Honda Research Institute Europe Gmbh

Michael Gienger

Christian Goerick

Heiko Wersing

Matti Krüger

Herbert Janssen

Hisashi Sugiura

Jochen Steil

Martin Weigel

Manuel Mühlig

Akinobu Hayashi

Manuel Muehlig

Daniel Tanneberg

Inna Mikhailova

Stephan Kirstein

A method for controlling at least one effector trajectory of an effector of a robot for solving a predefined task is proposed. A sequence of postures are acquired to modify at least one of a contact constraint topology and an object constraint topology. A set of constraint equations are generated based on at least one of the modified contact constraint topology and the modified object constraint topology. On the generated set of constraint equations, a constraint relaxation is performed to generate a task description including a set of relaxed constraint equations. The at least one effector trajectory is generated by applying a trajectory generation algorithm on the task description. An inverse kinematics algorithm is performed to generate a control signal from the at least one effector trajectory. At least one effector is controlled to execute the at least one effector trajectory based on the generated control signal.

Controlling a robot based on constraint-consistent and sequence-optimized pose adaptation

A method and system for controlling at least one effector trajectory for at least one effector of a robot for solving a predefined task are proposed. A graph of postures is acquired, and at least one of a contact constraint topology and an object constraint topology are accordingly modified. A set of constraint equations based on at least one of the modified contact constraint topology and the modified object constraint topology are generated. Constraint relaxation is performed on the generated set of constraint equations to generate a task description including the relaxed set of constraint equations. The effector trajectory is generated by applying a trajectory generation algorithm on the generated task description. An inverse kinematics algorithm is performed on the generated effector trajectory for generating a control signal, and the effector is controlled to execute the effector trajectory based on the generated control signal.

Controlling a robot using predictive decision making

A method and simulation system for controlling at least one effector trajectory for solving a predefined task by at least one virtual effector. The method includes acquiring a sequence of postures to modify at least one of a contact constraint topology and an object constraint topology, generating a set of constraint equations based on at least one of the modified contact constraint topology and the modified object constraint topology, performing constraint relaxation on the generated set of constraint equations to generate a task description including the relaxed set of constraint equations, generating the effector trajectory by applying a trajectory generation algorithm on the generated task description, performing an inverse kinematics algorithm on the generated effector trajectory for generating a control signal, outputting the control signal to an output device, and generating, by the output device, image information displaying the effector trajectory of the virtual effector based on the control signal.

Simulating task performance of virtual characters

The disclosure regards a method and a system for assisting a person in assessing an environment. The method includes selecting a set of one or more entities present in the environment, obtaining coordinates in the environment and extents of each entity of the set, estimating a location and shape of each entity of the set on the basis of the obtained coordinates and extends of the respective entity, determining an area of interest on the basis of the estimated location and shape of each entity of the set, evaluating the area of interest with respect to one or more variables of interest in order to evaluate a deviation between a current state of the area of interest and a target state, and communicating the deviation from the target state to the person using coherent stimuli for stimulating the person's body.

Method and system for assisting a person in assessing an environment

The invention relates to a method for improving operation of at least one robot. The robot is being operated on the basis of a set of predefined actions. A method comprises generating combined actions by combining at least two actions out of a set of original actions stored in an action library. Storing the combined actions in the actions library in addition to the original actions. Applying a reinforcement learning algorithm to the set of actions stored now in the action library to learn a control policy making use of the original actions and the combined actions. And finally, operating the robot on the basis of the resulting action library.

Method for improving operation of a robot

A method for controlling behavior of an intelligent mechanical system having more than one degree of freedom. The method includes (a) providing a target to a selector unit that requires operation of actuators of the mechanical system; (b) generating by a selector unit more than one behavior commands adapted to reach the target; (c) simulating movements of the mechanical system for each behavior command by a computing unit of the mechanical system; (d) assessing fitness values for each simulated movements based on at least one objective; and (e) sending the behavior commands with a highest fitness value to the actuators of the mechanical system.

Controlling the interactive behavior of a robot

The invention proposes a method for imitation-learning of movements of a robot, wherein the robot performs the following steps:

Robot with automatic selection of task-specific representations for imitation learning

The invention refers to a method for controlling the effector trajectory from a current state to a target state. First invariant control parameters of the trajectory are determined. The effector trajectory is then represented in a task description being void of the invariant control parameters. The effector trajectory is controlled on the basis of this task description. The invention further refers to a method for controlling the effector trajectory wherein the effector trajectory is calculated by mapping increments from a control parameter space on a configuration space. The dimensional difference between the configuration space and the control parameter space leaves redundant degrees of freedom of a Null space. The degrees of freedom of the Null space are increased using a task description being void of invariant control parameters. The invention further refers to a respective computer software program product, a manipulator, an actuated camera system, a robot comprising one or more manipulators and an automobile equipped with a driver support system.

Controlling the trajectory of an effector

A robot is provided with a motion control unit that avoids collision between segments of the robot or between segments of the robot and other objects. The motion control unit of the robot comprises a distance computing module, a whole body control module, a collision avoidance module, and a blending control unit. The distance computing module calculates two closest points of different segments of the robot connected to each other via at least one joint or a segment of the robot and another object. The collision avoidance module is provided with the information about the two closest points. The blending control unit combines the weighted output control signals of the whole body control module and the collision avoidance control module. The weight of the whole body control output signal is higher when the risk of collision is lower. The weight of the collision avoidance control output signal is higher when the risk of collision is higher. The collision avoidance module is designed to control a collision avoidance action only in the direction parallel to a line connecting between the two closest points.

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Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Michael Gienger