9843results about "Numerical control" patented technology

A robot system for use in surgical procedures has two movable arms each carried on a wheeled base with each arm having a six of degrees of freedom of movement and an end effector which can be rolled about its axis and an actuator which can slide along the axis for operating different tools adapted to be supported by the effector. Each end effector including optical force sensors for detecting forces applied to the tool by engagement with the part of the patient. A microscope is located at a position for viewing the part of the patient. The position of the tool tip can be digitized relative to fiducial markers visible in an MRI experiment. The workstation and control system has a pair of hand-controllers simultaneously manipulated by an operator to control movement of a respective one or both of the arms. The image from the microscope is displayed on a monitor in 2D and stereoscopically on a microscope viewer. A second MRI display shows an image of the part of the patient the real-time location of the tool. The robot is MRI compatible and can be configured to operate within a closed magnet bore. The arms are driven about vertical and horizontal axes by piezoelectric motors.

A medical master/slave manipulator is excellent in operability and capable of reducing burden on the operator. The medical master/slave manipulator includes a master unit provided with an operation control portion, a slave unit provided with a working device, an interlocking mechanism interlocking the slave unit with the master unit, an orientation difference measuring mechanism for measuring the orientation difference between the orientation of the master unit and that of the slave unit, and a control mechanism for controlling the slave unit to adjust the orientation of the slave unit to that of the master unit so that the orientation difference is reduced to zero in a transient master/slave operation mode in which an operation mode changes from an unrestricted operation mode to a master/slave operation mode.

An apparatus for processing digital media signals, comprising a digital processor for controlling the apparatus; a graphic user interface, having a wireless remote control providing a command input to the processor; a network interface for transmitting digital information from the processor to a remote location over a communications network, the information identifying a digital media signal for desired reproduction based, at least in part, on an input received from the remote control; and an output, controlled by, and local to, the processor, for transferring the desired digital media signals for reproduction thereof.

A robotic system for minimally invasive surgery includes a surgical tool and a docking station for restraining movement of the surgical tool to four degrees of freedom about an incision point in a patient. The docking station includes a plurality of actuators for moving the surgical tool relative to the incision in the patient, and a controller operably connected to the actuators so that movement of the surgical tool may be collaboratively controllable both actively by the controller and manually by a surgeon. Desirably, the surgical tool and the docking station are releasably attachable together. Also disclosed is a computer implemented method employing a first docking station attachable to a suturing surgical tool and a second docking station attachable to gripping surgical tool for autonomously tying a knot in suturing.

The improved building automation system of the present invention is modular in the extreme. This diminishes the amount of custom programming required in order to affect control of a particular building. It allows for a relatively open architecture which can accommodate a variety of unique control applications which are scripted for a particular building. By modularizing many of the common processes utilized in the automation system, the custom programming required to control any particular building is minimized. This modularity in design allows for uniform and coordinated control over a plurality of automation subsystems which may be incompatible with one another at the device or machine level, but which can be controlled utilizing a relatively small and uniform set of "interprocess control commands" which define an interprocess control protocol which is utilized in relatively high level scripts and control applications which may be written for a particular building.

Surgical robots and other telepresence systems have enhanced grip actuation for manipulating tissues and objects with small sizes. A master/slave system is used in which an error signal or gain is artificially altered when grip members are near a closed configuration.

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for sending and retrieving location relevant information to a user by selecting and designating a point of interest that is displayed on a graphical user interface and sending the location information associated with that point of interest to a receiver that is also selected using the graphical user interface. The location relevant information may also include mapped routes, waypoints, geo-fenced areas, moving vehicles etc. Updated location relevant information may also be continuously sent to the user while generating updated mapping information on the graphical user interface. The present invention may be practiced by using communication devices such as a personal computer, a personal digital assistance, in-vehicle navigation systems, or a mobile telephone.

A room occupancy sensor, a home automation system and a method for automatic control of controlled devices throughout a home. A unique architecture of occupancy sensors includes entry/exit sensors for detecting movement through doorways that separate rooms in the home, room motion sensors for detecting room occupancy, spot sensors to detect occupancy of specific locations within the rooms, and house status sensors to detect the status of certain parameters of the home. A central controller communicates with the sensors and controlled objects over a communications network, where the sensors and controlled objects can be added to the system in a ‘plug and play’ manner. The central controller controls the controlled objects in response to the entry/exit sensors, room motion sensors, spot sensors and the house status sensors. This control is accomplished by assigning each room to one of a plurality of room states, which dictate how the controlled objects are controlled by the central controller. The controlled objects also have controlled object states, which are used by the central controller to control the controlled objects. The room occupancy sensors have a sensitivity that is automatically adjusted based upon temperature measurements, and the number and timing of occupancy detections.

A robotic vehicle capable of traveling over various terrain and traversing obstacles. In one embodiment, the vehicle includes a cylindrical body having two or more drive wheels coupled to the ends thereof. The wheels are selectively powered to propel the vehicle. The vehicle may further include a spring member which may be deflected to a first, stored position from a second, extended position. The spring member may be quickly released from the first, stored position such that it strikes the terrain with sufficient force to lift and propel the vehicle over or onto a proximate obstacle or object. Robotic vehicles of the present invention may also include one or more sensing devices operable to collect information. Electronics may further permit autonomous, semi-autonomous, and/or remote control of the vehicle. In still other embodiments, the robotic vehicle forms part of a multi-robot surveillance team. The robotic vehicles may be delivered to the desired location through the use of a deployment and communication apparatus which, in one embodiment, is a larger robotic vehicle. The deployment and communication apparatus may form part of the communication system between the robotic vehicles and a remote workstation.

A mobile robot includes a processor connected to a memory and a wireless network circuit, for executing routines stored in the memory and commands generated by the routines and received via the wireless network circuit. The processor drives the mobile robot to a multiplicity of accessible two dimensional locations within a household, and commands an end effector, including at least one motorized actuator, to perform mechanical work in the household. A plurality of routines include a first routine which monitors a wireless local network and detects a presence of a network entity on the wireless local network, a second routine which receives a signal from a sensor detecting an action state of one of the network entities, the action state changeable between waiting and active, and a third routine which commands the end effector to change state of performing mechanical work based on the presence and on the action state.

A robot obstacle detection system including a robot housing which navigates with respect to a surface and a sensor subsystem having a defined relationship with respect to the housing and aimed at the surface for detecting the surface. The sensor subsystem includes an optical emitter which emits a directed beam having a defined field of emission and a photon detector having a defined field of view which intersects the field of emission of the emitter at a region. A circuit in communication with a detector redirects the robot when the surface does not occupy the region to avoid obstacles. A similar system is employed to detect walls.

This invention is generally related to methods and apparatus that permit the measurements from a plurality of sensors to be combined or fused in a robust manner. For example, the sensors can correspond to sensors used by a mobile, device, such as a robot, for localization and/or mapping. The measurements can be fused for estimation of a measurement, such as an estimation of a pose of a robot.

A medical robotic system having non-ideal actuator-to-joint linkage characteristics, includes a control system including a proximal control loop with actuator sensor feedback to control dynamic response of an actuator coupled to a distal joint which in turn, is coupled to an end effector to provide a degree of freedom movement of the end effector, a distal control loop with distal joint sensor feedback and feedforward to the actuator to ensure steady-state convergence of the distal joint position, and an end effector control loop with end-point sensor feedback to control the end effector position to reach a commanded end effector position.

PCT No. PCT/RU95/00241 Sec. 371 Date Jan. 27, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Jan. 27, 1998 PCT Filed Nov. 10, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO97/05557 PCT Pub. Date Feb. 13, 1997An electronic gaming system is disclosed that includes a central computer station, a plurality of peripheral computer stations, and a data exchange network for coupling the peripheral computer stations to the central computer station. The central computer station includes an administrative subsystem, a player's registration subsystem, a game accounts managing subsystem, an information tabulating, storing and searching subsystem, a game recording subsystem, a scoring subsystem, a wagering and betting subsystem, an executive gaming subsystem, an electronic payment subsystem, an information protection subsystem, a secure communications subsystem, and a game selection subsystem. Each of the peripheral computer stations include a subsystem for admitting and registering players with the central computer station and a gaming interface subsystem. To ensure security of the electronic gaming system, a player seeking to enter the system transmits an encoded message from their peripheral computer station to the central computer station that includes a set of key attributes associated with the player. The central computer station decodes and compares the transmitted set of key attributes with individual information previously stored in the information protection subsystem in order to identify each player during registration based upon the set of key attributes transmitted by each player. The system may automatically control money transactions with each player's bank accounts based upon the player's scoring and wagers in each selected game.

A control server, or similar central processor, manages the distribution of data (including audio and video), voice, and control signals among a plurality of system components connected via a wired and/or wireless communications network. The system components include audio/visual components (such as, televisions, monitors, PDAs, notepads, notebooks, MP3, portable stereo, etc.) as well as household appliances (such as, lighting, ovens, alarm clocks, etc.). A portable controller allows a user to access and control the system components from any location within a controlled residential and/or non-residential environment, including its surrounding areas. The portable controller includes a user and management interface that contains customized control screens for the system components. The control screens are stored in a hierarchical architecture that is searchable by region or component type.

A dynamically configurable robotic system and method for performing surgical operations using a plurality of robotic arms remotely controlled by at least one operator console. The system comprises a track system configured for mounting to a patient support table, such that the track system provides a stable operating platform for the robotic arms and for facilitating placement of a proximal end of each of the arms at a selected position about a periphery of the patient support table. the system and method also have a plurality of base stations for operatively coupling each of the robotic arms to the track system, such that each of the base stations include a housing, a first connector for coupling the housing to the track system, the first connector configured for facilitating movement of the housing along the track system while coupled thereto, and a second connector for coupling the housing to the proximal end of at least one of the robotic arms, the second connector configured for providing at least one of power supply, control signalling, and data communication with respect to the coupled robotic arm. The system and method also have a control unit for coupling to at least two of the base stations and configured for dynamically connecting operative remote control between the coupled base stations and a first operator console of the at least one operator console.

A system and method for servoing robot marks using fiducial marks and machine vision provides a machine vision system having a machine vision search tool that is adapted to register a pattern, namely a trained fiducial mark, that is transformed by at least two translational degrees and at least one mon-translational degree of freedom. The fiducial is provided to workpiece carried by an end effector of a robot operating within a work area. When the workpiece enters an area of interest within a field of view of a camera of the machine vision system, the fiducial is recognized by the tool based upon a previously trained and calibrated stored image within the tool. The location of the work-piece is derived by the machine vision system based upon the viewed location of the fiducial. The location of the found fiducial is compared with that of a desired location for the fiducial. The desired location can be based upon a standard or desired position of the workpiece. If a difference between location of the found fiducial and the desired location exists, the difference is calculated with respect to each of the translational axes and the rotation. The difference can then be further transformed into robot-based coordinates to the robot controller, and workpiece movement is adjusted based upon the difference. Fiducial location and adjustment continues until the workpiece is located the desired position with minimum error.