Toyota Research Institute, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Russell L Tedrake

Kunimatsu Hashimoto

Alexander Alspach

Erik C Sobel

Takuya Ikeda

Naveen Suresh Kuppuswamy

Avinash Uttamchandani

Samson F Creasey

Duy-Nguyen Ta Huynh

Eric A Cousineau

Systems and methods for determining a location of a robot are provided. A method includes receiving, by a processor, a signal from a deformable sensor including data with respect to a deformation region in a deformable membrane of the deformable sensor resulting from contact with a first object. The data associated with contact with the first object is compared, by the processor, to details associated with contact with the first object to information associated with a plurality of objects stored in a database. The first object is identified, by the processor, as a first identified object of the plurality of objects stored in the database. The first identified object is an object of the plurality of objects stored in the database that is most similar to the first object. The location of the robot is determined, by the processor, based on a location of the first identified object.

Systems for determining location using robots with deformable sensors

A robot arm assembly for detecting a pose and force associated with an object is provided. The robot arm assembly includes an end effector having a plurality of fingers, and a deformable sensor provided on each finger. The deformable sensor includes a housing, a deformable membrane coupled to the housing, an enclosure filled with a medium, and an internal sensor disposed within the housing having a field of view directed through the medium and toward an internal surface of the deformable membrane. A processor is configured to receive an output from each internal sensor, the output including a contact region of the deformable membrane as a result of contact with the object. The processor determines an amount of displacement of the contact region based on the output from each internal sensor, and determines the pose and the force associated with the object based on the amount of displacement.

Robot arm assemblies including fingers having deformable sensors

Systems and methods for detecting pose and force against an object are provided. A method includes receiving a signal from a deformable sensor comprising data from a deformation region in a deformable membrane resulting from contact with the object utilizing an internal sensor disposed within an enclosure and having a field of view directed through a medium and toward a bottom surface of the deformable membrane. The method also determines a pose of the object based on the deformation region of the deformable membrane. The method also determines an amount of force applied between the deformable membrane and the object is determined based on the deformation region of the deformable membrane.

Deformable sensors and methods for detecting pose and force against an object

In an embodiment, a pose estimation device obtains an image of an object, and generates a pose estimate of the object. The pose estimate includes a respective heatmap for each of a plurality of pose components of a pose of the object, and the respective heatmap for each of the pose components includes a respective uncertainty indication of an uncertainty of the pose component at each of one or more pixels of the image.

Systems, devices, and methods for generating a pose estimate of an object

Robots having varying touch sensitivity are provided. A robot may include a plurality of deformable sensors with differing levels of depth resolution and spatial resolution for detecting a pose and force associated with an object. Each deformable sensor may have an enclosure comprising a deformable membrane, the enclosure configured to be filled with a medium. Each deformable sensor may further include an optical sensor, disposed within the enclosure, having a field of view configured to be directed toward a bottom surface of the deformable membrane. The robot may also include a first portion and a second portion, each comprising at least one deformable sensor of the plurality of deformable sensors.

Growing community of inventors

Needham, MA, United States of America

Russell L Tedrake