A Rail Drone can include: a payload interface, a drivetrain, and a rail platform(515). The Rail Drone can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The Rail Drone can integrate a standardized payload interface and an autonomous electric road vehicle platform into a rolling stock architecture. The Rail Drone can be a stand-alone, payload-agnostic, motive element which can be independently or cooperatively capable of carrying heavy loads across long distances at various cruising speeds.

A moving body control device for controlling a moving body, including an information acquisition unit that acquires moving body-specific information including a bogie position and a vehicle body mass, a moving body position, a moving body velocity, and track information including a curvature for each position of the track, and a feedforward steering angle calculation unit that calculates a steering angle by using the moving body-specific information, the moving body position, the moving body velocity, and the track information. The feedforward steering angle calculation unit calculates the steering angle according to a sum of a kinematic component calculated based on a geometrical relationship between the bogie position and the curvature of a track, and a dynamic component calculated based on an equation of motion including the bogie position, the vehicle body mass, the moving body velocity, and the curvature and a curvature change rate of the track.

A control unit causes a lifting unit to perform a lifting operation for raising/lowering a holding unit by executing feedback control for controlling the lifting unit to move a position of the holding unit in a lifting direction closer to a target position while changing the target position, and the control unit executes feedback control with the target position fixed while causing the travel unit to perform a travel operation for traveling along a travel path in a state where the holding unit is holding an article. The control unit reduces a travel operation gain which is a gain of the feedback control during the travel operation to lower than a lifting operation gain which is a gain of the feedback control during the lifting operation.

A control unit causes a lifting unit to perform a lifting operation for raising/lowering a holding unit by executing feedback control for controlling the lifting unit to move a position of the holding unit in a lifting direction closer to a target position while changing the target position, and the control unit executes feedback control with the target position fixed while causing the travel unit to perform a travel operation for traveling along a travel path in a state where the holding unit is holding an article. The control unit reduces a travel operation gain which is a gain of the feedback control during the travel operation to lower than a lifting operation gain which is a gain of the feedback control during the lifting operation.

An object processing system is disclosed that includes a plurality of track sections, and a plurality of remotely actuatable carriers for controlled movement along at least portions of the plurality of track sections, each of the actuatable carriers being instructed at any time to move a limited number of track section only.

An automated carrier system is disclosed for moving objects to be processed. The automated carrier system includes a base structure of a carrier on which an object may be supported, and at least two wheels mounted to at least two motors to provide at least two wheel assemblies, the at least two wheel assemblies being pivotally supported on the base structure for pivoting movement from a first position to a second position to effect a change in direction of movement of the carrier.

An automated carrier system is disclosed for moving objects to be processed. The automated carrier system includes a base structure of a carrier on which an object may be supported, and at least two wheels mounted to at least two motors to provide at least two wheel assemblies, the at least two wheel assemblies being pivotally supported on the base structure for pivoting movement from a first position to a second position to effect a change in direction of movement of the carrier.

A storage setup and method for robotic delivery and retrieval of crates from shelving blocks are disclosed. At least one shelving block in the setup comprises non-uniformly spaced apart storage surfaces. The storage surfaces are accessible to lift-robots through a network of tracks comprising intersecting vertically and horizontally oriented tracks. A computerized control system is configured to differentiate between storage locations based on which crate sizes from at least two different ranges of crate sizes a storage location can store. The storage may be automatically optimized by routing robots to store crates in storage locations sized in correlation with the size of the crate to be stored.

A storage setup and method for robotic delivery and retrieval of crates from shelving blocks are disclosed. At least one shelving block in the setup comprises non-uniformly spaced apart storage surfaces. The storage surfaces are accessible to lift-robots through a network of tracks comprising intersecting vertically and horizontally oriented tracks. A computerized control system is configured to differentiate between storage locations based on which crate sizes from at least two different ranges of crate sizes a storage location can store. The storage may be automatically optimized by routing robots to store crates in storage locations sized in correlation with the size of the crate to be stored.

There is provided a technique capable of easily realizing control to cause an autonomous travel device to perform a predetermined operation at a predetermined position on a travel route. An autonomous travel device (2) is an autonomous travel device that travels along a line (1) placed on a travel route, and includes a detecting unit (line sensor (21)) that detects the line (1), and a control unit that controls an operation of the autonomous travel device (2) on the basis of a detection result from the detecting unit. The control unit determines a width (W) of the line (1) on the basis of the detection result from the detecting unit. If the determined width (W) of the line (1) is smaller than a predetermined reference width, the control unit causes the autonomous travel device (2) to perform a travel operation of traveling along the line (1). On the other hand, if the determined width (W) of the line (1) is larger than or equal to the predetermined reference width, the control unit causes the autonomous travel device (2) to perform a predetermined operation different from the travel operation.