Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Boston Incubator Center, LLC

Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Empower Robotics Corporation

The Boeing Company

East Japan Railway Company

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited

The General Hospital Corporation

The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Children's Medical Center Corporation

Movensys Corporation

Manus Robotics, Inc.

Haruhiko Harry Asada

Sheng Liu

Phillip Shaltis

Devin B McCombie

Kai-Yeung S Siu

Andrew Tomas Reisner

Kosuke Takeuchi

Boo-Ho Yang

Stephen Mascaro

Yi Zhang

Branko Sarh

Kota Weaver

Geoffrey Ian Karasic

Sampriti Bhattacharyya

Filippos Edward Sotiropoulos

Kwang Ho Lee

Jun Fujita

Geoffrey I Karasic

Michael S Triantafyllou

Anirban Mazumdar

Joseph Spano

Baldin Adolfo Llorens-Bonilla

Roger Dale Kamm

Seok Chung

Kuo Wei Chang

Daniel J Braunstein

Kuo-Wei Chang

Waleed Ahmed Farahat

John W Meincke, Ii

Alexandre Girard

William H Finger

Kazumasa Shudo

Jeffrey D Macklis

Johanna Varner

Le Thanh Tu Nguyen

Young Kum Park

Faye Y Wu

Haruhiko Eto

Choong Kim

Ian C Rust

Devin Michael Neal

Federico Parietti

Chun-Hung Liu

Baldin Lloren-Bonilla

Erin Cem

Seiichi Teshigawara

Reginald C Hutchinson

Jun Maruyama

Cem Erin

Daniel J Gonzalez

Kumiko Asada

Sokwoo Rhee

Abbas Munir Shikari

Daniel A Kurek

Jacob Guggenheim

Anton C Pil

Ioannis K Zervantonakis

Masayoshi Wada

Levi B Wood

Juyoung Kim

Chandrasekhar Kothapalli

Cormac O'Neill

Kentaro Barhydt

Suzanne Tharin

Jeffrey Macklis

A vehicle may include a chassis, at least one wheel rotatably coupled to the chassis, and a magnet positioning inside of the at least one wheel. The magnet may be rotatably coupled to the wheel with a first shaft, such that the magnet is rotatable about a first axis. In some instances, the magnet may also be coupled to the first shaft with a second shaft, such that the magnet is rotatable relative to the wheel about a second axis. Accordingly, the magnet may have either one or two degrees of freedom of movement within the at least one wheel. The magnet may rotate passively, actively, or semi-actively in one or more directions to provide an attractive force toward a ferromagnetic surface to secure the vehicle to the ferromagnetic surface.

Wall climbing vehicles with adaptable magnetic wheels

Methods and systems for determining changes in muscle activity patterns based on the optical response of subcutaneous human body structures are presented, along with methods and systems for controlling assistive robotic systems based on the measured muscle activity patterns. Elements of a muscle activity measurement system are mechanically coupled to a wearable structure that fits closely to a portion of the body of a human user. The muscle activity measurement system includes multiple emitters and detectors at different spacing along the skin surface. In some embodiments, the illumination intensity of each measurement channel, the programmable gain of each measurement channel, or both, are calibrated to maximize measurement sensitivity. In some embodiments, optical measurement data is employed to more accurately locate the muscle activity measurement system with respect to the human body. In some embodiments, a muscle activity measurement system tracks changes in muscle structure over time.

Methods and systems for muscle activity measurement and gesture detection

A robotic welding systems and related methods are described. In some embodiments, a robotic welding system may generate a target trajectory based at least partly on a trajectory of a welding torch during manual operation of the welding torch; and operate one or more actuators of the system to control movement of the welding torch based at least partly on the target trajectory.

Robotic welding systems

Disclosed herein is a flexible robotic limb. The design may include a backbone with rolling-contact joints connected to one another by pulley structures and corresponding cord loops engaged with the pulley structures. One or more flexible actuators may be used to control a length between adjacent links of the rolling contact joints to control articulation of the flexible robotic limb while still permitting passive reconfiguration of the flexible robotic limb when it is not being actively articulated.

Flexible robotic limbs including rolling contact joints

Methods and systems for establishing and maintaining eye contact during an online video meeting are described herein. Multiple cameras capture images of a meeting participant from a number of different angles. A three dimensional model is determined based on the collected images. The three dimensional model is evaluated to determine the gaze direction of the participant. A two dimensional eye contact image of the participant is generated from the three dimensional model such that the plane of the two dimensional image is perpendicular to the gaze direction of the participant. This two dimensional eye contact image is then rendered on a display viewed by a remotely located meeting participant. Eye contact images of each participant are generated as described herein and presented to the remotely located meeting participant in real time. As a result, eye contact between both participants is established and maintained during the video meeting.

Methods and systems for maintaining eye contact during an online video meeting

Autonomous systems for control of heavy object tumbling and related methods are generally described. In some embodiments, the autonomous system may include one or more tethers connected to a heavy object, each tether position and location controlled by one or more actuators. The control system may include one or more processors in communication with the actuators to maintain constant quasi-static control of the heavy object during a tumbling process, in which the object is manipulated (e.g., rotated about an axis relative to a supporting surface) to provide access to alternate faces of the object. In some embodiments, the control system may reduce the risk of uncontrollable tumbling by alternating between position and tension control of the tethers depending on the orientation of the object and/or progression of the tumbling process.

Apparatus and method for control of heavy object tumbling

Methods and systems for testing robotic systems in an environment blending both physical and virtual test environments are presented herein. A realistic, three dimensional physical environment for testing and evaluating a robotic system is augmented with simulated, virtual elements. In this manner, robotic systems, humans, and other machines dynamically interact with both real and virtual elements. In one aspect, a model of a physical test environment and a model of a virtual test environment are combined, and signals indicative of a state of the combined model are employed to control a robotic system. In a further aspect, a mobile robot present in a physical test environment is commanded to emulate movements of a virtual robot under control. In another further aspect, images of the virtual robot under control are projected onto the physical test environment to provide a visual representation of the presence and action taken by the virtual robot.

Methods and systems for testing robotic systems in an integrated physical and simulated environment

Wearable systems to partially support the weight of a human user engaged in task performance in a crouched position at or near ground level are presented herein. In one aspect, the wearable systems employ passive mechanisms and the configuration of the support mechanisms is changed by movements of the body of the human user while transitioning from a standing position to a crouched position, and vice-versa. In a further aspect, each passive lower body support assembly includes an auxiliary body support structure to enhance the support of the human user in a crouched position. In another further aspect, each auxiliary body support structure is deployed in coordination with the movement of the seat support structure that supports the human user. In some embodiments, one or more body support structures are constructed from an elastic material that conforms to the ground surface when loaded by the weight of the human user.

Lower body support system to facilitate floor level task execution by humans

A system and a method for controlling a system are described. The system includes a plurality of sensors configured to be worn on a user's body. The plurality of sensors are configured to generate a plurality of signals in response to forces applied by corresponding portions of a user's body. The system also includes a processor configured to receive the plurality of signals. The processor is configured to identify commands from the user based at least partly on the plurality of signals and an operational range and/or null space of the plurality of signals for a task being performed by the user. The processor is configured to control an operation of the system based on the identified commands.

Sensing and control systems

In one embodiment, a robotic limb includes a scissor linkage. In one embodiment, the scissor linkage includes a rotatable connection, two proximal links, and two motors configured to selectively rotate the two proximal links. Relative rotation between the two proximal links selectively controls extension, retraction, and rotation of the scissor linkage. Additional embodiments are related to scissor linkages including links designed to be have specific length relationships to avoid a singularity occurring during operation. In some embodiments, links may include torque transmissions to avoid singularities and/or to transmit torques to a distal portion of a scissor linkage for use in actuating other components including another scissor linkage arranged in series with first.

Scissor linkage design and method of operation

Methods and system to partially support the weight of a human user engaged in task performance at ground level are presented herein. An upper body support system includes multiple degrees of freedom to adapt the physical geometry of the support system to meet the demands of the task at hand. Each degree of freedom of the upper body support system is passively controlled by the human user from a convenient user interface. In some embodiments, each end-effector of the support system is positioned and fixed in three degrees of freedom over a relatively large workspace by manually controlling the brake torque of two rotational joints and the state of a locking mechanism of a linear joint. In another aspect, an end-effector is removeably attached to the support system with a quick-change coupler. In some embodiments, a swivel joint mechanism compensates for misalignment with the work environment.

Control of multiple joints of an upper body support system

Methods and systems for seamlessly transitioning a load between two different actuators each having a different transmission ratio are described herein. A multiple drive, variable transmission ratio (MD-VTR) system includes two drive actuators, each having different reduction ratios, a locking mechanism, and a differential transmission subsystem. In one aspect, a MD-VTR system includes a locking mechanism disposed between a drive actuator and an input port of the differential. The locking mechanism couples the input port of the differential to a stationary reference frame element in a locked state. In an unlocked state, the locking mechanism couples the drive actuator to the input port of the differential. In some embodiments, the locking mechanism includes an actuator to actively transition between the locked and unlocked states. In some other embodiments, the locking mechanism transitions between the locked and unlocked states based on torque applied by the drive actuator.

Multiple drive variable transmission ratio system with selective actuator engagement

Methods and systems related to operating an excavator during a digging cycle are described. In some embodiments, a nominal path of a bucket connected to one or more linkages of the excavator may be commanded. A correction to the commanded nominal path may be applied to maximize a power applied by at least one of the one or more linkages of the excavator during at least a portion of the digging cycle.

Automated control for excavators

A foot touch position following apparatus includes a foot touch position detection part configured to detect a position where a human foot touches a surface; and a moving part configured to move the foot touch position following apparatus based on the detected result of the foot touch position detection part.

Foot touch position following apparatus, method of controlling movement thereof, and non-transitory computer-readable information recording medium storing the same

Wearable robotic systems including robotic limbs for supporting a load while a user moves through an environment and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a robotic system includes robotic limbs with first and second robotic limb segments that are movable between different configurations to support a load while a user is standing or crawling. In another embodiment, a robotic system includes first and second robotic limbs that are substantially located within a plane parallel to a frontal plane of a user when the robotic system is worn. In another embodiment, a wearable robotic system includes first and second robotic limbs and an associated base that is attachable to a user's torso. The first and second robotic limbs may include a plurality of actuators and associated robotic limb segments to couple the robotic legs to the base and control their movement.

Wearable robotic systems for supporting a load

Growing community of inventors

Lincoln, MA, United States of America

Haruhiko Harry Asada