International Business Machines Corporation

John E Swenson

Robert Francis Lusch

Christopher John Majka

Kevin R Qualters

Terry Leo Sobotta

William S Ebert

James E Frushour

Michael L Mahar

An interface includes an enclosure having a plurality of walls interconnected to form a parallelepiped having a space therein. The enclosure is positionable to occupy a plurality of slots located in a computer housing of a first type computer. The enclosure has a width corresponding essentially to a total width of the plurality of slots. The interface further includes a computer subsystem of a second type computer disposed within the space of the enclosure. The computer subsystem includes a circuit card, and a distribution card attached to, and electrically coupled with, the circuit card. The distribution card is connectable to a backplane of the first type computer located external to the enclosure and within the computer housing.

Computer interface for integrating a first computer into a second computer

A collision avoidance system for a two arm robot is direction sensitive. When the separation between the arms is sensed as equal to or smaller than a predetermined distance, the trailing arm is slowed to avoid a collision. The separation sensor generates a first 'slow' signal when the separation is a first predetermined distance, a second 'slow' signal when the separation is a second predetermined distance, smaller than the first, and a 'stop' signal when the separation is a third predetermined distance, smaller than the second. The polarity of the drive signals for the arms determine their direction, and polarity sensitive comparators determine the direction of each arm. When the first 'slow' signal is present and one arm is moving in the direction of the other arm, a speed reducing resistor is inserted in the circuit for the drive signal for the one arm to reduce its speed. When the second 'slow' signal is also present, a second speed reducing resistor is inserted in the drive signal circuit for the one arm, further reducing the velocity. A 'stop' signal causes a controller to stop both arms.

Collision avoidance system

Growing community of inventors

Greene, NY, United States of America

John E Swenson