An automated carrier includes a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle towed by the towing vehicle. The towed vehicle includes a marker associated with specification information of the towed vehicle stored in a computer mounted on the towing vehicle or in an external computer communicating with the towing vehicle. The towing vehicle includes a camera and a controller. The camera acquires a marker image by capturing an area comprising the marker on the towed vehicle. The controller acquires the specification information of the towed vehicle from the computer based on the marker image, and controls a drive unit of the towing vehicle based on the acquired specification information of the towed vehicle.

A method for managing trips from a pharmacy may include receiving a plurality of transaction records that, as received, represent an independent transaction of a plurality of transactions at an ADC. The plurality of transaction records may include: time information between respective transactions and an elapsed time for a portion of the plurality of transactions. The method may include identifying, based at least in part on: (i) a comparison of the time information between respective transactions and a threshold inter-transaction trip time; and (ii) a comparison of the elapsed time for the portion and a threshold elapsed trip time, a sequence of the portion as a unique trip from a pharmacy. The method may include annotating, with an identifier for the unique trip, a portion of the plurality of transaction records representing the portion of the plurality of transactions. Related methods and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

An autonomous vehicle which includes multiple independent control systems that provide redundancy as to specific and critical safety situations which may be encountered when the autonomous vehicle is in operation.

An overhead transport vehicle includes a holding unit adapted to be lifted and lowered and configured to hold an article; a lifting drive section configured to lift and lower the holding unit; a lateral transfer mechanism configured to move the lifting drive section laterally with respect to a body section; a monitoring sensor provided to the lifting drive section and configured to monitor an area below the lifting drive section and be able to change a monitoring range; and a controller configured to change the monitoring range of the monitoring sensor in accordance with information on tilt of the lifting drive section with respect to a horizontal plane.

A method for controlling robots and facilities is performed by one or more processors and includes controlling a first robot to move to a waiting area of a target space, acquiring information that the first robot is located in the waiting area of the target space, determining whether there is a robot in the target space, controlling, in response to determining that there is no robot in the target space, a door of the target space to be opened, controlling, in response to determining that the door is open, the first robot to leave the waiting area and enter the target space, and controlling the first robot to provide a serving service in target space.

Provided is a channel monitoring method, an electronic device, and a storage medium. The method includes: obtaining scan data collected by a vehicle body collection component of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) in an area around a vehicle body; obtaining video data collected by a camera in a video collection area, where the camera is one of a plurality of cameras and is used to collect video of at least a partial area of the channel to be monitored of the plurality of channels to be monitored; in a case of determining an existence of a target object based on the scan data collected by the vehicle body collection component and/or the video data collected by the camera, obtaining a target channel where the target object is located; and generating target warning information for the target channel where the target object is located.

A vehicular system includes a measuring unit attached to a vehicle to detect a magnetic marker laid along a traveling road, a database storing position information of the magnetic marker, and a control unit that acquires the position information of the magnetic marker by referring to a storage area of the database. The database has stored therein position information of each magnetic marker to which a distance from a reference point on the traveling road as a starting point to each magnetic marker is linked. By referring to the database by using a distance traveled until the magnetic marker is detected after the vehicle passes over the reference point, position information of newly detected magnetic marker is acquired.

A sensor module having multiple sensors for collecting, analyzing, storing, and transmitting data related to environmental and plant growth data in an agricultural habitat, such as a greenhouse, is disclosed. One or more modules are placed at various locations in a greenhouse, to collect data including any of temperature, temperature gradient, humidity, light levels, light frequencies, soil moisture, soil composition, plant health, plant growth, plant quality e.g. maturity and/or fruit quantity and/or ripeness. The sensor module is adapted for robotic placement within the greenhouse, although the module ay initially be placed by hand. The module is powered by internal batteries or a large capacitor or capacitor array and is recharged by a greenhouse robot that may comprise any of a robot arm configured for movement within a greenhouse via a conveyer or track system, a wheeled robot, or a drone.

A control method according to the present disclosure is performed by a control device for use in remotely monitoring mobile bodies each of which autonomously performs a task, and includes: receiving, from a first mobile body included in the mobile bodies, a remote support request indicating a request for remote operation support; identifying a second mobile body different from the first mobile body; obtaining first and second task information about first and second tasks being performed by the first and second mobile bodies, and calculating priorities of the first and second tasks based on the first and second task information; and when the priority of the first task is lower than that of the second task, transmitting, to the first mobile body, a first control command for remotely operating the first mobile body without hindering the second mobile body from performing the second task.

A robot management system includes: a first robot management unit that manages an activity of a first mobile robot taking a first area as an activity range; a second robot management unit that manages an activity of a second mobile robot taking a second area as an activity range; a wide area task accepting unit that accepts a wide area task involving movement from a first point in the first area to a second point in the second area; and a narrow area task setting unit that sets a first narrow area task including movement from the first point in the first area to a relay point in an overlap area and takeover processing to the second mobile robot at the relay point for supporting the second mobile robot to move to the second point, and a second narrow area task including the takeover processing from the first mobile robot 61 at the relay point.