure sensors and vibration sensors that facilitate the simultaneous detection of both static and dynamic events occurring on the end effector, and optionally include proximity sensors and/or temperature sensors. A readout circuit receives the sensor data from the superpixels and transmits the sensor data onto a shared sensor data bus. An optional multimodal control generator receives and processes the sensor data and generates multimodal control signals that cause the robot system's control circuit to adjust control operations performed by the end effector or other portions of the robot mechanism and when the sensor data indicates non-standard operating conditions.

Multimodal sensor array for robotic systems

Disclosed herein are embodiments of compositions for gas sensing and sensors utilizing the same. In one embodiment, a composition comprises carbon nanotubes and and polymer-coated metal nanoparticles bound to the carbon nanotubes.

A system of sensor nodes is combined with an RF hub that transmits RF power to the sensors and receives data therefrom. The sensor nodes contain: one or more sensors for measuring indoor conditions, an antenna, an energy storage element, and electronics for powering the system via harvesting RF energy, reading sensor data, and communicating sensor data. The sensors, antenna, and other components on the nodes can be fabricated conventionally, or via printing. They may be fabricated as 'flexible hybrid electronics', in which conventional components are bonded onto flexible substrates. The RF hub consists of one or more antennas capable of transmitting RF power electronics for steering the center of radiation of the RF power in at least one direction or in more than one direction electronics for receiving a demodulating RF data signal. The RF hub may be powered directly from the building.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Clinton J Smith