| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080234864 | Robots with Collision Avoidance Functionality - 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. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080243307 | Apparatus and Method for Generating and Controlling the Motion of a Robot - A method for controlling a system or robot having at least one effector. An initial sequence of control points is computed. The system or the robot is evaluated by a global cost function that uses internal simulation based on the control points. The sequence of control points are updated based on the evaluation. The evaluation of the system or the robot and the updating of the sequence of control points are repeated until a given termination criterion is met. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20090018696 | Method and Device for Controlling a Robot - A robot controller including a multitude of simultaneously functioning robot controller units. Each robot controller unit is adapted to receive an input signal, receive top-down information, execute an internal process or dynamics, store at least one representation, send top-down information, issue motor commands wherein each motor command has a priority. The robot controller selects one or several motor commands issued by one or several units based on their priority. Each robot controller unit may read representations stored in other robot controller units. | 01-15-2009 |