Abstract:
An example method includes receiving, by a mobile robotic device, power from a battery of a first battery pack in order to operate within an environment. The method further includes establishing a first data channel between the mobile robotic device and the first battery pack. The method also includes using the first data channel to transfer sensor data acquired by the mobile robotic device during operation to a local data storage component of the first battery pack. The method additionally includes navigating, by the mobile robotic device, to a battery exchange station to transfer the first battery pack containing the battery and the local data storage component with the sensor data to the battery exchange station. The method further includes after transferring the first battery pack to the battery exchange station, receiving a second battery pack from the battery exchange station to continue operation within the environment.
Abstract:
Methods and systems for depth sensing are provided. A system includes a first and second optical sensor each including a first plurality of photodetectors configured to capture visible light interspersed with a second plurality of photodetectors configured to capture infrared light within a particular infrared band. The system also includes a computing device configured to (i) identify first corresponding features of the environment between a first visible light image captured by the first optical sensor and a second visible light image captured by the second optical sensor; (ii) identify second corresponding features of the environment between a first infrared light image captured by the first optical sensor and a second infrared light image captured by the second optical sensor; and (iii) determine a depth estimate for at least one surface in the environment based on the first corresponding features and the second corresponding features.
Abstract:
An airborne wind turbine system is provided including an aerial vehicle having a fuselage, an electrically conductive tether having a first end secured to the aerial vehicle and a second end secured to a rotatable drum positioned on a tower onto which the tether is wrapped when the aerial vehicle is reeled in, a perch extending from the tower, one or more perch booms attached to the perch panel and pivotably mounted to the tower, wherein when the aerial vehicle is secured to the perch, the aerial vehicle is positionable in a lowered parked position, and wherein the aerial vehicle is movable to a raised parked position caused by rotation of the one or more perch booms with respect to the tower.
Abstract:
An example system includes: (i) a resin container defining a cavity; (ii) a plurality of rods extending from an inner base surface of the resin container and into the cavity; (iii) a plurality of light sources arranged to emit radiation into the plurality of rods, such that when the cavity contains liquid resin, radiation passing through a given one of the rods cures liquid resin that surrounds the given rod; and (iv) a control system configured to: (a) receive data specifying a three-dimensional structure; (b) determine a shape for a layer of a plurality of layers that collectively form the three-dimensional structure; and (c) determine one or more of the light sources that correspond to the shape of the layer; and (d) form the layer by operating the one or more determined light sources that correspond to the shape of the layer.
Abstract:
A backscatter receiving module and a method of backscatter communication is described. A front-end module receives the backscatter signal from an antenna and generates high-speed and low-speed data. A high-speed decoding module outputs first data in response to the high-speed data having high-speed symbols that were encoded at a first frequency. The high-speed symbols include a first subset of symbols and a second subset of symbols. A low-speed decoding module outputs second data in response to receiving the low-speed data that was encoded into the backscatter signal at a second frequency. The low-speed decoding module generates a first state of the second data when the high-speed symbols of the high-speed data are in the first subset for a length of time. The low-speed module generates a second state of the second data when the high-speed symbols of the high-speed data are in the second subset for the length of time.
Abstract:
A kite system with a ground station adapted for airborne power generation. The kite system may include a kite which comprises one or more airfoils which have mounted thereon a plurality of turbine driven generators. The turbine driven generators may also function as motor driven propellers in a powered flight mode, which may be used during take-off, which may include aspects of vertical take-off and landing. A perch adapted to facilitate the take-off and landing may be used as part of the system. The perch may pivot such that the pivot is oriented towards the tension direction of the tether.
Abstract:
Methods and systems for determining and presenting virtual safety cages are provided. An example method may involve receiving an instruction for a robotic device to perform a physical action in a physical environment occupied by the robotic device. The method may also involve, responsive to receiving the instruction, and based on one or more parameters of one or more physical components of the robotic device, determining one or more estimated trajectories along which the one or more physical components of the robotic device are estimated to move as the robotic device performs the physical action. The method may further involve, based on the one or more estimated trajectories, determining a virtual representation of a space that the robotic device is estimated to occupy in the physical environment while performing the physical action. The method may then involve providing, into the physical environment, an indication of a location of the space.
Abstract:
A method of wirelessly communicating a screen image between a mobile device and a base station coupled to a display terminal includes establishing a wireless display session between the mobile device and the base station. Electromagnetic (“EM”) radiation emitted from the base station is incident upon an antenna of the mobile device. The screen image is transmitted to the base station for display on the display terminal by modulating a radar cross-section of the mobile device between two or more states to encode the screen image on a backscatter channel of the EM radiation.